The month was December, Timeland was filled with snow. The snow reached the people's knees. All the people were in the Christmas moods. Serefina was approaching at the Tik Tok soup shop.

"Hey grandma!" she said keeping her snow covered umbrella in the umbrella stand close to the door.

"Serefi darling, You are late!" her grandma complained serving the special Tik Tok soup to a red beard man. "What were you doing at the house this long?"

"Grandma, this was because fluffy teared my shoes! And I had to buy new ones."

A white dog boosted out from Serefina's gigantic bag of spices.

"Fluffy, come back here!" Serefina shouted throwing her bag in wood looking glass floor. She ran after Fluffy into the big doors labelled:

Only staff allowed

The kitchen was filled with chefs cooking different soups. The kitchen smelled like fresh spices.

Fluffy ran on the shelves throwing utensils on the teal coloured glass floor . It was not new for Serefina for running after a dog-who-throws-stuff-everywhere as fluffy threw Serefina's things from her shelves all around the house. Of course her grandma didn't like Fluffy. But she had to keep him, being mesmerized by Serefina every time.

Grandma Hannah's name was more famous than her Tik Tok soup shop in Timeland. Grandma Hannah was the one keeping the time crystals safe and sound. Grandma Hannah's mother's mother, great-great grandma Betty, at a very young age activated the time crystals. There are total four time crystals playing different role. After the activation, only her blood could activate them. People came to see their future to great-great grandma Betty's house. No one could imagine a world without time crystals before Serefina's mom, Diana, tried to change the future and was never seen again. From then, no one is allowed to see future in the time crystals except grandma Hannah.

Sometimes Grandma Hannah looked depressed after loosing her daughter. But she always said 'We should move forward'. A twelve year old Serefina never felt sad because she never missed her mom much.

"Gotcha!" Serefina picked up Fluffy in her arms.

"Now are you going to spend all your time in the kitchen?" Grandma Hannah called from the counter taking cash from a woman drinking Clicky coffee.

Even though Grandma Hannah was a little grumpy but she adored Serefina.

(Hey guys, this is Deepshikha Chakraborty. I am 13 and this story is original as well as a little bit fanfiction because it includes two characters from a specific book. I can't tell you which because it will be a spoiler to this novel. So very sorry 😐. And this story is middle grade with magic and time travelling. So hopefully you all will like it. I wanted to add a picture in this chapter but I accidentally deleted it but I will add a picture in the next chapter.)

Next chapter - Chapter 2 - No one can change the future

"Fluffy, because of you grandma always scolds me," Serefina rubbed Fluffy's snowy fur.

Serefina and grandma Hannah arrived at their house late. According to grandma Hannah, people were important than themselves.

Grandma Hannah tugged Serefina in the giant canopied bed filled with stuff toys. Even though Serefina felt a little embarrassed when her friends came to her house. But without them she couldn't sleep and had nightmares like rain.

"Grandma I've been thinking....." she started but couldn't continue.

"I know what you're trying to say, Serefi," grandma was like a magician. She could predict what Serefina was saying. "You want to know about the time crystals. Don't you?"

"No... actually...I-I wanna know about my...mom," she explained. Serefina didn't know why exactly she was asking it after seven years.

Grandma Hannah turned pale. "Why are you asking about...her now? After seven years of her disappearance?"

"I don't know. But if you don't want to-"

"No...I was just... never mind. Your mother was a girl like you, always asking questions about time crystals. One day she asked me how to change the future. I wasn't suprised. Knowing new things were her favourite. Grandma Hannah rushed to her room in front of Serefina's.

After sometime grandma Hannah brought a time crystal.

"Grandma, which one is this?" Serefina said looking first time at a time crystal. Grandma Hannah never allowed Serefina to touch them or go near them and now she had brought a time crystal in front of her.

"It's the past crystal. Your mother was eight. It kinda went like this."

...Into the time crystal...

