For several seconds, nobody moved.

The stranger stood beside the counter with one hand resting on the brim of his black hat.

Mrs. Clementine looked as though she had seen a ghost.

Biscuit looked as though he had seen something much worse.

Maya looked at Eli.

Eli looked at Maya.

Then Eli whispered,

“I’m going to ask the obvious question.”

Maya whispered back,

“Don’t.”

“Who is Rose’s brother?”

The stranger smiled.

“Me.”

Eli nodded.

“Excellent. Very mysterious.”

Maya elbowed him.

The stranger laughed.

“My name is Julian Vale.”

Mrs. Clementine’s hands trembled.

“You cannot be here.”

Julian looked around the tea shop.

“Apparently I am.”

“You disappeared seventeen years ago.”

“I know.”

“You were twelve.”

“I know.”

“You were declared dead.”

Julian smiled.

“That’s unfortunate.”

Eli leaned toward Maya.

“Is he always this calm?”

“I don’t know.”

Julian looked at them.

“You two are terrible whisperers.”

Eli straightened.

“Thank you.”

“That wasn’t a compliment.”

“Oh.”

Maya stepped forward.

“Where is Rose?”

Julian’s smile disappeared.

“I don’t know.”

“But you know something.”

“Yes.”

“What?”

He looked at the grandfather clock.

“She isn’t missing.”

Maya remembered Biscuit’s words.

Rose didn’t disappear. She was taken.

“Taken by whom?”

Julian’s eyes moved toward the windows.

“The person who owns tomorrow.”

Maya felt a chill.

“What does that mean?”

Julian walked toward the shelves.

He ran his fingers over the tea tins.

“It means someone has discovered how to steal time.”

Eli immediately opened his notebook.

“Now we’re talking.”

Maya stared at him.

“Why are you excited?”

“Because this is finally a proper mystery.”

“Someone stealing time isn’t exciting.”

“It is when you have a notebook.”

Julian pulled a small silver tin from the shelf.

The label read:

TOMORROW TEA

Maya remembered seeing it on the menu.

“Mrs. Clementine said this tea wasn’t available yet.”

“She lied.”

Maya turned toward her.

“You knew about this?”

Mrs. Clementine looked away.

“I knew it existed.”

Julian opened the tin.

Inside were tiny white tea leaves that shimmered like snow.

He took one leaf and placed it in his palm.

“This tea doesn’t show the future.”

Maya frowned.

“You already said that.”

Julian nodded.

“It remembers tomorrow.”

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“It will.”

He placed the leaf inside a teacup.

Then he poured hot water over it.

The tea immediately changed color.

First blue.

Then purple.

Then silver.

The room became silent.

Julian pushed the cup toward Maya.

“Drink.”

Maya stepped back.

“No.”

Biscuit jumped onto the counter.

“Excellent decision.”

Julian smiled.

“Your cat is smarter than you.”

“I am smarter than everyone,” Biscuit said.

Eli looked at him.

“You once got trapped in a cardboard box.”

“That was a tactical error.”

Julian looked at Maya.

“You need to drink it.”

“Why?”

“Because the tea shop chose you.”

Maya looked toward Mrs. Clementine.

“Is that true?”

Mrs. Clementine nodded.

“You were the first person to receive a letter.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means the shop knows something about you.”

Maya stared at the silver tea.

“What?”

Nobody answered.

She picked up the cup.

The liquid shimmered.

She took a tiny sip.

Nothing happened.

Eli waited.

“Well?”

Maya frowned.

“Tastes like mint.”

Julian smiled.

“Wait.”

The grandfather clock began ticking backward.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

Maya’s vision blurred.

The room disappeared.

Suddenly she was standing in the tea shop.

But everything looked different.

The walls were covered with clocks.

The shelves were empty.

The windows were broken.

And the Moonlit Teacup looked abandoned.

Maya turned around.

“Hello?”

Nobody answered.

Then she saw someone sitting at a table.

Rose.

She looked exactly like the photograph.

Seventeen years old.

Long brown hair.

Blue coat.

A silver bracelet around her wrist.

Maya ran toward her.

“Rose!”

Rose looked up.

“You found the tea.”

“How do I get you out?”

Rose shook her head.

“You can’t.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m not where you think I am.”

Maya looked around.

“Where are you?”

Rose pointed toward the clock.

“Tomorrow.”

Maya frowned.

“I don’t understand.”

