"What's happening? Where am I?"
The sand stretched endlessly, and the wind screamed as if in agony…
A towering Clock Tower stood in the middle of nothingness, challenging the relentless sun that rose without mercy.
Everything seemed ordinary… Yet, at the same time, nothing was ordinary.
Lucian stepped cautiously through this strange place, moving toward the Clock Tower that stood in the center of this desert-like world…
As he approached the tower, his hands trembled as he placed one on the door…
He pushed lightly, and a faint creak echoed, as if the door itself groaned in pain.
Inside…
She was there.
A pale girl, tears streaming down her face, stood beneath the stopped clock.
She didn't turn to him, but spoke in a fragile voice, as if on the verge of breaking:
"Stop it… before it takes you, as it took me…"
Lucian:
"W…what?"
Before he could utter another word,
the clock struck behind him.
A sharp chime tore through the silence.
And then…
**
Lucian woke up, gasping as if he had just emerged from the depths of water…
"Why is this dream repeating again!!"
He grabbed a cold glass of water and drank it slowly as he got out of bed.
He headed to the kitchen, where his mother was quietly preparing breakfast. Lucian set the glass aside and sat in his chair at the table, hands on his head… his head ached from fear and tension.
Without looking at him, his mother asked:
"Were you dreaming again, as usual?"
Lucian looked at her, his voice weary, like someone constantly exhausted:
"Yes… a dream in a strange place… but it doesn't matter, it's just a silly dream!"
His mother placed a plate and a glass of milk in front of him—an ordinary breakfast: eggs and sausages… with a glass of milk that had a special taste…
She smiled at him, sat in her chair, and looked at him:
"Eat well, you have a very long day… you need to study hard!"
Lucian ate quietly… while the radio played the usual weather news in the background…
He noticed the kitchen clock above the stove… pointing at 03:33.
"Impossible…", he whispered to himself, blinking rapidly, as if his eyes had deceived him.
When he looked again…
The clock read 07:46.
Lucian continued his meal, watching the clock…
Amid the clatter of spoons and the radio noise…
For a moment… he heard the whisper again:
"Stop it… before it takes you, as it took me…"
Lucian shouted:
"Enough!!!"
His mother looked at him in surprise:
"Why are you shouting, you naughty boy?"
Lucian looked at his mother and apologized softly:
"Ah… sorry, but… Mom, did you hear a whisper?"
With a hand on her cheek, his mother asked, her voice concerned:
"I don't know what you're talking about… but finish your breakfast quickly or you'll be late for school!"
Lucian, realizing the urgency, ate quickly…
His mother said:
"Be careful, or you'll choke!"
Afterward, Lucian dashed out toward school… cursing himself for moving like a turtle.
"Late again… damn this headache…"
He sprinted through narrow alleys and streets that were already filling with students, vendors, and the noise of daily life…
But suddenly—
He stopped.
In front of him stood the Clock Tower, the one he passed every day on his way…
But today… he looked at it differently.
It resembled the tower from his dream—same structure, same windows, the same precise details on the roof…
But in reality, the tower was abandoned. Broken. Ruined. It hadn't been restored in seven years.
The upper part leaned slightly… and the clock had stopped.
At… 03:33
Lucian froze for a moment… the air seemed to vanish, then he shook his head as if forcibly driving the thought away.
"Just a… meaningless coincidence."
He continued running.
Upon arrival, he slipped quickly into class, feeling the eyes of everyone on him, but as always, he ignored them and went straight to his front-row seat.
His only friend, Jude, was sitting at the desk next to him, watching with his usual mocking smile:
"Wow, Lucian, I think you're aiming to break the world record for daily tardiness."
Lucian didn't answer… he quietly sat down, placed his bag on the desk, and sighed.
Jude leaned forward and said:
"Let me guess… another dream? With the same mysterious crying girl?"
Lucian looked at him, then muttered:
"How did you know?"
