In that colossal tower of hell, the countdown to death had reached its final edge. Only a few grains of sand remained in the hourglass, and the poisonous water had risen to Gandolf's throat. Claire's mind was going numb, the heat of the laser burning against her forehead.
Suddenly, something from her childhood surfaced in her memory. At school, teachers always used to say, "When you can't understand the answer to a question, repeat it out loud again and again… your mind will eventually find its own path."
Claire squeezed her eyes shut tightly and, gathering all her strength, began shouting the riddle again and again:
"I am the one who was never born, yet I remain alive after every death. I am the secret of every mountain and the end of every ocean. I am the weapon of those who do not fight, and the clothing of those who cannot be seen. I am the only enemy of time. When you call me, I die; and when you remain silent, I grow within you. Tell me, who am I?"
