Land Beyond The Time
The story begins in Cloverfield, a small idyllic town ensconced in the lap of a small, unnamed mountain. The town's beauty was blandly ordinary, saved only by the extraordinary love that the townsfolk held for one another and for a river that flowed with an unruly innocence, adding to the rustic charm of the place. But its greatest mystery lay hidden at the outskirts of the town, arcane and undisturbed, an antique clock tower. Although time-worn, its intricate carvings narrated tales of a bygone era etched with majesty, power and a wee bit of tragedy.
One misty morning, a young boy whose name was Ethan happened upon the clock tower while wandering around town. Ethan's curiosity piqued about the tale behind the tower made him venture into it, ignoring the gentle warnings concerning the tower's mystery whispered across the small town. Entering the tower, the first thing he noticed was the gigantic, yet delicately designed, clock face. Underneath were ornate carvings of people celebrating, while an emperor watched them all from his throne. As he moved his hand over the carvings, he felt an intense cold chill run through his spine. It was an experience that made his ordinary day an extraordinary one.
Overcome by a sense of stupor and curiosity, Ethan wound the antiquated key into the clock and sprung it to life, activating the pendulum. As the hands of the clock moved, a brilliant sphere of light emanated from it, encapsulating the room, and before he knew it, Ethan was transported out of the clock tower, into a lush courtyard filled with people in medieval clothes, music and mirth. It took Ethan hardly any time to realize that he had travelled back in time.
Over the next few days, Ethan interacted with the people of that era, learnt their customs, values, and their way of life. These encounters, these stories that he came across were like secret gems, deeply buried, waiting to be found and appreciated. He learned about the great king who ruled these lands, his benevolence, bravery and wisdom. He also discovered the tale of a dark wizard who cast a spell on the king's only daughter, Princess Althea. Using his newfound knowledge about the king's quest to find the sacred hart, a mythical creature with healing powers, he found out that it had the ability to break the spell and save the princess.
Propelled by a daring courage and unwavering determination, Ethan decided to find the sacred hart. His journey was laden with hardships, questionable allies, treacherous paths, and the overall weight of an archaic prophecy he felt a duty to fulfill. Armed with nothing but sheer will and his acquired wisdom, he traversed through the dark forests and climbed the treacherous mountains. When he finally found the sacred hart, the creature let Ethan pet it, recognizing the brave soul within him.
On his return, Ethan was hailed as a hero; the invaluable savoir of their princess and consequently, their kingdom. The spell was broken, Princess Althea was restored to her former health, and the celebrations were grander, the happiness purer. After the festivities, the King, in his gratitude, offered Ethan to stay, to be part of their world, to write his own tale in their history. But Ethan, filled with longing for his own time, declined. He took their goodbye gifts – a chest with a small hand-crafted heart made out of ruby, the favour of the princess, and beside it, the key to the clock tower.
Ethan used the key which transported back him to his own time, with the chest by his side. It was his extraordinary adventure in an ordinary day, it was his tale that he could now tell. The story ends with Ethan standing in front of the clock tower, his heart filled with the glory of his accomplishment, the satisfaction of returning home, and the sorrow of leaving behind an era, friends, an almost-love, and a part of him back in the past.
And thus, the town’s biggest mystery, the clock tower, remains standing with its quaint charm, holding within its old, brick walls the tales of two eras, the chiming of bells resonating the stories it entails, of the boy who journeyed to the land beyond the time.