Jude chuckled under his breath:
"Because you've got the face of someone who just came back from hell… and, as always, you forgot to zip up your bag when you rushed in late."
Lucian raised a brow… and looked at his bag.
It was indeed unzipped. But strangely, inside he found a piece of paper he had never seen before.
He opened it slowly…
It was a blank page… except for a single line written in slanted handwriting:
"03:33 – It's not just a time… it's a gateway."
Lucian gasped quietly… and Jude noticed the sudden change in his face.
"What is it? What did you find?"
But Lucian quickly folded the paper and stuffed it into his pocket.
"Nothing… just an old note."
Then the teacher entered.
"Alright, time for the first lesson… please remain silent while I call your names."
Everyone settled down. Lucian sighed and sank into his thoughts:
"Why has my life become so strange these past few days? Repeated dreams… a strange clock…"
The town of Mirwan was an ancient one, its people having lived there for many generations…
Seven years ago, a powerful explosion erupted inside the Clock Tower, once the town's proudest landmark. The blast ignited a fire that could not be contained. Since that day, the tower has never been rebuilt or repaired.
"Lucian Renji!"
The teacher's voice pierced through Lucian's thoughts for a moment.
Suddenly, Lucian raised his hand:
"Yes!"
After class…
Lucian headed to the school library, where he found his classmate Anya, who always spent her time there.
Lucian looked at her quietly:
"What are you reading?"
Anya didn't lift her eyes, only replied in an eager tone:
"I'm reading a novel called Memory That Doesn't Belong to Me. I like bringing novels with me so I can read them during breaks. Do you want me to tell you about it?"
Lucian sat down in the chair across from her, leaning back.
"I'm not really interested in strange novels, as you know…"
He gazed up at the ceiling, thinking to himself:
"Ah… I wish I could find an explanation for my dream…"
Then he looked back at Anya and asked curiously:
"Do you know of a book that explains dream interpretations?"
Anya glanced at him, raising a brow in surprise:
"Huh? A book that explains dreams?"
Lucian:
"Yes… I've been dreaming a lot lately, so I'm curious if you know of a book like that!"
Anya closed her book, set it aside, and rested her hand on her chin as she tried to recall…
"Hmm… I'm not sure! I usually buy storybooks…"
After a few moments, her eyes lit up, and with sudden excitement, she said:
"Oh… I remember! I actually bought a book about mysterious dream interpretations!"
After the school day ended, Lucian left the building, walking slowly.
He noticed Anya ahead of him, carrying a small backpack filled with her usual books.
He caught up to her and asked in a calm tone:
"Are you heading home?"
Anya looked at him and gave a faint smile:
"Of course. And you? Have you decided to follow me?"
Lucian chuckled softly:
"No, I just… wanted to ask about that book you mentioned."
Anya nodded gently:
"Oh, right! Interpretations of Mysterious Dreams… yes, come with me, it's in my room. I'll give it to you."
They walked together down a side street lined with trees and small, classically styled houses.
The sun was high in the sky, and a quiet calm hung over the neighborhood.
After a few minutes, they stopped in front of Anya's house… an old home painted a faded green, with a window overlooking a large plum tree.
Anya turned to him and said:
"Wait here, I'll bring it quickly."
Lucian nodded in agreement, then stood by the door, glancing around.
Everything seemed normal… birdsong, a gentle breeze, sunlight filtering through the branches.
He pulled his phone from his pocket.
The time read: 03:19 p.m.
His brows furrowed; a sense of unease crept over him.
He looked around again… the same street, the same colors…
But the light seemed different—
as if the world had turned slightly faded, quieter than it should be…
His hands began to tremble.
The seconds dragged on unbearably slow…
Until the clock changed: 03:20 p.m.
Everything stopped.
The wind froze, the birdsong vanished, the sunlight turned gray.
Lucian whispered to himself, his voice barely audible:
"No… not now… not here… what's happening?"
And then—