"To change the future you should use the future crystal ball. First you say the time and date of the incidence you have to change in future. The crystal ball will let you in. But..." said a beautiful youg lady with rosy cheeks and dark brown hair.

"But what?" said a little girl with blonde hair like Serefina, sitting beside the beautiful lady.

"But it's very dangerous."

"Why mom?"

"Pasts can be changed but not future. No one can change the future. Only the true heir of Time Crystalia can change the future."

"Time Crystalia?"

"The kingdom inside the time crystals."

The girl's mom adjusted herself in the bed. "Diana, promise me. You won't ever try to change the future."

"I promise."

"Good. Now you should sleep."

The lady tugged Diana in her bed when the girl fell asleep.

~

A tear stumbled down from grandma Hannah's cheeks.

"The lady was you. Right?" Serefina asked, mesmerized by what she saw.

"Yes, that was me," grandma Hannah replied.

"You were so preety."

"Thank you, Serefi. But now you should sleep."

Grandma Hannah was just going to exit the room when Serefina called, "Grandma won't you be asking me to make a promise to not try to change the future?"

"I told your mom to promise me and she didn't kept it...have a good night."

(I was adding a picture but it was too big and annoying.)

Serefina had a rough night thinking about the change-the-future thing.

She almost forgot that she was joining a new school today.

Grandma Hannah dropped Serefina at her new school. The Clockwork Academy.

A huge castle with four towers. In the top of the middle tower was a clock. Serefina entered the castle. Inside had a luxurious waterfall.

Students chatting and rushing to classes.

"Are you new?" said a young lady with a soft voice, suddenly arriving at Serefina's side. She had blonde pigtails and blue iris eyes.

"Umm...yes," Serefina agreed.

"Very well. I am professor Natalie. Your history teacher."

"Nice to meet you professor Natalie... I am Serefina Gracy...umm...can you please direct me to my locker?"

"Sure. Wait you are a Gracy? You mean the ones who control the time crystals?"

"Yes."

"Very well."

Professor Natalie guided Serefina to a sky blue coloured locker. "Here's your key," she said pointing to a same colored key attached to the locker.

"Thanks professor Natalie," Serefina said taking out the key.

"You're welcome dear. You have your first class on the fifth floor at 8:30 and I am your class teacher as well. So, meet you at class," professor Natalie went down stairs at end of the corridor.

"Hiya!" said girl appearing from nowhere near Serefina. "Are you new?"

"Yes," Serefina replied.

"I am Kyle," the girl had gryish blonde hair and purplish eyes. She took out her hand from her jacket pocket to shake hands.

"Serefina Gracy," she shook hands with Kyle.

"You mean the-"

"Ones controlling the time crystals? Yes," she sighed.

"Okkkkkaaaayy, nice to meet you too."

"I think we should be going to our class?"

"No, first we have to go to the assembly hall. Before starting a new year headmistress Gissell welcomes everyone."

"Okay."

The girls went down the stairs founding themselves in a golden lavish hall with a giant stage with three chairs.

One by one the full school was in the hall, including headmistress Gissell and other teachers.

"Hey Kyle!" the girls heard a boy's voice.

The boy had green emerald eyes and darkish brown ruffled and messy hair.

The boy looked a little older. Maybe a 14 or 15?

"Hello, Bryan. What's up?" Kyle asked.

"You should ask what's wrong," Bryan corrected.

"Okay, then what's wrong?"

"Who is she?" Bryan asked looking at Serefina.

"Umm... I am Serefina. Super nice to meet you," Serefina said, when their eyes met.

"Good to see you, Serefina," he said.

They just looked at each other when Kyle broke in.

"Bryan, weren't you suppose to tell what's wrong!" she shouted.

"Right. So professor Rascal just got Mally detention and now he willing to see you," he explained.

"Oh goodie. Why me and not you? Your the older one," Kyle sighed.

"Because professor Rascal told me to send you," He replied and recived another sigh from Kyle.

Next chapter - Chapter 4 - He's cool, right?