The Clock Tower

"Hey! Come back here! You brat!"

A rather chubby man barked, swinging his hand over his head to emphasize his frustration. Ahead of him, the running teen laughed at the man's rage, finding it funny how worked up the man could be. He expertly rounded a few stalls. His nimble steps danced through the streets. Knocking down a few barrels and baskets here and there, he cackled once more at the series of curses from the man and finally a satisfying 'thud' as the man fell.

"Oops!" He exclaimed. Scarlet eyes lit up in mischief as they moved to stay on the fallen figure. Juggling the stolen food in his hands, he stuck a tongue out at the poor man before disappearing into the crowd.

"Nobody mess with The Great Merchant, Budel!"

The thief only chuckled more at the threat. His jet black hair trailed behind him as he made his escape. It was until the series of curses reduced to mumbles, he turned back.

The sight that greeted him was one that amused him greatly. Several guards armed with their flashy swords were hot on his trail and he blamed the dramatic antics of the man before for making him miss the pattering of feet as they marched towards him.

The others made no move to aid the guards and continued with whatever they were doing while some spared a few glances at the passing guards.

As the thief waltzed through the crowd and marketplace, he felt a tug and with a soft gasp, he was pulled into an alley whereas the guards continued to dash forwards, searching for the figure that was long gone.

When the guards' steps varnished in the distance, he got up, dusting himself as he glanced at his helper.

"Well, well, Judal. You just can't seem to get out of trouble, can you? What is it this time?"

Judal merely smirked before he shrugged. "Nothing much, just stole some food from a pig merchant."

It was as if that wasn't anything much.

"Figures," his companion sighed but the spreading grin on his face spoke otherwise.

"If there is nothing that requires my service, then I'll be going then," Judal spoke mockingly, picking up an apple that he accidentally dropped along with a few more food.

"What? You're leaving already?" The other asked, more in amusement than disbelief.

"So, what if I'm?" Judal asked back. Red eyes beamed, challenging the other to retort. His companion didn't reply immediately, instead, he stood. The Sun slowly crept into the alley, basking them in the sudden light as the cloud moved lazily away from the burning star.

"Oh, nothing actually. If you get caught, remember to inform me. I'll definitely be visiting you there," he said all the while grinning and pulling back his messy pink hair. In response, Judal snorted, aiming a half-hearted punch at the teen but the teen dodged, laughing madly.

"In your dream, Kouha," Judal spat out before leaving the alley, once again stepping into the busy marketplace, leaving the pink-headed teen who was still chuckling behind.

Sometimes, he really didn't get Kouha. Sure, he was not the best confidante you could get mostly because he was deranged, crazy, mad, insane, demented and whatever in between for most of the time. Despite that, Judal had to hand it to the guy for he apparently had some sorts of skills for staying alive with that mouth of his.

His thought about the other male was cut short when he heard yells for him to halt. Casting a swift glance behind, he muttered a curse under his breath before breaking into a sprint. And the chase was on.

Judal could swear that the guards were being more persistent this time and he never got to increase the distance between them so let's just say that he was one step from being caught. Kouha's teasing resounded in his mind and he really, really didn't want to amuse the other for letting himself being caught. Argh! He could already see the mocking smile of the pink-headed teen in his mind.

A loud 'dong' caught his attention. He turned slightly, catching the tall tower to his right. Good, it was only a fair distance from here. Encouraged by that fact, he let his legs take him forwards and towards the tower.

Upon reaching the tower, he noticed that the guards had either given up on chasing him or too afraid to.

"Pfft, stupid…" He trailed off, scanning the high tower that seemed to be the source of their fear. How could one actually be afraid of a mere building?

The tall tower was the one that had been standing there since the founding of the town so it must have been old, very, very old as the town itself had over two hundred years of history. And people always say that old buildings instilled fear into people, yet, he wasn't a child, far from being one. He wasn't going to let a mere tower scare the hell out of him.

The heavy 'dong' of the clock tower continued. Subtly, Judal moved into the interior of the tower where there was a small hall supported by strong and ancient pillar. The whole building seemed to tremble each time the bell sounded and Judal had his own doubt for the stability of the tower.

"Never get close to the clock tower."

It was a whisper he overheard from some chattering womenfolk. He didn't understand what the warning meant. It was just a tower for Heaven's sake! However, no one seemed to let on any explanation about the tower and the tower had been passed off as an urban legend; one that was highly respected.

