A Thousand Year Clock Tower

Episode 1: An Odd Meeting

Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like. ~Lao Tzu

.

I remembered drifting in an endless space. When I woke up, nothing was the same.

.

A candle flickered to life at a distance and the darkness subsided, rendering the murky darkness a neon-like glow. A stray moth came by, dangerously danced around the yellow flame. Round and round until it was caged gently in between a pair of hands.

The moth was soon released, this time, away from the licking flame. No longer lured by the flaming temptress, the moth curiously perked at its surroundings, flapping its tiny wings in anticipation and enthusiasms.

A chuckle broke the silence. The owner of the hands sat back, leaning against the stone wall while his head was tilted to one side, watching the childlike excitement that was radiating off the creature. The moth itself seemed to be surprised by such an interruption as it twirled around alarmingly until it rested on an outstretched index finger.

"Hmm…" He hummed, tearing his glance away from the insect to the dark ceiling where the dim orange light reflected off. "The world is changing. The end of an era is the beginning of another one."

Standing up, he startled the moth which departed frantically at the loss of its perch. "…yet, why did I have the feeling that something big is coming?"

Silence greeted his question just like he expected. The flame of the candle swayed steadily, earning a raise of eyebrow.

"Alas, time will tell." He concluded and turned, facing away from the only light source in the darkness and the weak light of the candle faded, letting the darkness rule over again.

.

Cold wind caressed the Earth, carrying the dust away every time it came and went. The sky was dim and dark, much like how he felt at the moment. He looked down from the highest place of the campus, down at the laughing faces of the students on the field. From here he could see the whole campus, here on the majestic ancient clock tower.

They were all having fun, pulling each other's legs while some gathered to discuss the newest assignment they had to finish. All of them had a joyous smile on them, large and board. Normally, the smiles would be contagious and he would let his lips being pulled into a similar curve. Nevertheless, he couldn't find any reason to smile now.

Having a friend must be fun.

Oh, don't get him wrong, he had had a friend alright. Kassim was his name. Their friendship was quite bumpy since the beginning but they had been on friendly term, not exactly jumping at each other's throat. However, things didn't last well for long. Kassim changed one day and Alibaba felt his only friend become distant and far away, swept away.

Kassim betrayed him, tore apart their friendship with the knife of vicious words. Now, he felt weak and useless as if he didn't have an aim in his life anymore.

"You are weak, indecisive fool, Alibaba."

Shut up. He knew that even when there wasn't anyone telling him so. He had been trying though. To change from the worthless brat he was to one worthy of challenges…but even he felt that he had failed at that.

His thought was in a jumble. It wasn't like any other time. He was just kicked out by his own team, fired from his work and not to mention that his rent was due this week. Those troubles caught up to him, swallowing him in self-pity and depression.

In his frustration, he slammed his hands down onto the railing, sending off an echo through it. His hands were burning from the action and he was breathing heavily as if to contain his rage. The stinging pain numbed his sense, his sadness though he could still feel the disturbing agony that was steadily coursing through his very being.

His eyes roved over the scenery below yet again, seeing how the vehicle and town in the distance appeared as tiny specks of dust. The tower where he was standing now was a magnificent historical art. Did you know? This clock tower had survived through the history, remaining here all the time. Its long and inky hands never stopped their routines and its hourly chime was as clear as ever. In a way, this tower was strong, stronger than anyone, living through thousands of years.

He chuckled bitterly at that. What was he? He couldn't even be compared to a tower for the love of God.

A strong wind came, pulling back his blonde hair. He closed his eyes, feeling the air rushing by him in a hurry. His feet unsteadily gripped onto the floor and he nearly stumbled backwards when the fierce moving air assaulted him.

He opened his eyes once more and braced himself. If this place was high enough for the wind to be this strong and cool, then definitely, without a doubt that he would die if he fell from here. If he leapt down from here, would it be better for him? If he would just vanish, all his troubles would be gone too, wouldn't they? After all, there was no point, no point at all in living such a pitiful life.

His hands that gripped the railing were shaking. Cold sweats slipped through the sweat pore of his palms. He cursed himself when he felt his legs lose their strength as he studied the distance between the ground and his current location.

Mustering all his strength, he jumped over the railing, keeping his hands around the metal. This was it. If he released his hands now, he would be gone for good. The sight of the tiny forms of students under him was not reassuring. It alarmed him.

Death was awaiting him if he just released his grip on the metal railing. Simple, right? It should have been a simple act. Even so, when you tried to seek death, even the simplest task took tons of courage. Courage to overcome the fear, courage to halt the instinct to live.

