Professor Layton and the Rewound Repercussions –Part 7—

"Are you frightened?"

Clive looked up, folding his hands over his knees. "Frightened?"

"Yes. Your appeal is tomorrow."

Clive gave a bitter laugh. "I have no fear, professor; I already know the outcome. Fear only exists in the unknown."

"Don't say that, Clive." The professor shook his head. "There is no way of knowing."

"You're too naïve, professor. I thought you had learned your lesson." Clive ran his fingers through his hair. "Scars like those don't heal so easily, do they?" He pushed back his bangs to show the thin mark across his temple. "It seems my fortress, too, wanted to punish me at the end. I suppose I'm lucky to be alive."

"Luck has nothing to do with it, Clive. Claire put her own life on the line to protect yours."

"Yes, and I thank her for it. I think it was terribly foolish on her part, but I'm grateful."

"You think it was foolish?"

"Why…why would she do that? I should have died that day. She didn't need to ris—"

"Stop that immediately."

Clive looked back to Layton, glimpsing a pained expression on the professor's face.

"Claire understood, Clive. She knew you deserved to live."

"That doesn't make it any more logical."

"Fine. I shall put it in terms even you will agree with." The professor balled his hands into fists in his lap, his skin turning white across the knuckles. "She didn't have much longer. To her, it was worth the risk."

"Much…much longer? What do you mean by that?"

Layton fought to keep his voice steady. "She was…not fated to be in this time. She returned to the day of the blast not long after your arrest."

"I see." Clive turned his gaze downwards. "That's…unfortunate." They fell into silence, neither making eye contact with the other. Finally, Clive spoke once more. "There is some symmetry between us, then. We are both alone."

"No, Clive. We are not alone."

"Yes—yes, that's right. You have Flora, and…and the boy visits, you said. You have a family again." He smiled slightly. "I envy you."

"We are not alone," the professor repeated. "I promise that I will not leave you."

"You say that, professor, but it's not true. One day, you will leave me."

"I promise."

"No, professor. Even you cannot support me forever. Time will pass. Eventually, one of us will die."

"Everybody dies, Clive. It's because we die that we must make use of the time we have. I won't let you waste the rest of your life here."

"I'm afraid you don't have much of a say in the matter, professor."

"I haven't yet. That will change come the appeal."

"Don't lie to me!" Clive shouted, slamming his palm against the table. "Stop promising to fix this! I will stay in here until I die!"

Layton waited for Clive to calm down. When the furious trembling finally subsided, he met the boy's gaze and held it. "Clive. Do you want to stay here?"

"Of course I don't!" Clive snapped.

"Then why are you so adamant about leaving?"

"I am not! I would give anything to get out of this hellish situation."

"Why do you refuse to accept the possibility of a successful appeal?"

"I won't accept it because there is no possibility. There is no justice in our system—only corruption. Until that is changed, I will be here forever." He smirked. "It seems that you have been forgetting my offense, professor. I am not here because of some small account of petty thievery. I am here because I destroyed London. Pursuit of justice or not, victim or not…none of it will matter."

The professor stood. "I see I will not be able to change your mind."

Clive chuckled. "So you have finally come to your senses and given up on making me your project?"

"I wouldn't say you're my 'project', Clive," Layton replied, adjusting his hat. "Nor have I 'come to my senses', as you so quaintly put it. I merely understand that I may have to take a different approach to my teachings."

"I am no child, professor. Do not lecture me."

"Sorry, my boy. It's what I do."