Judal's hands found themselves gripping onto the handle of the massive double door which led no doubt to thousands of gears and turning parts. His curiosity got the better of him and he pushed open the door with little effort despite the warning his brain had tried to send to him.

He coughed, almost immediately as dust rained down onto him. When the dust finally settled down, he took in the sight. There were some huge gears alright, located far above where he was standing and he could vaguely see the hands of the clock from there. There had been small clicking sounds and he could only guess that it was from some complex machinery.

Flights of stairs hugged the centre of the tower. Sunlight made its way inside, painting the stairs a brilliant gold. Judal trailed along the spiral stairs and he could make out the form of the dome-shaped bell though barely as it looked more like a hollow shell from where he was viewing.

Another heavy chime echoed throughout the tower as the bell once again sounded. This time, Judal had to pull his hands up to cover his poor abused ears at the amplitude of the chime. How deafening it was. He could hear ringing sound lingering in his brain.

He turned to his heel, ready to get the hell out of the place before his ears had to suffer more but the tower thought otherwise. The doors were slammed close right before he managed to take his step out of the tower and Judal almost panicked.

He tried everything; from pushing, pulling, kicking and punching. They just wouldn't bulge. He let out a frustrated yell as he tried to calm his unsettling heart. What now? He couldn't stay here and he couldn't leave too. Oh, how he hoped there was someone here even Kouha would be fine, heck even if you placed a guard right beside him, he wouldn't complain under this circumstance but no, there was no one here and never would there be anyone if they were truly as afraid of this tower as Judal had suspected.

Oh, great. Just great. He was going to be trapped in a freaking clock tower, listening to his hourly chimes until he finally dropped dead on the ground.

"Dead…huh…" Judal mumbled, glancing at the vast space of the tower. His mind for once was quiet as he thought of the worst scenario. He had never thought of death being threatening. It was just weird for him to. Death never held meaning for Judal but now for him to be so close to experience one, he couldn't help but had second thought about it.

He slammed his eyes shut and sat onto the ground, arm crossed, cursing the stupid tower, stupid doors and…stupid him. At least, he still had one last apple to let him last for what seemed to be like an infinite amount of time.

That was when he heard it. As soon as the ringing pain of his ears subsided, he heard it. It was almost like a whisper but when he strained his ears real hard, he caught the faint rhythm in the sound.

'A song?' He asked mentally, standing up from his seat. His scarlet eyes made a total once over at the space. No, there was nothing there. He opted himself to be silent, annoyed by the small noises the machinery made. How he hoped that he could get them to be quieter.

It was faint but it was there. A haunting melody. He couldn't make out the voice behind the song though but one thing was for sure. It sounded beautiful. Whoever that was singing at wherever he or she was definitely had quite an amount of practices to be able to sound so… out of this world.

Even Judal grew confused at his lack of better words to compliment the singer. It was not surprising though as he was never one of those idiots who did nothing but flatter others even when they were good for nothing, just so that they would be able to gain advantages and benefits from them. Stupid damn parasite.

This however, was different. The light melody was so fragile and soft, almost as if threatening to vanish. Judal couldn't help but wanting to find out the source of it. His steps were oddly light as if he was waltzing in a dream. The stairs were layered with dust which clung to his bare feet. It was uncomfortable but he couldn't bother.

Some of the dusts were stirred awake and they danced in the yellow light of the mighty Sun. Up and up, Judal found himself walking rather quickly in sync of his anxiety while the song grew louder and stronger. This time, there was no need to strain his hearing organs anymore.

Even though the bell that resumed its chime would paralyse him in his steps momentarily, Judal made no move to stop. It was until he reached a door that he paused. The song came from here. He noted. From beyond the door that looked so alike to the wall. If he wasn't paying much attention, he would most probably miss it.

Judal soon began to fidget nervously, not knowing what to do next. A part of him wanted to bust open the door to look but another part of him wanted to retain this unique and tranquil moment. Gulping slightly, his curiosity overwhelmed any other thoughts and he gripped onto the dusty handle; one that looked like it hadn't been used in centuries.

The ancient texture of the door made him wary. What if there was actually nothing beyond this door? What if he would open it to find a broken device? He remembered seeing one. A box that sang out melody when occasionally some rich merchant would come travelling from the West.

