The Arcana ~ The Requiem of Lost Memories

VI - The Lovers

1. Rusty gears
Dim morning light passes though the high windows in the library, faintly illuminating the giant book shelves as I enter. I was told that I had this day to myself in account to the Countess' headaches, so I decided to further investigate the library, maybe secretly prying into some books in the process. Savoringly, I walk past the enormous shelves, letting my fingers gently brush over the spines of each book. The Countess surely has quite a few interesting books here. This one for example... I tug out a tome with a thick, black leather cover and carefully flip through the pages. It appears to be about runes, a form of magic Asra once briefly told me about. I sure would be interested to learn more about them some day, but I only have this one day on my own. I close the book, sigh, and put it back into place. I walk further through the library, tug out books here and there, read a few passages and put them away again. I could get lost in here for weeks, simply admiring the wealth of books, but I am here for a reason. I need answers. Almost automatically, my feet lead me to Doctor Devorak's old desk, like some sort of thread at the back of my head, insistently tugging and pulling me towards it. I let my gaze wander over it and scowl. This is not how I left it the other day. All the scripts are now orderly piled up, the feather lies straight beside the ink keg and... Did they wipe the dust from the desk? I shake my head unbelievingly and can't stop a small chuckle from getting the better of me. How could they think I would not notice? I get serious quite soon.
They tampered with the desk. Does someone wants to hinder the investigation? After some thinking about who could have tampered with it, I come to the conclusion that whoever it was, I couldn't blame them. My heart grows cold at the thought of Julian hanging from the gallows. There definitely is more to this story, although I cannot really point my finger on it.
Well, just means I have to figure that out!
I let my gaze wander over the desk over again until something picks my interest.
How odd...
I'm quite sure this hasn't been there when I first searched this desk...
Does this pocket watch belong to the Doctor?
Or to the person that messed with this desk?
Somehow I know that neither is the case. This pocket watch... It's familiar. Even though I don't recall ever seeing it before. I reach out my hand to take it, to have a closer look, but as soon as my fingers brush over the cool metal, the world goes dark.

I see a small girl sitting at the harbor next to an even younger. They don't want to go. They don't want to leave her hometown behind. Nervously the older girl tugs out a pocket watch to check the time. The ship's late. Closing the watch's lid, she brushes over the carving with her thumb. It reads:
As time flows mercilessly,
We eternally stand together
~A, E, A &M
I hear the ship bells and the girl hastily puts the watch away. She wipes the tears that gathered in her eyes , grabs the hand of the younger, crying girl and runs towards the docks. Before they get on the ship, the older girl looks at the town one last time, allowing me to see her face, my face, before she turns away and the world fades once again.

I find myself lying at the library floor, the pocket watch in my hand. I must have passed out while having this... vision.
What was this anyway? Where was this? I feel like I should know, but as I try to remember, an unbearable pain blossoms behind my temples. I stop trying and the pain slowly eases. Instead, I examine the pocket watch in my hand. It looks exactly like the one in this vision I just had. It even has the same carving. Like the watch this girl had with her. The girl who looked just like me.
A ruckus from outside startles me, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Oh come on, I really need to get there!"

I can hear Portia's voice from the gardens. She seems to argue with somebody, but I cannot quite hear the second party involved. Happy for the distraction, I head out to find Portia.

Following Portia's voice, I head deeper and deeper into the gardens, leaving the paths behind. After a while, I come to a clearing with a squished looking cottage surrounded by an overflowing garden. "Please? You're really testing my patience here."