Lord Shadow

MOSCOW

REPUBLIC

Tick, Tock

Tick, Tock.

Tick. Tock

The sound of clock sounded in that room on the Western Quarters

This is the Western Quarters. The Senate is a huge building and it has three Quarters. The Western Quarters, Northern Quarters and the Center Quarters.

Living in the Center Quarters is Katarina. Though she rarely resides there and instead feel more comfortable resting in her Ice Palace on top of a hill behind the Senate.

The Northern Quarters is where the Chancellor of the Right Boris lives. And the Western Quarters is where the Chancellor of the Left resides.

It is Jean Quarters. This is a man that used to be the Emperor of Franc and hold Europe in his hand.

He had loyal and powerful generals and conquered land after lands without stopping. He was brutal and relentless.

But that man in the few years since he joined the Republic has been quiet. He seems to be spending time with Paulette and his mother and control many of the Republic inner working instead of going out and planting his banner on the world.

His campaign on Europe had won him glory and a large reputation for him to stand at the same level as Raymond and the other shining heroes of this era.

but at the same time no European nation ever wanted to be under his rule ever again and it is because of that the World Government managed to make the whole European continent to oust him out.

Even Poland don’t want him and Sweden still doesn’t forget the massacres that he orchestrated. But now Europe is coming back on his hand.

But there is no excitement on his face even when he heard that news. In his room he keeps looking at this one clock. It is a large clock on the wall.

He keeps looking at it and he is excited looking at it. At the sound of tick, tock, of time beginning and time passed.

He is sitting on his bed, half naked with a woman behind him who just opens up her eyes.

That woman is Paulette. There is still sweat on her breast and on her forehead because of the vigorous activity the both of them did.

She was about to say something to Jean when she notices that Jean is once again is looking at the clock.

Jean?’ But Jean did not answer her. So she taps him on his shoulder and like broken from an enchanted song, he finally notices Paulette.

‘Paulette?’

She looks at Jean and her smile faltered a bit. Then she asked.

‘What is with you and clocks? That clock doesn’t even show you the right time. It just keeps moving and ticking’

Jean look at Paulette and then he said

“When I do count the clock that tells the time,

And see the brave day sunk in hideous night;

When I behold the violet past prime,

And sable curls all silver’d o’er with white;

When lofty trees I see barren of leaves

Which erst from heat did canopy the herd,

And summer’s green all girded up in sheaves

Borne on the bier with white and bristly beard,

Then of thy beauty do I question make,

That thou among the wastes of time must go,

Since sweets and beauties do themselves forsake

And die as fast as they see others grow;

And nothing ‘gainst Time’s scythe can make defence

Save breed, to brave him when he takes thee hence.”

‘Ok, what is that?’

Jean laughed.

‘When I was in World Government, Hirate had this secretary who keep spouting of Shakespeare. That man is a little cuckoo but well, he is quite interesting’

‘Shakespeare?’

‘I thought it would deflect the issue’ Jean honestly said and then kissed her on his cheek. She took Jean hand and said

‘Why do you keep looking at the clock?’

‘Why do you think I look at it?’ He asks back

‘Because it is moving?’

‘Moving, huh? Is that how you see it?’ And Jean smiles mysteriously, his eyes are shining with green mist

Time is moving because the clock is moving? Truth is Time in itself, absolutely, does not exist; it is always relative to some observer or some object. After the Fall only night and day determine sour Time and not numbers. Without a clock I say ‘I do not know the time’. Without matter time itself is unknowable. Time is a function of matter; and matter therefore is the clock that makes infinity real. But there is another thing you got wrong. Let me ask you something? How long did I stare at the clock?

‘A few second’ Paulette answered. Jean look back at the clock and he smiles bitterly.

‘A few second’ huh?’

He did not say anything else

‘The way we perceive Time and the way we experience it is quite different Paulette’ Paulette did not say anything else as she hugs him from behind and Jean could feel the heat and warmth of her body on his back.

‘What did you see? What did you experience. Tell me’ Paulette said as she kissed his neck and her hand slide down to his abs.

‘You won’t understand’ Jena let her hand go all over him while enjoying the kiss

Paulette only smiles and she stop kissing, and rest her hand on his shoulders and said

‘Maybe. Probably I won’t. But, we love each other. And I like to know how you see things’ Jean smiles. This is why he loves Paulette.