It was driving him mad. These thoughts of not being able to find anything useful to the situation he was currently in.

The door despite being old was actually quite easy to open. Miraculously, it didn't make any ancient creak. It swung open slowly on its own record and Judal didn't even bother to hold onto the handle as the door moved like it had a mind of his own.

A bright light blinded him. His eyes squinted away from the light until they finally adjusted to it. It was a fairly large room. What caught his attention the most was not the colourful carpet that lied on the floor or the beautiful woven fabric shattering all across the room but the chair that sat quietly in the middle of the spacious room or more precisely, the person that was relaxing on the chair.

The chair itself looked luxurious, trimmed by gold at each leg. Ruby mounted on the arm rests and jewelleries littered across the back of it.

On the chair, a youthful figure rested. One might even overlook the figure if one didn't look hard enough for the figure seemed to bend well into the expensive looking chair. The occupant of the room didn't seem to notice the newcomer as the eyes were closed and mouth slightly apart to let out the beautiful melody.

Judal, on the other hand could only stared. The girl, no… was it a boy? He couldn't tell. The long blue braid was not helping him in identify the person's gender not to mention the silky robe that wrapped loosely and comfortably around the younger. Upon further inspection, he dared say that the person was a boy.

It was as if the time stood still. Judal noted how the child seemed to be tilting his head to the side a bit as he lavished the smooth melody that flowed naturally from his lips. It was stunning to say the very least. Now that Judal was this close, he could hear it clearly. The song itself consisted of a beautiful melody but the lyrics… Judal couldn't comprehend it. It just didn't sound like their language. It had a more…odd tone and Judal could not make out even one word of the song.

After going through some serious high pitched notes, Judal was starting to doubt his guess of the child's gender. He went through them with such ease that Judal could only gape.

After what seemed to last for years, the last note died on the child's lips and everything fell into silence. The silence was shattered soon by one last heavy chime of the large bell. The difference in the volume of the sound must have alarmed the child as his eyes opened in a sudden shock to glance at the doorway.

Azure met crimson. They stared at each other for a long moment. One with curiosity and confusion while the other felt like being seen through his façade. The child's eyes were glinting with pleasant surprise and his lips formed their first words.

Judal frowned at the words that came from the child's mouth. It sounded like words being spoken backwards and he did the smartest thing he could; he stared with a total blank look. The child seemed to notice this as he tilted his head in wonder before realization sank in. The pair of small hands reached up to rest on his lips as they pursed into 'o' shape.

Apologetically, he smiled and waved his hand nervously. Judal was almost convinced that he wouldn't be able to talk to the child as they shared no common language. That was partially the reason why he was so surprised when the child spoke again, this time with the familiar language he used.

"Ah, sorry. It's kind of a force of habit. I think you may be able to understand me this way, right?" His voice was childlike, much different when he was singing and there was a boyish tone underneath that voice and Judal for once was sure that the child before him was a boy.

Judal could only nod hesitantly, not really sure what to say. The child took that nod well and proceeded to leave the embrace of his chair. That was when Judal noticed the exorbitant robe that wrapped around his person and several garments that decorated the fabric. His steps though small were calculated and cautious, graceful and elegant.

"Um… are you okay?" The child's voice pulled Judal out of his musing and he tried to look displeased, if not to cover up his embarrassment for being caught staring.

"Did I do something wrong?" He asked, definitely misunderstood the meaning behind his frown.

"You…" Judal began but hesitated when he found no word to continue his statement. That caught the attention of the child as he stared up at him.

"You sound like a girl when you're singing." Judal hated himself for allowing the words to come spewing out of his lips unbidden. He almost expected the child to be snapping at him or correcting him for that comment or even claiming that he was a she after all. However, the child only stared at him questioningly.

Great…way to go to upset your only chance of getting out of this stupid tower. He mused yet he wasn't entirely prepared when all the child did was giggle. The sound wasn't unpleasant but comfy and relaxing.

"Many used to say that…" The child said, clearly not at all offended by the comment. Judal silently heaved a breath of relief at that. The boy seemed to notice something as he beamed in excitement, rounding Judal.

"What?" Judal tried very hard not to snap at the child who was so innocently examining him.

"Sorry, I just… it just has been a long time since there is anyone here…to visit me or even set foot into the tower."

