Eli awoke with a start, his eyes darting around the unfamiliar room. Heavy drapes framed the window, partially obscuring the bustling cityscape beyond. He was dressed in a scratchy woolen suit, a far cry from his usual T-shirt and jeans. Confused, he stumbled to his feet, the cold floor biting at his bare soles. "Where am I now?" he murmured to himself, feeling the weight of his predicament.

Eli stepped cautiously into the street, his senses overwhelmed by the sights and sounds of Victorian London. He noticed a small, curious crowd gathered around a street performer playing a lively tune on a hurdy-gurdy. Eli approached, hoping to blend in and gather his bearings. "Excuse me, sir," he addressed an elderly gentleman, "can you tell me where I might find the timekeeper?" The gentleman eyed him with suspicion but pointed toward a narrow alleyway. "You'll find strange folk in Old Clockmaker's Row, if that's what you're after," he replied gruffly.

Eli entered the alley, each step echoing in the confined space. He paused before a small shop with a sign reading "Tempus Fugit." Inside, the air was filled with the scent of aged wood and oil. Behind the counter, a man with a wild mane of white hair worked diligently on a pocket watch. "Ah, a traveler out of time," the timekeeper said without looking up. Eli swallowed hard, "I need to get back home. Can you help me?" The timekeeper nodded, handing him a small, intricately carved amulet. "Solve the riddle etched on this, and you'll find your way," he instructed, his eyes twinkling with mysterious knowledge.

Eli sat cross-legged on the grass, tracing the symbols on the amulet with his fingers. The riddle seemed to dance before his eyes: "Find the hour that holds the key, in shadows where the light must be." "The hour that holds the key..." he pondered aloud, glancing at a sundial nearby. As the sun dipped lower, a shadow fell precisely on the numeral three. Eli jumped to his feet, heart pounding with realization. "The third hour! It's the clue!"

Eli raced back through the winding streets, clutching the amulet tightly. He reached the alley just as the last vestiges of daylight faded. The timekeeper awaited him, a knowing smile on his face. "Well done, young traveler," he said, gesturing toward a clock whose hands aligned perfectly with the hour of three. Eli stepped forward, feeling a peculiar pull as the world around him began to blur. "Thank you," he shouted over the growing hum of time unraveling.

Eli felt himself being drawn through the vortex, fragments of different eras brushing past him like the pages of a book being flipped. He clung to the hope that this time, he would find himself back in the present. As the whirlwind subsided, he braced for whatever awaited him next, his resolve unwavering even as uncertainty loomed large.