In the upturned world, Bom was standing in a foreign place with Yu Jitae by the time she realised it. It was extremely dark, and mysteriously quiet.
She had never been to such a place before.
“Where is this…?”
This was the [Workshop of Vintage Clock]. The world where ‘Vintage Clock’, a transcendent authority with a persona, lived.
“It’s like the head part of a complex machine,” he replied.
“A complex machine?”
“Do you feel okay staying in this place?”
“No. For some reason, it feels unpleasant…”
Bom felt like she was in the middle of a bad dream. It was an instinctive feeling.
It felt like everything would disappear the moment she let go of his hand, so her grip became tighter.
“We won’t be staying here for long. So bear with it.”
“Okay.”
“A few warnings before we go in. Do not behave rashly, and don’t ever let go of my hand. Do not even think about letting it go. Okay?”
“Why…? What happens if I let go?” she asked.
“Don’t ask that either.”
“…”
“Even if you become curious about something, don’t try to know more about it and don’t ask questions. You have to vow to me on this one.”
Ever since Bom met him the first time, she had never seen him draw the line in such a firm manner. He appeared so serious that it was slightly scary.
“…I will.”
“Good. Let’s go.”
Only then did his serious gaze vanish. His body soon floated up towards outer space as her body followed him above.
The place resembled the wide universe but there was a clear direction to head in, and there appeared to be invisible obstacles blocking the road. It felt similar to walking through a building blind.
After rising above in outer space, something started appearing from the distance.
“Let me tell you this again. Do not ever let go of my hand from here.”
“Yes…”
Small circles started appearing one by one. They looked like clocks and upon closer inspection, she could spot the three hands of the clock that told the hour, the minute and the second.
Those objects flowed towards them as if they were riding an ocean wave and went past them.
“…”
She stared at the clocks. The clocks all appeared different but it seemed that none of their hands were in motion.
What in the world could these things be? Bom swallowed the curiosity and kept it to herself.
That was when the small clocks started being pushed away, like how small schools of fish escaped its predator.
Soon, an enormous vintage clock incomparably bigger than the previous small clocks appeared from the darkness like a whale. Its hands too weren’t in motion. The unmoving hands of the vintage clock were elegantly crafted like a sculpture.
In that moment, she felt something great oppress her and stiffened her body.
Bom wanted to escape from that place but Yu Jitae’s grip tightened around her hand and she soon came to herself.
The large vintage clock went past them.
She stared at Yu Jitae’s back but he didn’t say a word.
“…”
Before long, small stars appeared in between the clocks.
Those increased in number one by one and eventually there were more stars than clocks. The countlessly abundant stars filled the universe.
As she stared at those stars, she realised that each star gave off a different feeling despite them being mere bright dots in the black sky.
She suddenly felt strange. One of the stars gave off a familiar feeling so Bom immediately turned towards that star, questioning why Yeorum was next to her but she could only find a red star there.
Bom felt an extremely strong sense of doubt.
‘What was that?’
The red star was giving off the aura of Yu Yeorum.
She stared at that star before turning towards other stars in search of a star that resembled herself. However, she couldn’t find any stars that resembled herself, Kaeul or Gyeoul.
“…?”
Since she wasn’t allowed to ask, she had to bear with the curiosity. She couldn’t look away from the star that resembled Yeorum for a long time.
Soon, the stars were shoved away as another large vintage clock flew by.
The second vintage clock had a strange shape. As if it had been dumpstered in acid, it was half melted.
The third vintage clock was half broken and wasn’t in a good shape either, and looked like insects had eaten a large portion of it.
And so was the fourth vintage clock. They were all broken and revealed the cogwheels that were inside.
From the fifth vintage clock onwards, they were so enormous that the large clocks so far appeared like those ‘small clocks’ in comparison.
And lastly, the sixth vintage clock was several times bigger than the fifth vintage clock. It was unrealistically enormous and it took a long time for the clock to pass by.
After going through six vintage clocks, a small orb of light started flying towards them from the darkness.
It looked like a bird.
Outer space was a lonely place to be in. There was not a single living being all around so when the bird came flying towards her, Bom felt a strange sense of longingness.
As if he was used to it already, Yu Jitae reached out towards the bird of light, and it flew carefully before landing on his hand.
*
The small bird of light gazed up at Yu Jitae.