"Come on, come on. You can do this…" He ranted, releasing a breath that he unconsciously held. However, as he felt his grip loosen, a wave of trepidation swallowed him. That made him tightened his grip, pulling him away from the gate of the death. The blonde squeezed his eyes close in fear. Every grip and clutch of his palms was clear to him, too clear.

No, he couldn't do this. How frustrating it was. He heard his heart racing, his head throbbing and his frame trembling. He felt the fear of dying and he let out an empty chuckle. He really was a coward, wasn't he? He couldn't even be brave enough to die. As he tried to climb back into the safe area, his hands finally slipped. Without a chance to scream, he plunged down.

Was he going to die? He watched the ground approach in an increasing speed. He felt the gravity pulling at him, sending him down to his death. He forgot how to scream. He forgot how to move. He allowed himself to drop and he knew that death was near. Fright overcame him. Tears escaped his eyes. Wasn't this precisely what he wished for?

Yes.

No. A tiny part of him, resting deep within his mind hollered. It was a heartbreaking cry…yet it was too late to change anything. His hands went to search for something to hold onto, for hope to grasp upon even though he knew that it was all to no avail. As the grey metal railing faded from his view, he felt as if judgment had been passed.

He never felt pain even when the crushing and excruciating sensation should have been filling his very being. Instead, he felt calming warmth enveloping him.

He blinked in surprise. His hands which had been thrashing earlier were safely around the railing. The only thing that made him aware of his surrounding was his dipping sweats and his heart that was thumping like crazy. How in the world was that possible? He was falling a second ago. He really was. The thrill and fear that tackled him felt so real.

He pushed himself away from the railing, scurrying backwards as he stared down at his trembling hands. What was going on?

"You're not the first to jump down from here and I believe you will not be the last one."

He nearly jumped out of his skin. His face glowed red while his eyes darted across the space. Was that…

Okay, now he needed to think clearly. He was supposed to be dead a few moments ago. Check. When he was intending to jump down, there hadn't been anyone there. Check. So, was that a person he saw sitting on the railing?

The person gave him a relaxed look as he continued to bite into an apple which he held in his hand. This…child had the weirdest hair colour. Well, maybe not the weirdest but rare. Gorgeous blue hair wasn't the most common hair colour you could spot. Who was this kid anyway?

The centre of his attention didn't seem to notice his gaze as he continued to munch away the fruit all the while watching the dark clouds that signalled the impending rain. The air now held high humidity and he could smell rain in the air.

The wind seemed to howl violently and lash at them. A low rumble was almost concealed by the loud moving air but the exchanges of lightning were visible among the dark, heavy clouds.

His blonde hair was blown into an unkempt mess and his feet struggled to stay firm. It was a wonder how the child could sit so steadily on the railing, especially with the way his legs dangled to feel the wind.

Alibaba considered retreating when another bolt of lightning flashed, followed by the cracking of the thunder. Heavy rain was imminent and Alibaba didn't want to be caught in the storm. However, his legs refused to obey him. It was as if there was something more than his curiosity that made him stay.

"Ah, ah, a big storm will be coming." The child spoke in an almost melodious tone. His form totally at ease and there wasn't even a slightest motion to leave. Alibaba thought of grabbing the child along with him to take shelter from the rain that commenced to fall, judging from the forming mist at the distance.

"A pity that I don't feel like getting wet today," the mysterious person said, swaying his head in sync to an unheard melody.

'Then just get the hell out of here!' was what threatened to come spewing out of Alibaba's lips if not for the raise of the child's hand.

The child made a motion with his fingers, drawing out a circle in the air. In the next moment, Alibaba felt the air rushing in so many directions. It was like a distortion of space and turmoil of time. One moment he felt the chilling cold slipping through his bones whereas the next, he felt a burning heat threatening to devour him. Another strong wind clawed at him and Alibaba's eyes were forced to a close as his blonde hair pricked them.

As abruptly as it came, the wind paused. Alibaba pushed back his messy blonde mop and almost gaped in shock. The sky! The sky was clear! The dark, pregnant clouds were nowhere to be seen and there wasn't even a slightest indication of rain let alone a storm.

"What in the world?" Alibaba couldn't help but exclaimed in both wonder and awe. He dragged himself forward, taking in the unbelievable change of the weather. Wasn't there anyone who was baffled by this sudden change? Alibaba looked down yet what he saw left him more confused than ever. Students and people alike continued their works as if nothing had happened. Not even one turned to look at the strangely clear sky.

