Chapter 6: The Clock Resets

The days after C’s disappearance felt empty. The clock sat silently on your bedside table, its polished surface reflecting the morning light as though nothing had happened. But every time you looked at it, your heart ached with the weight of his absence.

You returned to the abandoned park's performing house days after the incident, hoping praying that you will find some sign of him. But it was empty. No Shadows. No C. Just silence. And yet there was something you couldn’t shake. A faint pull as if someone was telling you not to leave, a feeling that lingered in the edges of your mind.

The days after C’s disappearance felt empty. The clock sat silently on your bedside table, its polished surface reflecting the morning light as though nothing had happened. But every time you looked at it, your heart ached with the weight of his absence.

You returned to the abandoned park's performing house days after the incident, hoping praying that you will find some sign of him. But it was empty. No Shadows. No C. Just silence. And yet there was something you couldn’t shake. A faint pull as if someone was telling you not to leave, a feeling that lingered in the edges of your mind.

One evening, as you sat in your room staring at the clock, you noticed something strange. The ticking began to slow, the sound growing deeper and more intense. You leaned forward, your heart pounding. The hands on the face of the clock started spinning backward, faster and faster until they were nothing but a blur. The room seemed to warp, the walls shinning like waves on the surface of water. Then everything went still. The ticking stopped. And a voice a voice you thought you will never hear again broke the silence. “Y/N.” You turned, your breath catching in your throat.

C stood in the middle of your room, his expression soft but with sadness. “C?” you whispered, tears already welling in your eyes. He nodded, a small bittersweet smile on his lips. “It’s me, your C... Your Chan.” He said, and you says "Chan?" you realized it was his name... Chan. And then you launched yourself at him, your arms wrapping tightly around his neck. He felt solid and real for a moment, the world seemed to right itself.

“I thought I lost you” you choked out, your tears soaking into his shirt. “I know” he said softly, his hand gently rubbing your back. “But I’m here now.” You pulled back slightly, looking up at him. “How? What happened?” Chan’s smile faded and he gently took the clock from your hands. “The clock… it reset.” He said. “What does that mean?” you asked with confusion. “It means I’m here but not for long” he admitted, his eyes filled with regret. “The clock gave me this chance to say goodbye. But once it finishes resetting, it will erase me from your life completely.”

“No” you said shaking your head. “No, that’s not fair. There has to be another way. We can fix this!” , “Y/N” he said gently, placing his hands on your shoulders. “If we try to fight this, the Shadows will come back. And this time, they will destroy everything.” Tears streamed down your face as his words sank in. “So that’s it? You just… disappear?” you said with teary eyes. “I will still exist” he said softly, his thumb brushing away a tear from your cheek. “But you won’t remember me. The clock will make sure of that.” he said, his voice was filled with sadness. “I don’t want to forget you” you said, your voice breaking and trembling.

Chan leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead. “You won’t. Not really. I’ll always be here” he said, cupping your cheeks. “Even if you don’t remember why.”

The clock began to tick again, its sound slow. “It’s starting” he said. “Chan, please” you begged, gripping his shirt as though it would keep him there. “I’m sorry” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “I wish things could have been different. And maybe in our next life, we will exist in same timeline.”

The light around him began to fade, his form becoming less visible. “I love you, Y/N, forever” he said, his voice echoing. “I love you too, Chan” you said, your tears falling freely.

And then he was gone... forever from your life. 

The next morning, you woke up to the sound of the clock ticking softly on your bedside table. You sat up, rubbing your eyes, a strange sense of emptiness settling over you. The clock looked the same as always, its polished surface shinning in the sunlight. But when you opened the hidden compartment, it was empty. You frowned, a sense of loss washing over you, though you couldn’t point why.

As you got up to start your day, you noticed something on your desk, a single note written in a handwriting you didn’t recognize.

“Even if you don’t remember me, I’ll always be with you. Thank you for everything, Y/N.—Chan”

You stared at the note, your heart aching and you couldn’t explain it. And as you placed the note in the clock’s hidden compartment, a single tear slid down your cheek. You didn’t know why but you felt like you have lost something or someone important.

The clock ticked on, its rhythm steady and unchanging, as though the world haven't shifted beneath your feet. And in a way, it hadn’t.

Because even though you couldn’t remember him, you carried him with you.

Always.

The End.