The sun had casts it's light upon the earth as it broke over the horizon to signal a new day, however it was already morning for the cluster of islands that floated about a thousand feet above the soil below. The people living on this island were already at work and preparing for the unique day ahead, a day that would never occur again in the history of the earth's existence. This was the day that everyone would experience it's first 36 hour cycle. Approximately 18 hours of daylight and a shared equal amount for night time, but in total a exact 36 hour day, and with this came a reason to celebrate for at midday the city mayor was going to unveil a gift to the city. People hustled and bustled around in the streets to open up their stalls in the main square. The smell of freshly cooked food, of flowers and a hint of steam; the sounds of parents and children laughing and chattering; the sights of streamers, balloons and entertainers. You could feel the enjoyment coming out of the streets from wherever you were standing and it presented the city in a glow that showed all it's visitors that these were proud citizens. The city mayor made his way through the crowd with his esteemed friend, Kacey Wall. The two of them had known each other for the longest of times and they took in as much of the lively atmosphere as they could. "Such a beautiful day for the big reveal. Mother Nature could not have been so generous to us... Pardon me," Mayor Johnstone spoke as he squeezed by the many people that blocked his pathway, using his pudgy size as a bit of a bull bar for those that bumped into him. "Haha! It's the middle of Spring PJ. What did you expect? Could you imagine if this day occurred in the middle of the winter? It'd be a miserable snow festival!" Kacey called forward as he pushed the people before him aside. The two friends looked like complete opposites as they made their way through the crowd towards the speaker's stand near the City Hall. Peter Johnstone, the Mayor, was a medium size male with slick, brown hair and a regent moustache. He wore a traditional business outfit and his overall appearance presented itself with a large amount of pride and passion for the city he ran. Kacey Wall on the other hand was a slender male with a suit that announced itself with the image of money and power. His white undershirt was embroided with gold trimmings even though many people couldn't see as it was covered by a leather jacket and accompanying suit pants. He also wore a black top hat that had a set of goggles sitting upon the rim. Whether or not he used them was another question, but he used the hat mostly to cover up his blonde hair. "Well," spoke the mayor as he approached the front steps of the podium, "Looks like it's time." He turned to his follower and saw the man give a subtle wave and nod indicating the best of luck for the speech. A loud ringing tone echoed through the square as Peter switched on the microphone. "Welcome everyone," he began as he watched as people turned to face him, smiles abroad and happy to see that the time had come, "Such an amazing day, isn't it? And what an amazing day to celebrate this time with the lovely people of Londonary. I'd never thought I'd see so many smiles and happy citizens as I made my way to this very spot here before in order to unveil my gift to the city." He motioned his hands towards the City Hall where what looked like a large clocktower was recently built. The face couldn't be seen as it was covered by a large sheet of material, but the mechanics of the design could be seen protruding from the outsides almost like someone had mis-measured the design and didn't realise how many gears and cogs would be needed to get the device to work. "So with only a few moments to spare and before the clock strikes midday I would like to thank my friends from the Aristocrats for supplying the funds in order to allow this project to be bui.l.t...." "Of course you would you cheap bastard!" a voice from the crowd yelled in anger. Instantly police forces narrowed in on the area to find the offending individual and remove him from the festival. "Now, Now", reassured the mayor, "This is a gift to the people, there is nothing to be concer.n.e.d..." DONG, DONG, DONG At that moment the bell tower rudely chimed to indicate midday and the curtains dropped down to make the big reveal. A pearescent white clock face lit up from the sunlight that landed on it's surface. The marking around the edge could be seen indicating that every 10 degrees was equivalent to one hour of time and the arms were made with large long lengths of iron that seemly stretched across the 3 metre face. People began to cheer with admiration until they slowly began to notice one interesting factor that wasn't initially accounted for, a fact that silenced a community before a few people screamed in horror. Tied to the hour hand and at that very moment and in an inverted position was a male lying lifeless, cold and lonely. Blood had smeared it's way around the face indicating that he had been there for several hours, but what was more interesting was the fact that he had been impaled upon this hour hand. The steel rod had been passed into his mouth and through his entire body, leaving him to look like he was attached to an inverted crucifix. The city square erupted into a panic as people began to clear the scene. Peter and Kacey watched as everything they worked for over the past few weeks had began to crumble in their hands. The event that was supposed to bring so much to the city had been tainted over a single, horrendous death. As the stampede of people ran around the two of them they looked at the deceased, noticing some peculiar traits. The blonde hair, the highly expensive formal attire. Everything about this person reminded the two of someone they knew. It was the mayor that made the first connection as he looked towards Kacey in curiosity and shock. Kacey couldn't help but returned the stare, shaking his head sideways, trying so hard to break out of the nightmare that he had been trapped in. "This-s-s... Thi-i-i. THIS ISN'T RIGHT!" He cried out as he dropped to his knees and felt his eyes well up. "I'm sorry," spoke Peter as he walked over and put his hand on Kacey's shoulder, "But we must leave. I do not believe we are safe here." He looked around the area, taking in all the faces of the people, not trusting which one would be a threat to them. "I will arrange for your brother to be removed from the clock, but we mustn't stay any longer." The people around this particular man could be seen clearing the city square, but he stood there in the background and watched the scene that unfolded before him with mixed emotions were flowing in; some fear, some uncertainty, and a touch of humour. He could see the handiwork performed on the poor fellow that had been strung up onto the brand new clock as clear as day. "Looks like someone's time was up," he chuckled to himself as he lifted his hat and placed it firmly upon his head. "Really Dwayne? I do not think now is the right... moment.. for that," a rustic, smooth voice spoke as he passed the standing individual, avoiding an attempt to mention the word 'time'. Dwayne spun around with a shrug and began to follow the voice, continuing on the conversation. "Not my fault I'm able to come up with these puns, geez. But, you gotta admit that you aren't a little amused. It's been a while since this city has had a bit of drama." "Drama breeds chaos, and chaos is uncontrollable. We shouldn't be so quick to give the artist satisfaction for his work, otherwise we may as well just start a riot now and let the chips fall where they may." "What are you talking about Jeff?" Dwayne asked with a sense of curiosity, trying to understand what his brother was talking about. "That was one of the Wall twins up on that clock," Jeffery spoke with a sigh taking a look back over his shoulder to see whether his brother understood the severity of what had happened, "And who do you think they'll blame?" It was was going to be pretty obvious. To the people the Hudson's had a motive, a reason to want revenge on the Aristocrats; and unless someone was working out of line both Jeffery and Dwayne knew that their siblings weren't responsible. Still, it didn't change the facts, nor would it change future events and plans. The two reached one of the many bridges that connected the islands together and made their passage across to the next land mass. Their true meaning for being up in Londonary wasn't really for the festivals, but more for a business deal. Dwayne's fellow workers had manage to come across a large seem of mineral and valued it at quite a high price. They had also found a potential buyer who was interested and thought the polite thing to do would be to pay them a visit and what they could get for the raw ore.

