THE FORGOTTEN CLOCK TOWER
837 Words
Morning sunlight streamed through the tall windows of the girls' dormitory, bathing the room in a warm golden glow.
Octavia stirred awake, blinking sleep from her eyes.
For a moment, everything felt peaceful.
Then...
A familiar voice echoed faintly in her mind.
"I will find you."
Her heart skipped.
She sat upright, instinctively glancing around the room.
Nothing.
No cold breeze.
No scent of rain and pine.
Only the soft chirping of birds outside.
"Another dream..." she whispered.
She rubbed her temples before climbing out of bed.
Across the room, Aurora was still buried beneath her blanket.
"Five more minutes..." Aurora mumbled.
Octavia laughed.
"You said that fifteen minutes ago."
"I know."
"So get up."
"I'm thinking about it."
"You've been thinking for fifteen minutes."
Aurora groaned dramatically before throwing the blanket over her head.
Just then, someone knocked gently.
"Are you two awake?" Arina's cheerful voice called.
"Almost!" Aurora answered.
Octavia opened the door.
Arina smiled warmly.
"I thought we'd have breakfast before Professor Hawthorne's lecture."
Aurora suddenly appeared beside Octavia.
"I've never been more awake."
The three friends laughed as they walked across the university grounds.
The campus buzzed with life.
Students hurried between buildings carrying books.
Some revised notes beneath ancient oak trees.
Others gathered around fountains, chatting excitedly about upcoming assignments.
Octavia paused for a moment.
"I still can't believe we're really here."
Aurora smiled.
"It feels like we're living inside one of the stories we used to read."
Arina nodded.
"That's exactly how I felt during my first week."
---
Professor Hawthorne's lecture hall was already filling with students.
As soon as the professor entered, the conversations faded.
"Good morning, everyone."
"Good morning, Professor."
He smiled.
"Today we'll continue exploring Eldoria's earliest history."
He unfolded an old map across the front of the room.
"History is not merely about remembering the past."
His eyes swept across the hall.
"It is about understanding why the present exists."
Octavia wrote every word carefully.
Aurora tried...
For nearly twenty minutes.
Then she rested her chin on her hand.
Octavia nudged her.
"Stay awake."
"I am awake."
"You just closed your eyes."
"I was listening... internally."
Arina covered her mouth to hide a laugh.
Professor Hawthorne continued.
"Many ancient landmarks around Eldoria have survived for centuries."
He pointed towards a drawing of an old clock tower.
"The Forgotten Clock Tower."
Several students looked up with interest.
"It no longer functions, but it remains one of the oldest structures in the kingdom."
He paused.
"Your next assignment is simple."
The class reached for their notebooks.
"I want you to visit one historical landmark in the city and write about its history."
Excited whispers filled the room.
Aurora leaned towards her friends.
"The Clock Tower sounds interesting."
"It does," Octavia agreed.
Arina smiled.
"Then let's go there after classes."
---
By afternoon, the three friends found themselves wandering through the old district of Eldoria.
The streets were quieter here.
Stone buildings stood shoulder to shoulder.
Colourful flowers spilled from every balcony.
Artists painted beautiful landscapes while musicians filled the air with gentle melodies.
"This part of the city feels older," Octavia observed.
"It is," Arina replied.
"Many of these buildings have been standing for hundreds of years."
Eventually, they reached the Forgotten Clock Tower.
It rose high above the surrounding streets.
Its weathered stone walls were covered with climbing ivy.
Although the clock had long stopped working, the tower remained beautiful.
Aurora looked up.
"It's enormous."
The girls slowly walked around its base.
An old plaque stood near the entrance.
Most of the writing had faded with time.
Octavia brushed away some dust.
"Some of the words have been scratched away."
Arina frowned.
"They weren't worn away."
Octavia looked at her.
"They were removed."
A strange silence settled between them.
"Why would anyone erase history?" Aurora asked quietly.
No one answered.
---
As the afternoon faded into evening, they began walking back towards the university.
Students filled the streets.
Merchants called out to customers.
Children laughed as they chased one another through the square.
Everything felt wonderfully alive.
Then...
Octavia stopped.
A cold breeze brushed across her face.
Her smile faded.
Rain.
Pine.
That familiar scent.
She slowly turned.
Across the street...
Standing among the shadows between two stone buildings...
Someone watched her.
A tall man dressed in black.
His face was hidden beneath the fading light.
Before she could take another step...
A passing carriage rolled between them.
When it moved on...
He was gone.
Completely.
"Octavia?"
Aurora gently touched her arm.
"What happened?"
Octavia hesitated before shaking her head.
"I thought I saw someone."
Arina quietly looked towards the empty street.
For reasons she couldn't explain...
A strange uneasiness settled inside her heart.
---
Far beyond the city...
Beyond the rivers...
Beyond the forests...
Hidden where no ordinary traveller could ever find it...
The ancient iron gate stood beneath the evening sky.
Mist drifted silently across the ground.
From somewhere within the darkness...
A pair of unseen footsteps echoed softly.
Then...
Everything became still once more.
- Writer