<The Authority, [Vintage Clock (EX)] welcomes you.>
Been a while.
<The Authority, [Vintage Clock (EX)] welcomes you.>
<The Authority, [Vintage Clock (EX)] welcomes you.>
<The Authority, [Vintage Clock (EX)] welcomes you.>
I get it. I get it.
<[Vintage Clock (EX)]: (∗•̀ᴗ• ́∗)ง >
Ever since it absorbed and understood the [Hostility] from Ha Saetbyul, Wei Yan and the 30-man special force squad a few months ago, the Vintage Clock had been very busy. There was also the additional information about the ‘Horizon of Providence’ from Armata the protector of the Green Dragon, so it had been away from him for some time.
It seemed to be currently having a rest after a long dispatch.
<The Authority, [Vintage Clock (EX)] wishes to ask the reason you have come here.>
I know you just finished working and that you’re tired, but this might be very important.
Please check the ‘Providence’ of the seventh iteration of Earth for me.
But the white bird shook its head in response.
<The Authority, [Vintage Clock (EX)] complains of its exhaustion.>
<The Authority, [Vintage Clock (EX)] alerts you that it is on a vacation.>
<[Vintage Clock (EX)]: (¦3X[ ░░░ ])
Yu Jitae also shook his head.
He wasn’t here to play around.
Once he got the meaning across, the white bird understood the seriousness of the situation and fluttered its wings into the air before vanishing into the darkness.
Soon, messages appeared inside his head.
<The Authority, [Vintage Clock (EX)] observes in detail the [Providential World] with its [Omnipotent Eyes].>
What is Providence.
Providence was often known as the destined flow of the world’s timeline. If that were the case, Providence would be the same as the timeline of a fatalistic world.
But in fact, that wasn’t Providence.
<Observing…>
Providence was the principle and regulations that gave the world a direction. [Providential World] was the world where such regulations and principles were applied uniformly throughout whereas time was but one of those principles.
And right now, the Vintage Clock was staring off in the distance of that [Providential World].
<[Vintage Clock (EX)]: ???>
Soon, a confused message was given by the Vintage Clock.
<The Authority, [Vintage Clock (EX)] confirmed [Great Hostility] which has infiltrated from the other side of the Horizon of Providence, the [Non-providential World].>
Before long, the Vintage Clock started pouring out messages filled with disgust and hatred.
<The Authority, [Vintage Clock (EX)] warns you!>
<The Authority, [Vintage Clock (EX)] has confirmed a Great Hostility which surpasses everything that has been done so far!>
<The Authority, [Vintage Clock (EX)] expresses extreme resistance to the elements that deviate from the world’s timeline!>
<The Authority, [Vintage Clock (EX)] has confirmed that there is a connection with the origin of [Hostility]!><The Authority, [Vintage Clock (EX)] foresees the coming of the ‘Long Night’.>
After going through the list, Yu Jitae understood Bom’s situation.
She didn’t lose Providence.
According to her, it was as if ‘something had blocked the Eye’ and that was the right way to express it. If something went against Providence, it would usually appear like a small black hole, but right now, the hole was so big that it had completely blocked the Eye of Providence.
It was huge.
Something overwhelmingly large was coming.
The Regressor twitched his eyes. He was wondering why things were so silent but it seemed that it had been garnering power till now.
<The Authority, [Vintage Clock (EX)] confirms the colony of [Great Hostility]!>
Several images appeared in his head.
Black and irregular shapes were falling from the sky. It was hard to even fathom their numbers. But upon closer inspection of those figures, it was clear that they were wrapped into spheres as if they were protecting something.
What were they?
<The Authority, [Vintage Clock (EX)] examines the specific shape of [Great Hostility]!>
Soon, the things that were hidden within those shapes started being drawn in his head.
Black spheres.
There were cracks here and there, with a black bump protruding out from one of those cracks. It appeared to have the texture of a large rock at a glance, but also looked like metal or a shell.
<The Authority, [Vintage Clock (EX)] decides to define them as [Great Hostility] from now on!>
<The Authority, [Vintage Clock (EX)] will analyse [Great Hostility] and identify the identity and nature of Hostility!>
***
The two of them left the Vintage Clock’s workshop. Yu Jitae and Bom opened their eyes and were back in the tent.