Bridget awoke to the smell of pan fried ham and eggs. She rubbed her eyes and looked at the clock across from the bed and saw it was five in the morning. Earlier than usual, she thought as she got up and slipped into her slippers. She walked lightly towards the kitchen and saw the back of a familiar man. A slight smile came on her face and she began to tip-toe across the room. However, the creak of the floorboard alerted the man to her presence. The man spoke to her in a rough and mellow voice without turning around, “Did I wake you up?” Shoot, Bridget thought and sighed. “No you didn’t.” She walked over beside him and placed her hand on his shoulder. “Go freshen yourself up, let me take it from here.” She took the spatula from his hand and gently pushed him towards the small sink in the bathroom. He slowly walked over to it and took the towel off the rack when he’s there. She managed to take a good look at her husband then through the mirror in front of the sink. He soaked the towel with water before putting it against his face. As he wiped the towel down from his face to his neck, his scarred face became clear in the mirror. The memory of the old injury smeared across the right side of his olive tinted face and down into the limbs. It healed, but never managed to recover to the way it was, with his slightly droopy right eye as evidence. His pale grey eyes stared back at her from the mirror, glazed with tiredness. When he’s done cleaning, he came over to Bridget to take over the cooking. She handed the spatula back to him and went to the sink for her turn. She pulled her blonde hair back to tie it into a bun before rinsing herself awake with cold water. She looked up to the mirror to see the familiar pale oval face with two gleaming emerald eyes. A shadow was noticeable under her eyes from the late night studies. She glanced over to see him bringing the two plates of breakfast to the dining table in the center of their hybrid kitchen and dining room. They lived in a small apartment, the top floor of a two floor building. It was made of three rooms neatly arranged together into a square: the bedroom, the kitchen and the washroom. There are no doors to the rooms, but neither of them felt a need to. After all, they never received any guests since they moved to Londonary. Of the years they’ve spent together, Bridget fully understood that her husband was a private individual. She was fine with that, in fact, she held some pride that she’s one of the few who knew the true Vito Elmore. “Tough night?” Bridget asked as she put the pan into the sink to be washed later. “Same as usual,” Vito came over to Bridget and grabbed the utensils behind her. “Want any tea?” Bridget held up the kettle with the freshly boiled water. “Not today, I want to get some sleep after breakfast. Come let’s eat,” he pulled the chair out for her and took the remaining chair. As she ate her breakfast, she stared out the window behind Vito. There were already sounds of people gathering and walking to the city square. “You know, soon each day would be 36 hours.” “We’ll have to figure out whether to work or sleep more because of it." “Maybe you’ll finally have an excuse to take that nap at noon you've always wanted,” she suggested it to him. “I’ll need to update the sign at the clinic then.” “And the clock,” she reminded. “The whole town is getting new clocks, so we should too.” Vito paused for a brief moment and looked to her. Bridget noticed and gazed back at her husband, “What’s wrong?” “Nothing,” Vito smiled, and returned to cut up his eggs. Bridget’s gaze lingered on Vito as she thought what was on Vito’s mind. She shook the thought away shortly after, and resumed the conversation. “They’ll be celebrating today at the city square.” “Mhmm, I heard it too. You wanted to go?” “No,” she quickly replied, “It just reminded me of the last time we went to the fair back in our hometown. Do you remember?” Vito nodded. Of course he remembered. It was before the accident at his father’s clinic, shortly after he met Bridget. He has memory of them, but he could no longer relate to them in his present condition. He got up from the table, and walked over to the kitchen counter. He opened the cabinet above the stove and rummaged through the materials inside. “What are you looking for dear?” Bridget asked from where she sat. “Some teabags,” Vito replied. “I thought you said you didn’t want any,” Bridget got up and walked over to him. “I changed my mind. I thought it would be interesting to take a walk together to see how this celebration of theirs compares to ours.” Vito looked at Bridget with a grin that seemed so childish that she couldn’t help but grin back. “The tea bag is on your right. Here, let me get it for you.” By late morning, both Vito and Bridget had their fair share of food stalls and trinkets. They managed to found a crate placed beside a house nearby and decided to use it to rest their feet. Despite being tired, Bridget was in high spirits, dragging him from stall to stall as if this was the first time she’d been in an event like this. Bridget convinced him not to wear his mask, and he was glad. With the high volume of people moving about, barely anyone took notice of his look. Ironically, it is within crowds that Vito manage to find his place of normality. Vito had always avoided going out on regular days, besides walking to and back from his work. The rest of his time, he spent sitting in the dining room listening to Bridget’s stories. They’d sometimes discuss medical issues, sometimes politics, but all within the vicinity of their apartment. Occasionally, if there was no work at night, Vito would share a walk with Bridget in the dark. However, the chances for these walks were far too few ever since they’ve moved to Londonary. Bridget had become much like Vito’s eyes, giving him the details of the cities that he otherwise would not know. She always had the sharper eyes for things he’d miss. He looked at her now, with her eyes beaming as she took in everything around her. Although Bridget is not greedy for wealth, she had always been greedy for adventures. Vito just wished he wasn’t going to trap her within his tiny little world. “Look, that’s Mayor Johnstone. I heard he’s really popular within the city.” Vito followed her finger to a finely dressed medium sized man followed by a slender male. “Who is the mayor?” “The one with the mustache,” she laughed softly, “You really have no idea about this city do