Rose smiled sadly.

“You will.”

Suddenly, a shadow appeared behind Rose.

A tall figure.

Its face was hidden.

Rose stood.

“You need to wake up.”

Maya stepped toward her.

“Wait!”

Rose threw something across the table.

A small golden key.

Maya caught it.

“Find the room beneath the clock.”

Then Rose whispered:

“Don’t let him see you.”

“Who?”

The shadow turned.

Maya saw two pale eyes.

Then everything disappeared.

Maya opened her eyes.

She was back inside the tea shop.

The cup fell from her hand.

Eli caught it before it hit the floor.

“What happened?”

Maya was breathing heavily.

“I saw Rose.”

Mrs. Clementine rushed toward her.

“What did she say?”

Maya looked at Julian.

“She said she’s in tomorrow.”

Julian closed his eyes.

“She found it.”

“What?”

“The room beneath the clock.”

Biscuit suddenly jumped down from the counter.

“We have a problem.”

Eli stared.

“You’re a cat. You always have a problem.”

Biscuit ignored him.

“The clock room is locked.”

Maya looked at the grandfather clock.

“Then we’ll unlock it.”

She reached into her pocket.

Her fingers touched something cold.

The golden key.

She pulled it out.

Everyone stared.

Julian’s expression changed.

“Where did you get that?”

“Rose gave it to me.”

“That key disappeared seventeen years ago.”

Maya looked at him.

“Apparently it came back.”

The grandfather clock suddenly moved.

A tiny door appeared at the bottom.

Maya inserted the golden key.

CLICK.

The entire clock shifted sideways.

Behind it was a narrow staircase.

Eli stared into the darkness.

“This is either a great idea or a terrible idea.”

Maya started down the stairs.

“Probably both.”

Eli followed.

Biscuit jumped onto his shoulder.

“Get off.”

“No.”

“You’re heavy.”

“You’re weak.”

“Cats weigh nothing.”

“Then why are you complaining?”

Maya laughed despite herself.

They descended beneath the tea shop.

The walls were covered in old photographs.

Some showed Bellflower as it looked fifty years ago.

Others showed people who had disappeared.

Maya stopped.

One photograph showed Rose.

Another showed Julian.

Another showed Mrs. Clementine.

But the strangest photograph showed Maya herself.

She was seven years old.

Standing beside the grandfather clock.

And beside her was a man whose face had been scratched out.

Maya touched the photograph.

“Who is that?”

Julian looked at it.

His face became pale.

“I don’t know.”

“You’re lying.”

“I’ve never seen that photograph.”

Biscuit growled.

“Yes, you have.”

Julian turned.

“What?”

The cat stared at him.

“You know exactly who that is.”

Before Julian could answer, the lights went out.

A voice echoed from the darkness.

“Maya.”

She froze.

The voice continued.

“You shouldn’t have come here.”

Maya whispered:

“Who are you?”

The voice laughed.

“I am the reason tomorrow belongs to me.”

A clock began ticking somewhere in the darkness.

Then another.

Then another.

Soon the entire underground room was filled with ticking clocks.

Eli grabbed Maya’s arm.

“We should leave.”

“Agreed.”

They turned.

The staircase was gone.

The wall behind them was solid stone.

Biscuit hissed.

Julian looked around desperately.

“We’re trapped.”

A small light appeared at the end of the room.

A door slowly opened.

Behind it was a woman.

Maya stared.

She recognized her immediately.

It was Rose.

But Rose looked older now.

Much older.

Her hair was streaked with silver.

Her face was tired.

And she was holding a clock in her hands.

Maya whispered:

“Rose?”

Rose smiled.

“I’m sorry.”

“Why?”

“Because I brought you here.”

Maya stepped toward her.

“Why?”

Rose looked at Julian.

Then at Mrs. Clementine’s photograph.

Then at Maya.

“Because you’re the only person who can stop him.”

“Stop who?”

Rose’s expression became frightened.

“The man who stole tomorrow.”

Suddenly the clocks stopped.

Every single one.

Rose looked toward the darkness.

“He knows you’re here.”

A deep voice whispered:

“Yes.”

The door slammed shut.

And on the wall behind Maya, glowing letters appeared:

MIDNIGHT IS NO LONGER TOMORROW.

Maya stared at the words.

“What does that mean?”

Rose whispered:

“It means we have only six hours left.”

Then every clock in the room began counting backward.