How fantastic! They were in the same boat and Judal wasn't sure whether the child in front of him knew the way out seemly that he was trapped here for quite some time too.

"Do you by any chance know the way out of here?"

"Out?" The child frowned. "No, I have never been out of here…for as long as I can remember."

"Oh." Was the dry reply from Judal. The child seemed to be really paranoid as he muttered a quick apology again.

"Quit apologizing! Geez, what's wrong with you?" Judal enquired, annoyed by the constant apologies from the child.

"Sorr-" Before the child could even complete his apology. Judal moved quickly, cutting the apology short with a hand covering the younger's mouth.

"Look, just stop apologizing." At the nod of the child, Judal slowly retracted his hand. Judal scratched the back of his head, feeling out of wits to even think of getting out the tower. Maybe, he could find a window and jumped out of it. Landing might prove to be painful but for his freedom, he wanted to risk a few broken bones or avoided those…if possible.

That option was cancelled out when he looked through the room. There was no freaking window, only a narrow column that allowed the sunlight to pass through and it was high, out of his reach.

"How do you do that?"

A gasp of amazement brought him back to the occupant of the room. He must have commenced to juggle the apple in his hand subconsciously.

"You mean this?" He asked, only half interested as he manoeuvred the fruit skilfully in his hand, watching with amusement when the child's face lit up in wonder at the moving fruit.

"What's this?" He asked, catching the fruit when it threatened to go out of reach. He touched the fruit tentatively, feeling its smooth skin and solid feel.

Was this kid even serious?

"What? You didn't even know about apple?" Judal asked in disbelief though it was concealed under the mask of boredom.

"This is an apple? I have never seen one before…not in my life. It looks edible."

Judal sighed. "It's because it's edible."

"Really?"

"No doubt about that. Go ahead if you want to try. I've plenty…" Judal offered uncharacteristically albeit he kept quiet about having to steal more. The younger smiled a broad smile before biting into the juicy food.

A contented sigh left the child and Judal let a small upwards curve to stay on his lips for longer than he thought he was capable of. This child reminded him of himself when he was younger and more naïve, when there was no need for survival, when life wasn't as rough as it was. Judal wondered, when he was younger, did that kind of satisfaction and content made their ways to his heart, just by eating an apple?

Came to think of it, he never got the child's name.

"Name."

"Huh?"

"What's your name?"

The child grabbed a stray napkin and wiped his face clean. Judal noticed how well-mannered the child was. It would not be a surprise to know that he was some sort of royalties or even kid of some rich foreigners. That thought didn't disturb Judal as he thought it would. He distasted rich bastard as most of them tampered on those lesser than they were but he couldn't bring himself to hate the child in front of him for the child spoke with no discrimination towards him. He didn't even ask for his status!

"My name is Aladdin!" He gushed. Judal laughed at the excitement shown and even himself was baffled by his own action. When was the last time he laughed so sincerely? He couldn't recall.

"Mine is Judal," he declared, flashing his proud and trademark smirk and feeling the mischievous side of him arose.

Although the thought of staying here and chit-chatting with this child was intriguing, he knew that he needed to find a way out of here.

The child spoke wonder and was a good listener. He would beg for more stories about the outside which often led Judal to think over the possibility that the child was being kept here for longer than he thought.

It was until Judal stood to leave the room to search for an exit, the child grew silent. His eyes were downcast as if depressed and he would glance nervously at him.

"Don't worry I'd be back." Judal claimed, feeling the need to say that.

The statement didn't calm or assure the child. Instantly, Aladdin looked up. His fingers curled around Judal's clothes. Fear was evidenced in those blue eyes. Judal recognized the fear; the fear of being left alone.

Judal had been wrong if he thought that the child hadn't suffer any after effect from being left alone in the tower for God knew how long.

"Please…don't leave me here…"

His plead was shaky and held a sincere fear. Judal glanced at the child who had begun to tremble slightly in either fear or anxiety. He knelt down to the child's level as Aladdin rubbed his eyes to prevent the tears from falling.

A confident smirk overtook Judal's grim facial and with a swift swoop, he swept Aladdin up until he was carrying over his shoulder, much like a sack of potato.

The child yelped and protested but a sad smile made itself known on his face.

"Come on! If you don't want to stay behind, then come on out yourself!" Judal huffed.