you?” “And beside him?” “Probably an Aristocrat, after all, the project is funded by them.” Vito nodded to Bridget’s answer before another question popped into his head, “What is this project?” “It’s a clock tower. You see it covered in the distance?” Sure enough, there it is in the distance. As Vito was fixated on the clock tower, he felt Bridget’s head resting on his arms. He pulled his arm from under her and held her close by the shoulder instead. Under the warmth of the sun and Bridget, Vito began feeling the effect of tea slipping away and sleep crawling back into him. Just as he closed his eyes he heard the sound of the mayor, “Welcome everyone.” The couple’s head snapped back up and look to the direction of the announcement. As the mayor tried to make his announcement, a heckler yelled out but was quickly removed from site. As the mayor tried to resume he was interrupted yet again by the sound of the clock tower. The curtain dropped soon after. If Vito was familiar with anything, it was medicine. And the one thing he saw in medicine more than anything else is the failure of it, a dead man. Therefore, before the curtain dropped completely, Vito’s eyes caught a glimpse of just that. Quickly, he covered the Bridget’s eyes but unfortunately Bridget always has the sharper eye. “W-w-who?” She asked, her body shivering from what she just saw. Before Vito could comfort her, the square exploded into panic. When the crowd of people stampeded out of the square, Vito pushed Bridget against the walls of the house behind them and shielded her from it. “Why…who?” she tried to look behind her to the source of it, but Vito wouldn’t let her. “Doesn’t matter, let’s go home,” was the only answer he gave as he slowly walked her out of the square along the walls. When the crowd finally thinned and they were almost home, their pace slowed to a halt. She was still shivering, and her eyes stared blankly onto the road with her head replaying the same image over and over again. He pulled her to the side and held her face with his hand, “You going to be alright?” She finally regained her awareness and looked into his eyes. She bit down on her quivering lips and breathed slowly to calm her heart beat. “Yes. I just…,” she sighed, “Maybe it was a mistake to come out today.” “No,” Vito assured her, “Someone else made the mistake today.”

Tyler stepped back from the radio set he had been working on for almost two weeks. Normally fixing radios was a small task that took 8 hours, and that was if he wasn't working his hardest. But this set had been a custom order and contained a plethora of small parts that had to be taken out before anyone could even get to the small power source in the center, which just happened to be what needed repairing. As he looked at the mahogany box and took a second to admire it's almost regal detailing. The golden curves engrained in the wood made the radio a piece of art, even though it's function was to simply listen to music and the occasional afternoon talkshow. As Tyler carried the radio to the storeroom in the workshop, he heard the sound of cheer outside his shop. "Oh yeah," he said aloud to himself. "They're unveiling the new clock today." He decided that if he didn't have any customers come in within five minutes, he would go and join the festival. As he walked to the front of the shop, he noticed that the normal group of two or three customers that were there each day to check on their machines weren't there. Tyler shrugged, went back into the actual shop, and washed his face off with a rag. As he looked into the mirror above the small work sink, he noticed his trademark stubble was starting to grow again. "Guess I'll have to trim it up later," he whispered to himself. He took off his work shirt, which was a plain white shirt, and put on his normal one and his jacket over that. As he stepped out of the shop, he turned and locked the door. Considering the fact that the sounds of cheer was echoing back at him, Tyler assumed the sound earlier was a group of people on their way to the festival. Just as he had taken the key out of the lock, a new wave of partygoers had just reached his shop and pushed him along with them. As he was being buffeted down the street, he thought about the festival and whether it was a good idea to possibly miss a few customers by going. As soon as he got there, he realized that he made the right decision; It seemed like everyone in Londonary had shown up to see the unveiling. The group that had practically carried him down the street dispersed, and Tyler took a more leisurely pace down the stalls. He stopped at a small one with a simple scarlet cloth on the top that was more on the outside of the stalls and saw an older woman, probably in her 60s, sitting behind it. As he approached, she smiled at him and began to stand. "Hello young man, care to buy some jewelry for your young lady?" Tyler chuckled. "No lady to buy jewelry for, madam. Work keeps me far too busy for such things." Regardless, he looked at her stock and his gaze fell upon a necklace. It looked like an ordinary necklace, except the small chain that made the loop wasn't made out of chainlinks, but a bunch of micro gears that were connected, and the piece hanging from the end were two small screwdrivers that were crossed. "Excuse me," he said as he picked it up, "How much for this one?" The lady looked at the necklace and then to Tyler. "What's your interest in it? I thought you didn't have a lady to purchase anything for." "Well, I'm a mechanic. Just the style of it reminded me of work, that's all." As soon as he said it, he realized how addicted to his job he sounded. She chuckled. "I guess I'll only charge you 15 dollars." Tyler took the money out of his pocket and handed it to the Lady, thanked her, and walked off with his new necklace. He hadn't taken five steps before he saw cotton candy and immediately speed walked over to the stall. He ordered one and walked towards the middle of the plaza, thought better of it, and began walking more towards the outside of the stall area. As he walked past a house, he noticed his doctor sitting on a box. He was about to walk up and say hello, but realized that he was with a woman and they both had their eyes closed. I shouldn't disturb them, I wouldn't want to be if I was him." Tyler walked on a bit, browsing the stalls, then heard the Mayor's voice ring out with, "Welcome, everyone." As he gave his speech, the Mayor thanked the Aristocrats