"You're still here?"

Snapping his head towards the mysterious person, he felt his breath hitch at his throat. No any form of coherent words was registered in his mind as he studied the stranger in wide eyes. The child didn't seem to be as interested in him as he did but he couldn't help but be captivated by this strange child.

The childish figure was highlighted by the glittering ocean-like eyes. Sparkling as the light hit them and they spoke of immense emotions; a tinge of loneliness and a tad of longing towards the distance land where the wind called home yet there was something unnerving about those expressive eyes as if there was something amiss or misplaced within them. It frustrated Alibaba a bit when he couldn't put an exact finger on it.

The bright fruit was soon reduced to its stalk and almost in a leisure manner, it was tossed aside.

"But, I have to compliment you. You're quite the silent type unlike the previous one who went shouting like crazy before leaping to his death." Those words left so naturally and calmly as if he was talking about a regular showcase of jewelleries instead of death. Alibaba couldn't seem to understand. Duh, I meant who would? Finally, his words came back to him.

"Who are you?" He whispered cautiously. The child didn't give him any answer. He continued to watch the shape shifting clouds with meagre amount of interest. Then, without a word, his feet touched the ground as he made his way back into the tower.

Alibaba, baffled by the attitude, turned. He caught up to the retreating figure child as hastily as he could, not really satisfied that he had gotten no explanation at all. Settling himself in between the door and the child, he glanced at the advancing child.

The child did stop, watching him with a strange gleam in the eyes. Now that Alibaba could get a full view of the child, he gasped as silently as he could. Before him, this person wore the most extravagant robe he had ever seen. The lank robe seemed to be luminescent, reflecting the glowing light of the Sun while it ironically resembled the darkness of the night. The texture was definitely soft, punctuating its comfort with the way it clung elegantly to the small body.

Garments. They were of all sizes and shapes. Each differed from one another yet they fitted, in their strangely unique ways. They gave the robe a wonderful touch, bringing out the mysterious midnight blue.

Ouch, now Alibaba was being self-conscious. How could anyone look this pretty? Well, maybe Sinbad but that was an exception. Realising that he had been staring for longer than he had thought, he averted his ogling gaze, glancing instead at the stone floor.

As silence stretched uncomfortably through the space, curiosity gripped Alibaba's heart and he took a nervous peek at the child…only to find himself face to face with air. He stumbled and panicked as he scanned the area. Where? Where was he?

Was that a mind trick? Alibaba couldn't deny that small argument that bubbled up within him.

"Looking for something, boy?"

That brought Alibaba back to the reality and he turned to meet the unwavering azure eyes. He could only stare agape at him as his mind went over the fact that the child had just seemingly transported himself back to the railing as he was busy sulking in self-realization. The child looked content enough to lean towards the air with his slender legs around the railing as his only support and his hands free to feel the wind.

"Hey! That's dangerous!" Alibaba warned when a rather fierce wind whirled by, knocking the child into a dangerous lean. Those words earned the attention of the child as he stared, almost quizzically at the blonde. And he laughed.

His laughter tinkled like the morning bells and Alibaba felt his cheeks heat up and redden. "What?" He demanded, embarrassed to hell yet confused as to why the child found his words funny.

"I never thought I will hear that from someone who wished to die a moment ago." He stated, staring off into the distance when a grin was introduced to his face.

Before Alibaba could retort or even register the situation, the child was gone. The only difference this time was that Alibaba knew exactly where the child had gone to, for he saw a shade of blue disappearing downwards when the child let go of himself.

His mouth dropped open in shock and he rushed to the railing, searching frantically for the falling child. He spotted a fleck of blue down there and bit back a scream, not mentally prepared for something like this. That was when it all happened. The blue hue lightened before it literally glowed. Like a firework, it shattered into several shades. Each glowing with soft azure that faded by time like illusions and magic tricks.

"Jumping to death as they wished… Always so selfish." Alibaba literally leapt at the voice. He whipped around so quickly that his neck hurt. Unbelievably, the child was behind him, not a single hair misplaced.

"See," he continued, pointing at the space he once occupied, "it's startling, isn't it?"

Without receiving any reply, the enigmatic child reached to the side which was dangerously close to the railing. Those simple steps had caused Alibaba's heart to tighten, whether in worry or in apprehension, he wasn't really sure. However, one thing was for sure; he might have developed the oddest form of trauma. Trauma for railing and height. Definitely height.

