Ivy couldn’t move.

The creature stood before her, towering above the roses.

Its single silver eye glowed like a moon trapped inside a storm.

“You made a deal,” it repeated.

Ivy shook her head.

“I don’t remember.”

“That was the deal.”

Theo grabbed her hand.

“Don’t listen to it.”

The creature turned toward him.

“You were not invited.”

Theo swallowed.

“I’m beginning to regret coming.”

Leo whispered, “Same.”

Professor Whiskers stepped forward.

“Enough.”

The creature looked at the cat.

“You again.”

Professor Whiskers’ fur stood on end.

“I remember you.”

“You should.”

“You were smaller.”

“And you were younger.”

The creature laughed.

The sound made every rose tremble.

Ivy looked at Professor Whiskers.

“You knew this thing?”

“Yes.”

“You knew about the deal?”

“Yes.”

“Then tell me what happened!”

Professor Whiskers looked at the floor.

“You were seven years old.”

Ivy waited.

“Lillian had discovered the garden’s deepest secret. Beneath the garden was a place called the Memory Well. Anything placed inside it could be forgotten by the world.”

Theo frowned.

“Why would anyone want that?”

“Because some memories are dangerous.”

Ivy looked at the creature.

“And that’s where it came from?”

“No.”

Professor Whiskers shook his head.

“It was already there.”

The creature smiled.

“I have always been here.”

Ivy felt another memory trying to surface.

A little girl running through the garden.

Her seven-year-old self.

Lillian chasing her.

“Wait, Ivy!”

The memory vanished.

Ivy pressed her hands against her head.

“I can remember pieces.”

The creature stepped closer.

“Then remember everything.”

Another memory appeared.

Ivy saw herself standing beside a fountain.

She was crying.

Lillian was kneeling beside her.

“You can’t go inside,” Lillian had said.

“I want my mother.”

“She’ll come back.”

“She won’t!”

Ivy’s younger face was wet with tears.

Then the creature appeared behind her.

It was smaller then.

Almost like a shadow.

It whispered:

“I can give you what you want.”

The little Ivy looked up.

“What?”

“A memory.”

“Whose?”

“Your mother’s.”

Lillian grabbed her arm.

“No!”

The creature smiled.

“But you must give me something in return.”

Little Ivy nodded.

“What?”

“Your happiest memory.”

Ivy gasped.

She understood.

The creature hadn’t stolen her memories.

She had given one away.

But there was more.

The memory continued.

Little Ivy looked at Lillian.

“Will I forget everything?”

“No,” the creature said.

“Only the memory you love most.”

Little Ivy wiped her tears.

“Okay.”

Lillian screamed:

“DON’T!”

But it was too late.

The creature touched Ivy’s forehead.

A burst of silver light filled the garden.

The memory ended.

Ivy opened her eyes.

She was back in the Rose Room.

Tears rolled down her cheeks.

“I gave it my happiest memory.”

Professor Whiskers nodded.

“Yes.”

“What was it?”

The cat looked at Lillian.

Lillian couldn’t speak.

Theo stepped forward.

“Why does it matter now?”

The creature answered.

“Because she has returned.”

Ivy stared at it.

“What do you want?”

“Payment.”

“What payment?”

“Your memory.”

“I already gave you one.”

“No.”

The creature smiled.

“You gave me your happiest memory.”

It leaned closer.

“Now I want the rest.”

The roses suddenly opened.

Each flower showed a different memory.

Ivy saw herself as a child.

Her mother laughing.

Her father teaching her to ride a bicycle.

Leo as a baby.

Lillian reading stories to her.

Her first day at school.

Every memory appeared around her like floating photographs.

The creature raised its hand.

“All of them.”

Ivy backed away.

“No.”

“You agreed.”

“I was seven!”

“A promise is a promise.”

Theo stepped between them.

“She was a child.”

The creature looked at him.

“Then perhaps I should take yours instead.”

Theo froze.

Ivy shouted:

“No!”

The creature’s eye flashed.

Theo suddenly collapsed.

“Theo!”

Ivy ran to him.

He was unconscious.

His eyes were closed.

“Wake up!”

Nothing.

The creature whispered:

“Every memory has a price.”

Ivy looked around desperately.

The seven objects were still scattered across the floor.

The toy rabbit.

The watch.

The ribbon.

The bell.

The photograph.

The wooden bird.

The red notebook.

