A white light flashes. It engulfs me with its colorless power.
For a brief moment, I worry that I might be dead. This, of course, is an absurd thought because I am already dead.
The whiteness fades away and I find myself standing on the ledge of a... clock tower?
Yes, it is indeed a clock tower. How queer.
I am a good several hundred feet up. I look down below into the foggy haze of this strange place. All I can see for miles and miles is water. The ocean is eerily still.
There are gray clouds blanketing the entirety of the sky.
The clouds are gloomy and dismal.
The clock tower has a gleaming silver finish. When looking at it at just the right angle, it gives off a rainbow of colors. This iridescence is a rather marvelous sight, even I must admit.
As much as I would love to stand here and study the inspiring architectural structure of the tower, I would much prefer to find a more stable place to position myself.
I am very high up and there is not much space at all for my feet on this pitiful ledge.
I am standing adjacent to the clock's glorious face. Neither the minute hand, nor the hour hand show any intention of moving.
I walk along the ledge, one hand braced against the face for balance.
I continue along until I reach the corner of the tower. There is more ledge along this side of the tower, as well.
At the end of this wall, I can see that there is a large, metallic door. As I get nearer, it becomes far more imposing.
This is the Time Keeper's clock tower.
Vallaria's sake, what am I doing here?
This is ridiculous. I'm only going to doom all of us, the sun and moon included.
What do I possibly think I can accomplish here?
But what can I accomplish if I walk away?
My family is in danger.
I need to get home so that I might warn them about Hans.
I won't let Hans get away with this.
I have to speak with the Time Keeper.
There's no time in forever
No time to set things right
There's no time in forever
Not a single moonlit night
I know there is no tomorrow
So the choice is mine to choose
Since there's no time in forever
Nothing's here to lose.
I am at the Time Keeper's door.
I hesitantly reach my hand out to knock.
I bet he's old and cold-hearted.
I imagine the Time Keeper in my mind as an ancient man. He is probably exceedingly wise. Undoubtedly, he will have a long, white beard and a balding head covered by a pointed, blue hat. He will have many wrinkles, declaring to all the land of his age and wisdom.
He will be fearsome, frightening, and formidable.
He is the Time Keeper. What else could he possibly be?
My knuckles pound against the metallic solidity of the door.
I will be lying if I say that fleeing is not in consideration.
The door swings open suddenly, with a loud creaking sound.
I find myself staring into violet eyes. I use the word "violet" loosely as the color of these eyes are far more intense than any word I could possibly come up with. They are mesmerizing.
"What are you doing here?" A whimsical voice comes from the man with these eyes.
He is young. He does not look to be much older than I, but it is so very hard to tell.
His skin is pale and flawless. It glows with an unearthly radiance. There is not a single wrinkle to be found upon his face, not even where it might have crinkled around the eyes.
His hair is smooth and straight. It hangs down to his shoulders and frames his angel face as a glossy curtain of perfection. His locks are silver. As his tower has a prismatic glimmer at specific angles, his hair does this likewise.
He is clad in purple robes and has a worn book grasped tightly in his left hand.
He is a celestial picture of perfection.
"Uh... me?" I respond. I tear my stare away from him and look in every direction to see if anyone else happens to be around. He couldn't possibly be talking to me, right?
Never mind, no one else is here. He's talking to me.
His violet eyes bare into me, never blinking and never wavering.
"I... was just... out for a walk." I say, lamely. "Thought maybe I'd stop by. You know... to be friendly."
He grunts.
"Er... who are you?" I ask.
He rolls his eyes. "I am the Time Keeper."
It couldn't be, could it?
The Time Keeper is... this guy?
He's not old at all! He's handsome, quite frankly.
"Oh."
He raises one of his perfect, silver eyebrows. He proceeds to study me. This makes me exceptionally uncomfortable.
"That is a terrible color." He states, bluntly. He gestures to my chartreuse dress.
"Oh..."
He grunts.
"You know... I'm nearly falling off of this ledge." I tell him. "It might be... pleasant... if I were to come in. Just for a short while."
He grunts again.
He turns and disappears back into the unknown depths of the interior of the tower.
He leaves the metallic door gaping open, so I assume this means that I have his consent to enter. If not, then I suppose I shall find out soon enough.
I cautiously step into the tower. Is it ludicrous that my first thought is that there is a trap door, ready to send me into a pit of darkness and doom?
There is no pit of darkness, nor one of doom. There is no trap door at all.
The tower is separated into different rooms by many large gears scattered in strategic locations.
I note that there are many shelves with many more books. Ember would have loved this place.
A dim, blue light shines over the rooms, emitting an eerie glow. It makes it difficult to see clearly.
I notice that I have already lost the Time Keeper in this strange tower.
Where did he go?
"Time Keeper?" I call out uncertainly to the emptiness beyond.
I hear movement behind me. I spin around. It's the Time Keeper.
He stands before me, his pale skin gleaming a light blue color due to the lighting.
He is a figure of intensity and authority.
"You may call me Etias," His violet eyes make me catch my breath. "Ida."