"Last time there was this guy that was screaming for his love interest to return to him or he would jump to his death. Quite a desperate act I must agree," the seemingly younger ranted. Luckily for Alibaba, this time he decided to keep his hands secured around the railing.

The child turned, slanting casually against the railing as he stared at the blonde intently. His face coloured slightly as barely contained laughter broke out at the sight of the gawking young male. "What is the matter, child? You look like you have seen something terrifying!"

Still shaken from his initial shock, Alibaba gulped, taking a step back from the boy. "W-who…w-w-what? I…b-but…you…"

His steps wobbled and Alibaba fell on his butt, arms readied by his sides in a flight or fight stance. Adrenaline pumped through his veins and he could feel his hands been tackled by sweat.

"You do know that I can't understand you if you are not talking properly, right?" The other stated, tilting his head a bit so that he could see Alibaba's expression better. The blonde was pale, most probably highly alarmed, not to mention those wild, darting brown eyes that held fear. He settled down across the blonde, watching as Alibaba's mouth continued to open and close occasionally like that of a goldfish. It took every ounce of his restrain to not laugh.

Deciding to spare him the effort to gather the known question, the child giggled before holding out a hand towards the blonde. As expected, he flinched at the appendage.

"My name is Aladdin. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." With that, the blue haired child smiled. Meanwhile, Alibaba took his sweet time to inspect the offered hand before cautiously enclosed it within his own. Perhaps it was because of his high tension that he had failed to notice the way Aladdin introduce himself, as if the child had known him before.

Aladdin's smile slowly grew into a mischievous grin that worried Alibaba. The blonde did not even have the chance to yelp as he was suddenly hoisted up by a powerful pull. What shocked him the most was not the fact that a child had managed to pull him up, but the fact that he was floating a few feet away from the ground.

In his panic, he flailed restlessly. His frame trembled as he recollected the sensation of falling. A series of soft giggles drew him away from his recollection and his eyes focused onto the figure that was gently pulling him upwards by their connected hands. His struggles ceased when he spotted the gigantic clock face by the corner of his eye and he gulped, knowing that he was at remarkable latitude.

"H-hey! P-put me down!" Alibaba screamed above the whipping wind. The child was either ignoring him or didn't hear him clearly for he laughed more. Alibaba's throat went dry and he squeezed his eyes shut. He could even feel his own heart pumping insanely in the protective cradle of his ribcage.

He didn't notice when the rising had stopped however, he did recall the tightening of fingers around his. That action reassured him a tad but his eyes still stubbornly stayed close.

"Hey." He heard and felt a nudge. "Look."

"N-n-no…" He squeaked out of pure fear as he gripped tighter the small hand to stress the statement.

"It'll be okay…just look," Aladdin insisted to the hanging teen. Those words meant more than one could measure, especially to someone who was probably going to die if any mishap happened to occur. The blonde let out a shaky breath. "There is no…way out of this, is there?"

"Nope." Alibaba could have sworn that he heard amusement in Aladdin's voice.

"Fine," he reluctantly grumbled. "B-but, you are going to let me down as soon as I have done that, deal?"

"Condition accepted."

Alibaba gulped once more, cursing the wind that trickled his sense. At snail's pace, he creaked his eyes open, blinking rapidly to get used to the sudden intrude of light. Then, he gasped.

The land was spread widely before him. From the yellow coloured paddy field to the busy streets of the town, from the huge patches of buttercups at the distance to the tall modern buildings in less than a mile, all these sceneries enlisted themselves before his eyes. With the sunlight graciously set upon them, it was perfection.

Was this the world he had found grey a few moments ago? Was this the world he had tried to escape from? Staring dumbfounded at the scene, he realized how ignorant he had been. He sought death to escape, from reality and those troubles he faced yet at the same time he had cancelled out every possibility that things could have taken a better turn.

Alibaba was so deep in thought that he had failed to register his strangely emptied hand. In the next moment, everything went down. Literally.

"Aladdin!" He shrieked as he fell, feeling the gravity beckoning him.

"Relax!" A flash of blue was by his side in the instant. Those teasing blue eyes stared into his hazel orbs.

"How can I?" Alibaba half yelled. "I'm falling from god knows how tall! And YOU expect ME to STAY CALM?"

"I take back what I said before. You're quite noisy too," Aladdin commented dryly, still wearing a pleasant smile on his face even though his hand had already reached up to cover his poorly abused ear. "Trust me you are going to be fine!"