"But I can't!" Aladdin screamed frantically. The thought of leaving the secure of the room scared him more than he could ever imagine.

"Why?" As innocent as the question sounded, Judal decided to not even give Aladdin a chance to reply as he stepped purposely out of the room.

"See. It's fine," Judal proved, taking a few more steps out until he reached the stairs with the child who had ceased struggling on his shoulder.

Judal halted in his steps and set the child down. "No one is going to tell you what to do and not to do. If you want freedom, then you grasp it with your own hands."

Aladdin seemed to register his words in his mind and for the first time, he permitted his eyes to dart across the space. He had never noticed how the beautiful Sun shone on the stairs, leaving an explosion of yellow and how the clicking noise seemed to be in a coordinated rhythm. Even the spiral stairs fascinated him to no end. Was this how the world outside his room looked like?

His admiration to the surroundings was interrupted when Judal grasped his small hand. Tugging him slightly, he tumbled forward.

"You have never seen the outside before, have you?" The elder asked, pulling Aladdin along. "If I'm not mistaken, there should be a balcony somewhere in this freaking tower."

Aladdin let Judal guide him. They trudged up and up. Aladdin could see the distance between him and the ground floor increasing with every step he took. Once in a while, he would ponder about the injuries one might get from falling but the firm hold of Judal assured him.

Finally, they reached the top of the tower where the large gears were just within reach. The complex machinery continued their works, ignoring the intruders. In front of them was a huge double door albeit smaller than the one below. Its craving was unique and solid.

The elder gripped onto the handle of the door, sending glances at Aladdin. The child responded with a firm glance of his own. After moments of silent communication, Judal pushed open the double door. It complained for not being used for a long time but it opened nonetheless, rendering the duo full access to the balcony.

The first sensation they felt was the breezy air that instantly greeted them and the blinding ray of the Sun. Aladdin gasped when the light gave way. He stepped out, taking brave and confident steps until his face broke into a smile at the setting Sun that was painting the sky gold.

He twirled around, greedily breathed in the free air. His bare feet glided across the stone hard floor. He would laugh whenever he felt the strong and stubborn stray plants that had grown there from the tiniest cracks of the floor.

Judal stayed behind at the doorway, amused by how the child reacted. He had to admit that the sight was one to be beheld. He could see the town from here. The business of the town was slowly and steadily blowing out like how the dusk would slip away only for the night to sink in. The very fragrance of the flower that bloomed despite the unfavourable condition was calming.

As the dark hue of the night appeared across the horizon, Judal looked towards the child who had suddenly become silent.

What? Aladdin was staring at the setting Sun far away with a look of longing before that look melted into bliss.

"Although the time we spent is short…" Aladdin whispered, loud enough for Judal to hear above the wind. Somehow he was getting a really bad feeling about this. "I want to say this…"

Judal let out a sound of disbelief when the form of the child suddenly grew vague. He rubbed his eyes, attempting to convince himself that it was just a hallucination. However, it was true.

The Sun's gracious light seeped through Aladdin as if he was transparent. He turned and smiled the smile that Judal had grown to like.

His last words faded when the bell chimed, announcing the nineteenth hours of the day. With each chime, Aladdin's figure vanished more until lastly he disappeared into nothingness.

Was that a dream? Was Judal imagining things? The last chime of the bell was something he for once didn't mind. The pain it left reminded him that he was living and not dreaming. All that was in his mind was Aladdin.

He strolled over the spot where the child once was. The stalk of the apple seed was the only prove that there was once an existence named Aladdin; a person that he met only for a short instance and a person who had wormed himself into his heart who had grown cold because of the world.

The world was a beautiful place. He mused. That must be what Aladdin saw in his large blue eyes.

Was it a ghost he met? Was it a spirit? Judal didn't care right now. He closed his eyes, recounting the words that escaped those lips. His own lips moved and the melody that had stuck so firmly in his mind resounded through the air.

"Thank you."

Yeah! I'm back from my battlefield of exam!

Hopefully, I'll be able to do well in the exam but whatever the tormenting moments are long gone!

Alas, this is a short story I came out with during one of my exams and I have to resist the urge to write it down. What a torture~

Most of the questions revolved around this will be answered in the next extra chapter that I decided to add in... for now I'll just leave this here for you to guess what had happened.

May the Lord bless you all~

Signed,

ReneeNCC