for donating money to the project. "Of course you would you cheap bastard!" someone yelled out in front of him. The guy was instantly surrounded by police forces and was dragged off. Though they had gagged him, he was still attempting to yell insults. As the Mayor attempted to restart his speech, the clocktower chimed the new midday and the sheet covering the now 36-hour clock fell off. As soon as it did, the first thing that was noticable was the body impaled on the hour hand, and the trail of blood following it. After a few moments of silence, the crowd started yelling and running away. Tyler thanked himself for deciding to stand closer to the outside of the plaza and ran for his shop, hoping to get away from the charging crowd. As he got to his shop to try and escape the flood of people, he fumbled with the key in his pocket. Just as he got the door unlocked and slammed the door behind him, part of the crowd ran past the door. Tyler backed into the wall and slid down, wondering who would have a reason for causing such a scene.

He was not sure how long it had been since he had went off on his own as he checked his backpack, he only had half of his bread left and his water had already began to run out. He was all alone in this world with no friends or family, right now he was lost and without a purpose other than his blade which he kept in his bag as well. He got really lost in the street as there seemed to be a huge commotion of sorts, as he could not figure out what was actually going on at the time. He looked around really confused as to why the people were so busy and noticed some people setting up stalls as it was his first time actually seeing the main square of town before. He had spent so much time in the mines and working under people he never got to see the world around him. He could smell some fresh food that was probably cooked recently, but he began to think that he would soon starve since he had no money. He had only remembered now that he should have taken money before setting off on his adventure or journey to find his place in the world. He also heard some parents laughing and playing with their children as he looked down sadly having never known that experience too well. He felt deep down inside he did not fit in with this place as he began to search around for a place to go work on his gears. He was not all there when suddenly he got knocked over as he fell on his back as this really pudgy man knocked him over, a familiar man who he had forgotten was the mayor of this town. Not that it really mattered he was a bit upset that the man just did not take note of who was in his way, did not matter who you were could no one respect people or have any manners. Then a serious guy stood over the kid and said. "Watch where you going kid, do not go bothering the mayor you little brat" He wanted to hit this guy so hard right now, but that would not help him get to work on more gears, as he sighed and looked away and just whispered stubbornly, "Sorry..." giving a deep pause as if he wanted to add something to the end of that fake apology. Why did he need to apologize to people when they are in the wrong, or was it always meant to be him who was wrong all the time. He had to be wrong because he was a peasant, a worthless brat, a servant who now no longer had a master. He was nothing more than a stray dog to this rich people he thought to himself. As he sat there people just walked passed him as if he was not even there, not like anyone would care since they were too busy enjoying something. He heard someone announcing it was time as he just sat there and listened. The man then said something that helped him get an idea of where he was, he was in Londonary and it had been some time but he was not even sure when he had gotten there to be honest. He heard something about an amazing day, but was there really such a thing as an amazing day as the little boy thought to himself. He then began thinking more and looked up to the sky and wondered why he could not just get work since he was already sixteen. The people here would accept him would they not? He then saw something he had never seen before as they unveiled a large clock, the beautiful gears and the pristine design, the creation so perfect until he noticed a blemish as he held his mouth for a moment nearly losing himself at the sight as he remembered that day. He wanted to get away from this place as the people all began running like crazy, one person kicked him to the side and a few stepped on him as well with some people only going around him afterwards. He was used to being treated like dirt anyways as he did not know where to go from here, he tried standing up slowly a bit hurt and feeling sore here and there. He then stood up and looked towards the clock tower as he glared at it wondering who would defile this beautiful clock, rather than thinking about how they could have killed the person to begin with. Before he even knew it he was nearly alone in the town square as he took this time to scavenge some resources getting some food and coin and stuffing it into his backpack. Not that anyone cared they just ran off on their own it was their fault for not watching over their goods. No matter what happens if you do not look after yourself then no one else will, is what he had thought and would continue to think. This was just another day in the life of Aura

"How the hell does this happen!?! I wanna kill the bastard that murdered Michael!" "Calm down Kacey! Getting angry won't change what happened, besides, we have no idea who did it." Kacey and Peter sat within opposite sides of the car that was speeding away from the scene. Kacey's expression was both full of rage and on the edge of sorrow while Peter was trying his hardest to bring out that sorrow and suppress that violent animal that Kacey held within. Knowing that the Mayor was beginning to talk sense, Kacey punched the side wall of the cabin in order to let as much frustration out as possible in one go. The force leaving the surface of his skin torn and blood began to weep it's way from the wound. "I told you before, did I not, that I will arrange for your brother's body to be obtained, and then we will uncover what happened and deal with those involved in the correct, 'legal' manner," Peter sat back in his chair and let out a deep breath knowing that he was beginning to get through to his friend. "I know of a Surgeon in the city with some questionable