A gentle calm… the sound of birds chirping in the branches of the trees…
Lucian sat sketching meaningless diagrams.
"Think, think, think, think!!"
He snapped his pencil in frustration.
Suddenly, the alarm clock rang: 7:20 a.m.
Lucian rose from his chair and headed toward his closet.
"I guess I didn't sleep at all last night… I should get to school!"
**
By the end of the second lesson… everyone was enjoying their break. But Lucian was sitting in a quiet hallway, with no one around except his friend, Jude.
Jude frowned, puzzled by Lucian's behavior that day:
"Lucian… why are you acting so strange today?"
Lucian pulled his gaze away from a notebook where he had been drawing some sort of plan. In a serious tone, he said:
"Jude… I need your help with something."
Jude was stunned—Lucian almost never asked for help. Clearly, there was something he was determined to do.
"Alright… I'm ready to do whatever you need," Jude replied with a grin.
Lucian's eyes lit up, and he smiled as well.
"I want to enter the Clock Tower!"
Jude's face suddenly went pale.
"Are you insane, Lucian??"
Lucian reminded him coolly:
"Didn't you just say, 'I'm ready to do whatever you need'?"
Jude smacked his forehead and groaned:
"Ugh… I'm such an idiot. But Lucian, you know entering the Clock Tower is dangerous—the building could collapse on your head!"
Lucian lifted his notebook and showed it to Jude:
"Don't worry… the building won't collapse. Besides, I've been planning this all night!"
"What are you two weirdos talking about?"
Anya's voice suddenly cut into their conversation.
Lucian looked at her calmly:
"I'm just… planning something."
Curious, Anya asked:
"And what is it?"
Lucian explained quietly. Anya's eyes widened, and a smile spread across her face:
"Whaaat!!! So we're going to uncover the hidden secret inside the Clock Tower?"
Lucian nodded:
"Yes… I'll go inside the tower, while you two keep watch around the area outside."
**
By the end of the school day… the clock read 3:12 p.m.
Lucian's eyes were fixed on the door of the Clock Tower…
Meanwhile, Jude and Anya stood at a distance, keeping watch around the area. After a few minutes… 3:15 p.m.
Jude noticed the place around the tower had grown almost empty—especially the guards, who had wandered farther away. He signaled to Lucian…
Lucian dashed toward the tower stealthily, reached the door, slipped inside quietly, and shut it behind him!
He exhaled and wrinkled his nose at a foul odor, muttering under his breath:
"Ugh… what's that smell…"
Suddenly, he spotted a broken staircase… large rooms… until he reached a vast chamber at the center of which stood a broken clock.
Its hands, however, were frozen at 03:33…
As Lucian touched the hands of the stopped clock, a sharp jolt of electricity surged through him. Suddenly, he heard rapid ticking sounds.
"Why am I so scared?" he whispered nervously…
He continued exploring, finding ashes scattered everywhere, and rotten wood that looked like it could collapse at any moment.
At last, Lucian entered a strange room… where the words "Save me" were scrawled on the wall in red.
He took a step closer, wondering:
"Is this… blood?"
But he decided to leave, casting one last glance at the place before grabbing the handle of the exit door.
He turned the doorknob, but it didn't budge.
"Huh?"
Lucian pulled his hand away from the doorknob—only to find blood smeared across his palm!
Then came the sound of the clock's chime…
He fumbled for his phone and quickly checked the screen: 03:33.
Sweat broke across his forehead. The door wouldn't open… and now he caught the smell of smoke—
the stench of fire.
"No… no, no… what's happening here?"
"Are you afraid?" a voice whispered beside him…
Lucian swallowed hard and turned his head—
there she was. A girl in the same clothes as before, blood spread all around her.
"I… am Lisa!" she said in a cold tone, though sorrow and grief churned within her.
Lucian staggered back until his spine hit the wall.
"W-what happened?"
Lisa stepped forward calmly, her eyes meeting his trembling gaze.
"I had hoped to speak with you… but I ended up condemned…"
Her words bewildered Lucian… yet she said no more, only turning her gaze toward the flames.
In that moment, Lucian realized fire had erupted around them…
But Lisa turned back to him with calm eyes:
"Don't be afraid… you won't die. This fire is nothing but an illusion…"
Lucian stood frozen in shock, but forced himself to ask through his unease:
"Why did all of this happen now? Why did the clock strike at 03:33?"
Lisa drew nearer to him.
"Are you certain you truly want to know?"
Lucian trembled.
"Y-yes…"
"Very well… I died at exactly 03:33," she said firmly.
Lucian squeezed his eyes shut, overwhelmed, unable to process it all…
Then Lisa's voice softened:
"But now… at 03:33, time itself has stopped here. 03:34 will never come… at least, not for a while."
Lucian's thoughts raced, his head pounding with questions:
"Does that mean… I'm stuck here forever?"
Lisa's tone grew colder…
"No… not forever…"
Then Lisa gently placed her hand on Lucian's shoulder…
"Can you change fate?"
Lucian opened his eyes and looked at her, his voice trembling:
"How? And what if I fail?"
Lisa gave him a faint smile—empty of emotion, yet filled with hope.
"I trust you… and I know you'll succeed in saving me…"
Her tone shifted, tinged with sorrow:
"Do you know how much I miss my mom and dad? Do you know how much I wished I could score high in school? Do you know how many dreams I had… so many more than you can imagine… Please, change it!!"
Lucian stared at her, but suddenly, a darkness surrounded him—
as if he were being pulled into a deep sleep.
"What… happened?"
He found himself back in his bedroom, lying in bed…
But this time, there were no sketches pinned to the wall, no bookshelf, not even the Interpretations of Mysterious Dreams book that had once sat on his desk.
"Was I… dreaming? Or what?" he whispered quietly.
He slowly raised his hand—only to find it small, childlike.
"Am I… in the past?"