Alibaba didn't know what to think of that statement. Well, not like he had a choice, right? As he drew closer to the stone floor, he was almost sure that death was upon him. Keyword: almost because out of nowhere, numerous glittering blue orbs gathered, glowing like fireflies as they rose towards the falling pair. In an instant, everything exploded into a world of blue.

Like mattress that cushioned one's fall, Alibaba felt himself sinking into something unknown and magical. Those lights gently engulfed them, tender like those of a mother's hands. Alibaba could only gape in awe. With his hands, he lightly extended to feel them. How unreal they felt, yet it was that visual feel that struck him. It was as if he was sinking, dipping into a deep blue sea, without a destination. How terrifyingly thrilling.

As soon as that thought crossed his mind, the comfortable blue that enclosed him broke away, chip by chip like a snake that shed its skin. His eyes widened while his heart missed a beat. Was he dreaming? What unfolded before him was a perfectly captured scene of the deep ocean, just like how he imagined it to be.

Alibaba didn't know what to think anymore. In less than a few minutes, his mind had already reached to a point dangerously close to malfunctioning. Trying to reason didn't seem to work. Everything was just beyond normal. One second ago, he was falling to his death and the next, he was sinking into an unknown abyss.

His eyes wandered away from the wonder before him, instead, they stayed onto his companion; the one whom Alibaba presumed had caused all these abnormal occurrences. On the child's face was an epitome of calmness, a contrary to Alibaba. While Alibaba seemed to be fidgeting uneasily, Aladdin was relaxed and calm. His eyes held something akin to longing but Alibaba realized what were beneath those eyes. Fear. Despite that, the fear was different. It was not the fear of death or dangers. It was the fear of loneliness, the fear of losing something or someone. Even when his lips seemed to be tugged into a smile, the fear didn't fade. It stayed.

Those revealed feelings made Alibaba ponder. What could have happened to make a child who by the looks of it, around ten to show that kind of expressions? Did he lose someone important? Did something terrible occur? Alibaba could only feel his throat getting tighter in anger and shame. Angry that a child was hurt at such a young age and ashamed that he had even thought of the idea of committing suicide, because no matter how worthless he thought he himself was, he realized, no, he knew that there was still someone there for him, someone who would still care for him, just like his deceased mother.

"Jumping to death as they wished… Always so selfish."

Heh, Aladdin was right. He was selfish. For what reasons did he do that? He wanted attention from those who knew him, loved him, cared about him, even for a second. He wanted them to see him, to find him. He longed for someone who knew him. He wanted to be praised, to be consoled yet not be put to shame. Was this the only solution he could think of?

Tears threatened to escape his eyes but he ignored them. He was very selfish indeed. Nonetheless… Alibaba turned soundlessly to Aladdin who barely noticed his glance. If that was the face that they were going to wear, then Alibaba couldn't bring himself to do it because no matter how hard it was to admit it, he was a coward. A big, pathetic coward.

His stupor was brought to a stop when their feet found their way on the stone floor of the tower. Their landing stirred up the petals of the blooming wild flowers underneath, directing them into an unseen mad dance. The dreamlike sea dissolved away, into nothingness and the clear blue sky was divulged once again.

Alibaba continued to stare afar. His heart beat quietly in its own calm manner; a feat that he hardly believed he could carry out. Everything was as silent as it should be and those red petals caught his eyes. Alibaba let his eyes roam, resting on the floor that had suddenly seemed so appealing. He wondered how he could have missed the red wild flowers which had somehow strived at such height.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" His eyes were drawn away from the flowers to the owner of the voice, sitting cross-legged across him with a thoughtful look. Not comprehending the subject that the child was talking about, he kept quiet, knowing that eventually he would elaborate. "The world."

Alibaba's mouth moved but no word came spewing out. Even so, Alibaba knew that the child understood. A comfortable silence stretched when his companion reached out to touch the tender petal of the wild angiosperm. That was when Alibaba notice the way the beautiful blue hair was being kept in a neat ponytail.

"These flowers are strong, don't you agree? Once this place was nothing but a plain stone floor yet these flowers come and bravely call this place home." The tiny fingers traced along the outline of the flower structure. Strange enough, Alibaba found himself drawn, to how those strokes bent the petals, even so slightly and how those petals rebound with their own efforts, as if smiling and declaring that whatever you threw to them, they would take it by full force.

"These stone floors are of the finest quality, as hard as diamond, firm like wall. Spears and swords hardly scratch them but look, all it takes is a bud, in the smallest creak. It is all it takes to penetrate them," Aladdin spoke with such tone that indicated himself as someone who had lived for a long time. "What drives them is not the courage to die but the will to live."