backgrounds. Information of his arrival and Right to Practice appeared on my desk not too long ago," His words began to contradict exactly what he was talking about in the previous statement, but they were drawing Kacey's attention like a moth to a flame. "...however, I dismissed the documents due to the dire lack of physicians we have at the current time." The information about the Mayor's motives came at almost the same time that the car arrived to a halt at the Aristocrat's Manor. The door opened out to reveal the bright sunlight from outside, a brightness that forced Kacey to shield his eyes with his hand. "Have a think about what I said," Peter spoke as he looked forward without being phased by the radiating heat coming in from the outside, "Until next time." Kacey stepped down onto the dirty brick pathway and heard the door close behind him, he turned around to see a driver step back into the front and give him a wave goodbye. As the sound of the motor faded off before him, he made his way towards the front door where he saw it open. Emerging from inside was a woman with long, red hair and a beautifully hand crafted dress. She came for him in a joyous dash but quickly noticed the expression on his face before slowing down to a standstill. "What's wrong?!" She asked as she held his hands to the side of her face. "Michael's... dead," he whispered to his wife as her face began to loose all colour. "I need to speak to the True Heir." Slowly Kacey pulled his hands away and began to walk past her towards the front door, leaving her in shock as to what had happened today. The two men waited for the majority of the crowd to clear before stepping away from the alcove. Slowly they walked the streets, noticing that with every step they took the alleyways and corridors grew even more silent and abandoned. It was unusual, almost eerie and creepy but they soon stopped opposite a small Machine Shop. Jeffery looked across the street at the sign while Dwayne was a bit more inquisitive noticing all the shops that were closed for the day. "You sure about this place?" "Positive," spoke Jeffery as he pulled a lump of rock from within his coat and examined the radiant beauty that it contained. "He will surely be interested in this. It's not every day that you come across a quantity of ore as rare as this." Jeffery began to cross the street towards the shop with Dwayne following him like a lost dog. They reached the side walk when Dwayne spoke about something that should of remained unspoken unless they were within closed doors, "And will he build the same Jackhammers his father built?" At that moment he felt a push and was pinned against the wall next to the shop front with Jeffery staring him in the eyes, "Fool! Think before you speak next time." The pressure off Dwayne was released and Jeffery straightened up his clothes to make him look more presentable. He took a look around noticing that there was very little chance for anyone around to hear what it was that they quarrelled about before finally addressing his sibling, "Brother, you know full well that we do not discuss his 'arms' out in public." Jeffery moved towards the shop door and pressed against it, noticing that it was open and chimed off a small bell from above the door jam. His brother followed suit knowing that this was a brilliant example as to why Jeffery was in charge of the family affairs.

Tyler looked up to the two men that had walked in and stood up. "Excuse me sirs, give me a moment, I'll be right with you." He walked behind the counter into the back room and changed back into his work outfit. As he took his coat off, he felt the necklace he bought in his pocket. Tyler took the necklace out, took a moment to admire the design once more, and put it on and tucked it under his shirt. He quickly washed his hands off splashed water on his face to try and calm down after the panic in the courtyard. As he walked back to the front of the shop, he put on a smile and tried to appear friendly. "Sorry about that. How may I help you?"

Ten years ago, when the Clyde brothers travelled to the City of Londonary, they were still two naïve young lads. Taking their grand dreams with them, they set out to make a name for themselves. They came from a family of shepherds, with their parents expecting the same from them. However, their peaceful lifestyle did not lead them away from the passion of hunting. With a few pellets and a rifle, the boys spent their free time in the woods hunting wild games. The woods were like paradise to them, with the trickling streams and the sweet autumn winds. They would often camp in there for days when they can, and be out after several days with a couple of pheasant hanging on their shoulders. Despite their love for the wood, they also knew to pay its proper respect. The woods had been the setting of many tragedies in their village, and the boys took care not to become one of them. Riley, the older of the two, was the better hunter. Patient and talented in sharpshooting, he took great care of his younger brother Tyler when they journeyed into the woods. Tyler, on the other hand, was much more cautious and meticulous, and covered Riley’s back whenever he can. In growing up, both brothers came to love the story of Robin Hood. The idea of a heroic outlaw was fascinating, and they’ve spent their days alternatively playing the role of the folklore hero. One day, they told themselves, one day they’ll make the story a reality. When Tyler reached sixteen, the two brothers packed their belongings and bought the first available ticket to Londonary with their savings. They decided to make their debut in the floating city, fighting crime and corruption. When they stared out the windows of their airship, Riley handed Tyler the last piece of bread in his bag. “That’s the last of it. From here on out, we are going to have to earn our food,” Riley told Tyler. Tyler nodded to his brother’s words, and split the bred in two. He handed the bigger half to Riley, “You are bigger, so you’ll need more.” Riley patted Tyler on the head and snatch the smaller piece instead, “You need to eat more to grow as big as me,” he flexed his arm then, showing the well-defined girth of his arm. For that moment, when Tyler looked to his brother and his silly grin, he thought they were unbeatable. That was ten years ago. The present day Clyde brothers lack much of the optimism of their early days. If there was anything they learnt it’s that no one is