She always has the right words to say.

He sighed and then said.

‘I gained enlightenment on Time when I saw that Wheel that Death Monarch summons. That Wheel contains the power of Reincarnation. It is like Time was trapped in that Wheel to move as the owner of that Wheel desires’

Paulette nodded

‘I too was surprised when I see that Wheel’ Paulette said. It is hard to forget a gigantic Wheel that blotted out the sun and cover the Earth.

Jena look at the clock and saw the pointer moves forward and the sound of tick tock, the sound of time beginning and the sound of Time passes.

He then said with his hand gripping her hand, and giving her a squeeze as a sign that he understands Paulette worries.

‘Time……is very subjective. A clock that is moving through space at a very fast speed does not tick at the same rate as a slow-moving watch gently attached to your wrist when you are strolling on a park. There is no universal Time. There is no godlike clock that could somehow sit outside our universe and measure, in one go, the movement of everything in it, how its evolution unfolds, how old it is and all that – does not exist. I want to find it. I want to find the Laws that underpin this rule of Time. The clock is ticking; the hours are going by. The past increases, the future recedes. Possibilities decreasing, regrets mounting but for me I know I could slow it down and at Time I even stop Time for a few seconds. When I look at the clock, I do not get enchanted by the sound of tick tock but by its pointer. Sometimes when I looked at it and concentrate enough, it stops. It is not because the pointer is stopped by my ability. Time itself stops.’

Paulette then ask

‘Isn’t that good?’

‘Time stopped but I also stopped. You said it has been only a few second since I stare that clock. I felt like I was staring at it for eternity. In a Timeless world, everything felt everlasting and eternal’

Paulette don’t understand half the things that Jena is talking about but she knows she love this man. So, she only rest her head on his shoulders and nodded

‘I don’t understand. But I’ll try’ Jean nodded and smile.

‘Me too. After all we have a great adventure waiting for us’

‘Why? You are worried about the new powers that will rise?’ Paulette ask.

She of course has read the Article and so she knows about what Death Monarch, President Hirate and the Senate decision.

They all agree to uphold the agreement mentioned in the Article.

Of course they are still negotiating a few key pieces of that Article but fundamentally all the Three Great powers have decided to sign the Article with the other four new powers.

‘It will be peace. A t least for a while. There is no doubt about that.’ Jean replied

‘Hmm? What do you mean?’ Paulette said.

It will be peace for a while. This is a stopgap measure. When each of the Seven Powers have amassed enough people, and have enough resources and repopulated the world, then probably a bitter war will begin again. For power and influence, the world will once again ravage by war;’

Paulette close her eyes and hold him tighter and Jean smiles bitterly

I am just preparing for that day. Because it will surely come and we will need to be strong when that moment came’

Paulette then just whisper to his ears and said

As long as we are together….I won’t regret anything whatever you decide’

Jean took her hand and kiss her hand and whisper back.

‘Me too.’

Then he sighed.

‘Hikigaya that Illusionist is always on seclusion. People even said that around the cave he secluded himself, white mist covered the whole area. Those who come into contact with the mist will be trapped into an illusion and might even die if it is not dispel. Oreki on the other hand is running around the world doing God-knows what. Nine of them are running around the world to be exact. There is no doubt that he is practicing a spell’

Jean is mentioning the people that he needs to watch for.

‘Loki that sly trickster has always had a hand in many big events in the world but no one sees it. That is even more terrifying. He hides in the background as his dark hand manipulates the events of the world. Raymond is being Raymond. Katarina however, is pursuing Perfection just like Death Monarch. And Death Monarch? He is the strongest of them all and a threat to many faction and organizations. People all over the world are preparing. Without strength, peace couldn’t be achieved. But without mercy, there is no life’

Then he sighed after saying all this. Paulette just kiss him on the cheeks and get up from the bed to get some water

Jean has grown from that impetuous brat he was when he started his journey from the slums to Paris and become the overlord of Europe.

He then looks at the clock and like always the sound of tick…. tock sound very enchanting and calming

It is like it is counting down to something.

Tick. Tock

Tick. Tock

Tick. Tock

And Jean just smirk looking at the clock as the pointer stopped.

***

First aprt of teh chapter. There will be a mass release tomorrow to end thsi arc with a bang. Hope you enjoy it and leave some commenst and vote and susbcribe