"It's the same for humans. We survive, struggle, experience…we live."

The wind picked up its speed and tackled the duo. The shattered red petals were once again brought to life.

"Those who seek death are the true cowards. They leave someone to grief for them. They smile in accomplishment while the others are torn and devastated…devastated indeed…" Aladdin slowly stated. His voice quivered and faded until it was a mere whisper. It blended into the air, hopped from one petal to another. "Even though parting is inevitable."

He turned to Alibaba. All those previous sadness evaporated into thin air when a smile graced his face. "That's why, Alibaba, you're a brave person."

At the mention of his name, Alibaba perked up in shock. Buffeted, he blurt out, "How did you know my name?"

Alibaba could have sworn he saw Aladdin flinch as if ready to slap a hand over his own mouth but it was gone in the matter of a second. Those blue orbs that had stayed for so long left Alibaba's form, instead favouring the wide sky above.

"Who exactly are you, Aladdin? How did you do all that? Why…" Alibaba literally bombarded Aladdin with questions, leaning forward in desperation for answers. He would have resumed if not for those eyes to find their ways upon them again. The shade of fear that was presented before seemed more emphasized.

"I'm sorry," the child finally declared. "That's a secret."

Alibaba stared in disbelief at the child, however, he did notice how the normally collected child nervously twined his fingers. It was not like Alibaba was going to let things slide. "Then, can you tell me why you are still intact after your rather dangerous act back then?"

The boy's only answer was the lower of his head in apology. Alibaba groaned in frustration and sat down with a childish 'huff', eyebrow twitching slightly. The other blinked as if surprised before he giggled.

"What?" Alibaba grumbled. If possible, his eyebrow twitched more now to hide his embarrassment. Meanwhile, Aladdin was either too busy supressing his laughter or ignoring the blonde's question.

"You remind me of him." The way Aladdin said those words appalled Alibaba. There was a rare but genuine happiness in his voice. Whoever this 'he' was, this person was special to the small child. His hard glare softened at that. Therefore, in contrast to his stern questioning, he gave a quiet whisper. "Oh."

"You're not going to question me?" Aladdin inquired, eyeing the blonde suspiciously.

"No, I won't." Alibaba could tell that Aladdin was amused by that, judging from the twinkle in his blue eyes. The child stretched his hands back, planting them to the floor as supports as he tipped his head upwards to study the clouds.

"I guess I'll never truly understand you…each and every single one of you." Aladdin trailed off before pulling himself back to his initial position. This time, there was an unmistakable smile on his face. He stood up, patting away invisible dusts.

"I'm sorry, Alibaba. It is not that I don't want to tell you anything, in fact, there are tons of things I want to share with you. However, that will be bad… Sometimes, knowing too much is not good for someone which is why you need to be patient, Alibaba."

Alibaba pursed his lips together to halt a protest but his raising eyebrow and scowl gave him away.

"When the time and needs arise, I will tell you everything. For now, I am sorry."

"Look, just stop apologizing."

Aladdin's eyes flickered as his mind made a trip to the past. He softly touched his lips, contemplating. "Perhaps, that is the wrong way to put it."

That, of course, didn't escape Alibaba's eyes. As many questions as he had right now, he had a premonition that nothing would be revealed by the end of his struggle. Ergo, he sighed, relaxing under the warm light the sun gave out. Even though he could feel eyes on him, he promptly ignored them.

Another sigh greeted him and he peeked at Aladdin who was wearing an unreadable expression. "I envy you, Alibaba."

"Huh?"

"Because…you're alive." Those words were spoken with utmost caution and a tad of hesitation. Alibaba frowned in confusion, looking straight into the mesmerising orbs. Those orbs hardened as the last word faded.

"You see, Alibaba, I can't die."

"What?" Registering the incredible fact, Alibaba's mind gear began to turn. "Does that mean that you are immortal?"

"No," Aladdin lazily denied. A smirk crawled up to his face and a wicked glint shone in his eyes. "I can't die because I am already dead."

"…Eh?"

"EH?"

.

What should have been one split into two. I wondered what this revelation would bring about.

.

In the hazy of that dimly spring moon,

Scattered with the breeze of this feeling

To the pale of the night sky melting and vanish

With many of reminiscence.

A/N: It have been a while. So, here is the sequel to The Clock Tower. I will find sometime to update when I am free from college, ok?

Signed,

ReneeNCC