unbeatable. Within the narrow confines of a dark alleyway, Tyler set Riley down by the wall as he went to check the main street which they would be crossing. The soft light of the moon had shone upon Tyler’s upper body, showing he had indeed grown over the years, not quite to the size of his brother, but athletic nonetheless. His time spent in Londonary had carved new scars upon his bodies, and dimmed the look in his eyes. He walked back to Riley when he was satisfied with what he saw, “The coast is clear, here let me help you.” Riley grunted as he wrapped his arm around Tyler’s shoulders. His other hand clenching tightly around his side flank, stained with fresh red blood. He braced himself before lifting himself up with Tyler’s help. No words came from him, as he saved his energy to maintain his composure. “We are almost there,” Tyler comforted Riley, “Just one more street to cross.” They shuffled across the empty street and into another alleyway, hidden by the darkness of the night. Tracking along the walls, they found a set of stone stairs leading down to the basement blocked by a metal door. Tyler looked around to make sure no one’s nearby before knocking. Moments later, the door was opened slightly, revealing a slit of dim light behind it. However, even then, Tyler could catch sight of the person behind it. What he saw wasn’t a face, but the long beak of a mechanical bird attached to the torso of a human. Tracking up along the beak, Tyler saw a pair of grey eyes behind two glass lenses, indicating that they are indeed dealing with a human. He was told the doctor might be strange, but he certainly wasn’t expecting to notice it so soon. “Dr. Elmore?” The birdman nodded his head, “I was expecting you, please come in.” The door opened, revealing decently sized room surrounded by stone walls and floors. One thing that immediately caught Tyler’s attention was the lack of windows. Indeed, he didn’t notice any windows on his way here either. The ventilation is completely dependent on what Tyler assumed to be vents on the ceiling. “Follow me,” the doctor instructed, leading them away from the door and down another set of stairs on the far side of the room. “I like to keep my practice private,” Dr. Elmore explained as he opened another metal door at the end of the stairway. Despite been in the basement, the room resemble very much like many hospital that Tyler had seen. There is a water tap running on one side, and shelves filled with multiple medical instruments and drugs. The room is separated in half by a curtain, hiding the operation table behind it. “There is negative pressure generated in this room, so the room is supposed to be sterile. So, if you please, leave your brother by the operation table there, and return to the room above. I’ll inform you when the operation is finished,” the doctor motioned for Tyler to place Riley on the table. Tyler didn’t budge, “I’m sorry, but I am going to stay here. I didn’t bring my brother here just to leave him. I want to be here during the operation.” He looked to Riley who agreed with a nod. “That will increase the risk of infection Mr. Clyde, the result of which can very well be permanent disability,” Vito argued otherwise. “My brother’s willing to take the risk, and so am I,” Tyler was persistent with his wishes. After considering a brief moment, Vito nodded. “Very well, help me lift your brother on the table, and I’ll teach you how to clean yourself so you can minimize the contamination. The rule is: you don’t touch anything until I tell you to.” Moments later, both Vito and Tyler were gloved and dressed in white gowns. The bird mask is no longer on Vito’s head, but was replaced by a surgical mask and cap. Riley lay on the table shirtless, and breath in short shallow breathes as he waits to be operated upon. Tyler stood idly by, watching both his. He looked up to see Vito arranging the various instruments on a smaller table beside the bed, not able to recognize quite a few of them. “Will he be alright?” He asked, as he watched Vito prepare. “Maybe,” Vito didn’t look up, and picked up a syringe. “He has a fever. I’m going to try to calm that down.” He jammed the needle into Riley’s arms, and emptied the content inside. “Anesthetics next. Passed me the syringe on the table to your left.” Tyler looked around briefly before locating what he thinks is the correct syringe, “Is this the one?” Vito took it from his hand without a word, and emptied the content into Riley like the one before. The anxiety from Riley eased as the medication settles in, and his eyes glazed over slightly. “Now hold your hand together and don’t touch anything, and take a few steps back please.” Without waiting for Tyler to respond to his orders, Vito began sifting through the wound with his gloved hands. Tyler watched as Vito moved about, switching tools from scalpels to needle drivers. “How did your brother get this injury?” “Does it matter?” Tyler asked, uncertain whether to give the answer or not. “No. Your employer already told me about them. Just wanted to know whether you trust me.” “Guess I don’t.” “That’s alright. I don’t need you to trust me,” there was a brief pause as Vito focused on the task at hand, “Not many people do.” There was a pang of regret in Vito’s voice that made Tyler look up and examine the doctor’s face. Slightly curious, and with nothing else to do, Tyler pursued the doctor’s statement, “What do you mean?” “What have you heard about me?” Vito answered the question with another. Tyler went over what he had gathered about Vito prior, and not much came to mind. He was told that Vito was a surgeon willing to operate on anyone with the price to pay. Corrupt maybe, but nothing significant according to their employer. “Not much. So why do few people trust you?” “Stupidity,” there was such bitterness that came from Vito’s words that Tyler was taken aback. “Do you know what is necrotizing fasciitis?” Tyler shook his head. “It’s a bacterial infection, involving the death of your tissues. Some people call it the flesh eating disease, which can be misleading because the flesh isn’t eaten; it dies because of the toxins. The only way to treat it? Surgical removal of any flesh involved. Not a pleasant procedure for anyone involved.” “And you had it?” Tyler deduced. Vito didn’t reply, but Tyler knew he got the answer. Tyler thought about it slightly more, “It was on your face, and that’s why you wear the mask.” “Smart boy,” Vito replied. “How bad is it?” “Bad