She remembered Lillian’s warning.

Seven objects.

Seven clues.

Seven memories.

Ivy suddenly understood.

“They aren’t just clues.”

Professor Whiskers looked at her.

“What?”

“They’re pieces of the memory.”

She picked up the yellow ribbon.

The moment she touched it, another memory appeared.

She was seven years old.

She was standing beneath a giant tree.

Lillian was tying the ribbon around her wrist.

“This will help you remember me.”

The memory ended.

Ivy looked at the ribbon.

Then the silver bell.

Another memory.

Lillian ringing the bell while laughing.

The wooden bird.

A memory of her father carving it.

The photograph.

A family picnic.

The broken watch.

Her father giving it to her.

The toy rabbit.

Her mother holding it.

Ivy realized what had happened.

The creature had not taken random memories.

It had scattered the memories throughout the garden.

And the seven objects contained pieces of them.

“The deal can be broken.”

The creature’s eye narrowed.

“What did you say?”

Ivy stood.

“The memories you took don’t belong to you.”

“They were given.”

“They were stolen.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

Ivy held up the red notebook.

“You can’t own a memory.”

The creature screamed.

The entire garden shook.

Theo suddenly woke.

“What happened?”

“Get up!”

“Why?”

“Because we’re running!”

Everyone rushed toward the garden entrance.

The creature chased them.

Roots exploded from the ground.

Roses flew through the air.

The fountain cracked.

Leo ran while screaming.

“This is officially the worst garden ever!”

They reached the center of the garden.

Professor Whiskers shouted:

“The Memory Well!”

Ivy stopped.

“Where?”

“Under the fountain!”

Theo looked at the cracked fountain.

“That’s impossible.”

“Everything here is impossible.”

They pulled the fountain’s stone base apart.

A hidden staircase appeared.

They rushed downward.

At the bottom was a circular chamber.

In the center stood a deep well filled with silver light.

Professor Whiskers pointed.

“Throw the seven objects inside.”

Ivy looked at the objects.

“But the memories are inside them.”

“Exactly.”

She threw the yellow ribbon.

It disappeared into the silver water.

The toy rabbit followed.

Then the bell.

The wooden bird.

The photograph.

The broken watch.

Finally, the red notebook.

The well exploded with light.

Thousands of glowing memories rose into the air.

The creature screamed.

“No!”

Its body began breaking apart.

Ivy watched as the memories flew through the garden.

Some returned to the houses of Willowmere.

Lost letters returned to old families.

Photographs appeared in forgotten albums.

Missing watches returned to drawers.

And one final memory flew toward Ivy.

It was her happiest memory.

She caught it.

Suddenly she remembered.

Her seventh birthday.

Her parents.

Leo.

Lillian.

The entire family standing beneath the garden tree.

Everyone laughing.

Ivy smiled through her tears.

“I remember.”

The creature shrank.

“No!”

Ivy stepped toward it.

“You can’t take anything from me anymore.”

The creature’s silver eye dimmed.

Lillian appeared beside Ivy.

“It’s over.”

The creature looked at her.

“You broke the rule.”

Lillian smiled.

“No.”

She held Ivy’s hand.

“We remembered.”

The creature disappeared.

The garden became silent.

Then Professor Whiskers sneezed.

Everyone stared at him.

He sneezed again.

Theo laughed.

Leo started laughing too.

Ivy couldn’t help herself.

Soon everyone was laughing.

Even Lillian.

For the first time in twenty-three years…

She laughed.

But the laughter didn’t last long.

A strange sound came from the old clock tower at the center of the garden.

DONG.

Everyone froze.

Theo looked at Ivy.

“The clock.”

Ivy stared.

“But we destroyed it.”

Professor Whiskers shook his head.

“No.”

The clock began ticking.

TICK.

TICK.

Then the hands moved forward.

For the first time.

And the clock showed a date.

TOMORROW.

Lillian’s smile disappeared.

“What is it?”

Professor Whiskers stared at the clock.

His voice trembled.

“The garden has never shown tomorrow before.”

Ivy looked at the glowing clock.

A message appeared beneath the date.

THE FIRST SECRET IS SOLVED.

Then another sentence appeared.

BUT THE LAST SECRET HAS JUST AWAKENED.

The garden gates opened.

Beyond them stood a figure wearing a long black coat.

The figure smiled.

And in its hand was another silver key.

“I believe this belongs to you.”