enough for some to believe I worship the devil,” Vito laugh softly from under the mask. “How did you get it?” “By helping another who suffered from it.” Hearing this, Tyler moved closer to the surgical table, “Wait, so it spread? Does it mean you could infect my brother?” “Don’t worry. It’s no longer infectious.” Vito looked up to meet Tyler’s eyes. Tyler noticed now the droopy right eyelid that must be the result from the incident. “But do you trust me?” Vito asked. Tyler sighed, “Do we even have a choice?” Moving back away from the table, Tyler slumped into a chair. “It’s been a while since we had any say in our life.” “What’s your case?” “The usual one. Two young lads thinking they could change the world. Both realized the world’s a much crueler place than they thought,” Tyler smiled sheepishly, “And they don’t have the face to go back where they come from.” “How did you want to change the world?” “Redistribute the wealth from the rich to the poor. Eliminate the class divides. A revolution maybe. But we realized too late that people don’t want revolution anymore, everyone just wants routine.” “Should perhaps studied politics instead of hunting, no?” Tyler laughed, “Yes, definitely.” “Robin Hood doesn’t exist anymore.” “We realized it. Too late maybe.” “So you became assassins instead.” Tyler let out a deep sigh, and settled in his chair. “You know, that’s not what we wanted. None of this,” Tyler motioned to Riley lying on the table, “But that’s the only thing we know.” “And that bracelet on your wrist,” Vito glanced at Tyler before returning back to his work, “Is that a remainder of your home?” “Oh this?” Tyler lifted his arm up, and examined the bracelet on his arm. It was a simple bracelet of blue beads, held together by red threads. “No. This was just something from a dumb girl.” “See her much?” Tyler smiled, but it lacked any joy from it. His eyes remain fixated on the beads around his wrist. “The thing with our profession is that you can take away anything that’s precious from others, but at the same time, others could do the same to you.” “I’m sorry,” Vito apologized. “No don’t be,” Tyler sighed again, “As I said, she was a dumb girl.” Vito stopped what he was doing, and gazed at Tyler for several second, then sighed himself. A few moments later, Vito took off his glove and walked over to Tyler, “It’s done.” “Is my brother alright?” Tyler looked away from his wrist and back to Vito. “Yes. He just needed some rest. Come, give him some time,” Vito pushed opened the door and walked upstairs. Tyler shook his head, “I’ll stay here till he wakes up.” “Suit yourself, I’ll grab some food for myself,” Vito offered Tyler a seat as he went upstairs to grab some food. He returned moments later with a plate of bread and deli. It was then that Tyler noticed that Vito still wore the surgery mask from before. “Why don’t you take your mask off?” “I prefer not to. It’s not a pleasant sight.” “It’s okay. I’m sure I’ve seen worse before. Besides, I don’t think neither of us has much to hide from the other.” Vito considered it for a moment, and then slipped the mask off slowly, revealing the scarred face from below. Tyler got a careful look of the face this time. Indeed, just as Vito eluded, the face was badly scared and hollow at some parts. “Yep, definitely seen worse. I would put you above average in terms of looks from the people I’ve seen,” Tyler joked. Tyler sees what could have been a smile on Vito’s face. “Thanks.” He then took a seat a couple steps away from Tyler, and began making a sandwich for himself. “It’s rare to see meat these days,” Tyler commented as he looked at the plate. “If nothing else, my profession pays me well, and it gives me freedom to be at home when I need to. How about you? When is the last time you had a proper meal with the family?” Tyler shrugged and gazed at his brother’s body on the table, “If you meant just with my brother, then it’s been a while. If you meant with my whole family…I would guess that’s ten years. You?” “Every night at six, I close my clinic and walk home to eat dinner with my family. It’s the only thing that never changed ever since I began practicing here, because it’s the only thing that matters. Don’t you think so? To know that you have a home to return to?” “But not everyone has the choice. You think we can back out from what we do, and go eat dinner with our family?” “I think we all have a choice, what’s left is just consequences.” Tyler laughed a hearty laugh, “For someone your age, you are quite naïve. What are you? Mid thirties?” “Just about,” Vito finished the last bite of the sandwich he made. “It’s getting late, and I am getting old. My hands are even shaking when I don’t have enough rest.” “How are you going to survive when they reveal the new time and clock tomorrow?” Tyler asked half-jokingly. “Simple answer, I won’t,” Vito jested in reply, “Let’s get your brother out of here, so I can get home to get some sleep. By the way, do you also have my payment?” “Ah, yes,” Tyler almost forgot, but was reminded to take out a sack of coins and tossed it to Vito, “Two hundred pound as requested.” Vito put the sack aside, “I’ll trust you with the numbers. Alright, you start lifting from this side. I’ll go around the other side to help you.” Tyler nodded and moved close to Riley on the table. As he put his hand under the body, he felt an unsettling cold from it, “Hey, is it suppose to –.” His words were cut short when he felt a freezing sensation his back. He rotates his head in time to see Vito throwing a syringe into a bin by the wall. By then him leg turned weak and bends beneath him. There was brief moment of confusion on his face, before it turned to an expression of seething rage, “What did you do?” “Spinal injection. Chemical destruction of your spinal cord. Normally hard to landmark where you can inject in someone who’s obese, but for someone as well toned as you, it’s quite simple,” Vito explained as he walked over to Tyler, who’s lying on the floor. “I’m afraid I haven’t been completely honest with you.” There was emptiness in Vito’s eyes as he looked over Tyler then at Riley. “Why?” “Why not? After all, I was paid a good amount for this,” Vito pointed at the sack of money he had left on the table. He squatted down beside Tyler, holding the boy’s chin in his hand so they both could lock their eyes, “I think you know by now why this is happening. You are right. People like you don’t simply walk out of what they do, so consider this a retirement.” “I wouldn’t have talked.” “I know,” Vito nodded, “This isn’t how I would have ended it either if it was up to me.” Anger slightly subsided as sadness began overwhelming Tyler and he find it hard to breathe now “And my brother?” “We killed him together, don’t you remember? You handed the syringe to me when I asked you to.” “You m-monster,” the word stuttered out as Tyler tried to struggle against the loss of sensation. Vito closed his eyes and slowly exhaled as if in meditation. He opened his eyes a moment later, “You are right, I am a monster. That’s what everyone says. For a very long time, you are the first person that didn’t judge me by how I looked. I really liked you. So it’s a shame it has come to this. Now that we had our little talk, and we understood each other a bit, I guess we are acquaintance of some sorts. I want you to know, that I tried my best to make this process as painless as possible. So I want you to do a favor for me.” Tyler tried to interrupt, but only found himself mumbling, so Vito pushed on. “Once you are in Hell, and you want to come back to hunt someone, find me and me alone. Leave my family out of this, okay?” With what dignity Tyler still had, he mustered the strength and released the only answer he could, “N-no.” With a sigh, Vito pushed himself up and walked over to the cabinet. He sifted through the tools until he retrieved a large hook. “You know why the hamstrings in your leg are named as such? I was told it was the tendon that butchers used to hang hams in their stores. I have always wanted to see the truth in that.” The dawn was breaking when Vito closed his clinic and strolled towards his home. The street vendors have already began setting up their shop, and the smell of the first batch of bread was filling the streets. The streets will soon be crowded with citizens from all across the city, waiting to get a first glimpse of the clock tower. However, he felt far too tired to join in. On his way, he stopped by a small grocery and purchased some ham and eggs, something he craved every time after a long night at work. The sandwiches he had earlier didn’t do him any good; after all, they were poisoned. Even with the antidote he had taken prior, he still felt a tingling sensation down his hand. Tyler was cautious, Vito admitted to that. When he opened his apartment door, the room was still dark with the curtains drawn. He took a peek into the bedroom and saw Bridget has yet to wake up, not surprising. He’ll cook the breakfast; it will be a nice surprise for her. He heated the pans and cracked the eggs, watching them sizzle on top of the oil. Even standing, he felt he could fall asleep if he just closed his eyes. However, before fatigue could completely creep up upon him, he heard the creak of the floor. Bridget has woken up. “Did I wake you up?” He asked, without turning around.

The unveiling of the clocktower was certainly something Kent Mirza made a point to attend, considering his involvement in the early development of the project. While no mechanic or engineer, he had been commissioned to provide a report detailing the exact length of time it would take for a single solar rotation. The purpose of the report was to provide as accurate as possible the length of the modern day. He was even so gracious to provide information on Leap Years and potential changes in the future due to geomagnetic forces. In reality though, Kent's involvement with this project was limited and perhaps even unnecessary; he even doubt that his research was provided to those actually manufacturing the clocktower. Still, it have been another opportunity to network with the Mayor and connect with various Londonary citizenry, and a man in his position would never turn away. It was supposed to be a grandiose celebration, the clocktower representing the continual growth of the relatively peaceful nation. However, the reveal of Michael Wall's lifeless body changed the celebratory tone to one of anxiety and fear. Even Kent, who was privy to the potential death of an Aristocrat, found himself taken aback by the gory sight. Standing to the side with the other engineers and mechanics who had worked on the project, Kent found himself covering his nose and mouth with a handkerchief, coughing a little as he did. Yet rather than file away, the man took in everything quietly, his fingers pressed on the spot where a tattoo had been inked into his skin. Although having such markings were against his faith, he thought an exception could be made for the better good; it was how he ultimately felt about the death of Michael Wall. Kent Mirza, or Khorshid Nassir os-Saltaneh, was a man of both great and little prestige. He was a brilliant Astronomer from a royal lineage, however, his Persian identity made him something of a second-class citizen among those who valued blood-lines and ethnicity. Still, his bright personality and gentle demeanor typically won over anyone who had any doubts about the man from out East. It was also this kind disposition, along with his overall health, that made him appear as hardly a threat. He was considered a lamb among men, which he made a point of maintaining this persona for the time being. After the initial chaos of that morning, the Persian man joined the other engineers in making sure the clocktower continued to run on time. After all, tragedy could not pause progress despite how certain individuals might feel. Kent worked quietly, crunching numbers and acting more as quality control more than anything else. When the scene had been perused by the proper authorities and all had essentially returned to normal, it was then that Kent decided to make his proper rounds to those of elite status to give his condolences. While typically relegated to sub-par treatment due to his heritage, Kent was still of royal blood and always made it a point to reach out in times of tragedy. Besides, he would need to make it a point to keep his enemies close to draw off any suspicion on himself. When Kent Mirza returned home, he authored letters offering his sincerest condolences to the Aristocratic families. He wrote neatly and carefully on parchment, sealing the letters with red wax. In the letters, he offered not only his warm words but also an ear to those who wish to discuss the matter further. Once his letters were finished, he sent them off by way of a servant, leaving the task to the young man as he decided to return to the University for now.