At the top of the clock tower, the silent bronze bell seemed timeless. Only the gently swaying pendulum told the secret of time's standstill here. The torch flickered, and the air around them gradually grew cold. It was as if an invisible hand was choking everyone, making every breath heavy.
Kalle stood beneath the bell, his eyes fixed firmly on the outline of his father that was gradually disappearing into the shadows. His heart was in turmoil, yet he hesitated to take a single step forward.
**"Father!"** he shouted in a low voice. The sound echoed through the clock tower but seemed incredibly small.
Darlene looked up and stared at the cracks engraved on the surface of the bell. "This bell... has long been broken."
Lucas furrowed his brows tightly and ran his hand over the strange symbols on the bell wall. "It broke exactly thirty years ago. That was... the moment the werewolf curse descended."
Kalle's fingers unconsciously brushed over the mark on his chest. As if drawn by some force, fragments from the depths of his memory gradually emerged — the fire that night, his mother's cries, and the scene of his father struggling with a black shadow outside the door.
**"I'm back."** Kalle murmured, his fists clenched tightly. He suddenly realized that his father's presence might not be an illusion but rather a residue of a curse closely connected to the clock tower.
Anna had been watching Kalle's expression. She asked softly, "If he's still alive, what are you going to do?"
Kalle was silent for a moment. Complex emotions flickered in his eyes. "No matter what he's become, he'll always be my father."
Hardly had he finished speaking when a deep reverberation suddenly rang out from the bell surface. It was like a wolf's howl tearing through the night, creating layers of echoes in the stillness.
Accompanied by the chimes, the shadows inside the clock tower wriggled quietly. On the ground, the fifth, extra shadow gradually solidified. A figure in a gray cloak slowly emerged from the shadows. The figure wore a silver mask that covered the face, revealing only a pair of deep eyes, silently watching them.
**"Who are you?"** Lucas quickly drew his silver blade and stood in front of Kalle.
The figure gently pulled down the cloak, revealing a gaunt yet familiar face. It was Kalle's father, Ivan.
"You..." Kalle's pupils suddenly constricted, and his whole body trembled slightly. "Father?"
Ivan was silent for a long time. Then he said in a low voice, "Kalle, you shouldn't have come here."
"Why?" Kalle took a step forward. Questions and anger that had been pent up for years burned in his eyes. "Why did you disappear? Why did you leave us in the fire and among the wolves?"
Ivan slowly raised his head. His eyes were filled with endless sorrow. "I thought... the way to protect you was to trap myself here."
He stroked the cracks on the bell surface, his voice low and hoarse. "Thirty years ago, I couldn't stop the curse from descending. When I realized it couldn't be completely destroyed, I had no choice but to use myself as a lure to seal it within the clock tower."
Lucas's pupils shrank slightly. He looked at Ivan in surprise. "You... became part of the curse?"
Ivan nodded and said heavily, "This bell is the core of the curse. If the chimes ring again, the curse will break free from its seal and return."
Kalle looked at his father in disbelief. "Then why didn't you tell us? Why did you let me struggle in hatred and pain for so many years?"
Ivan's gaze gradually softened. He reached out, wanting to touch Kalle's face. But in the instant before contact, he turned into a wisp of faint smoke. "Because I couldn't step out of this clock tower. Once I did, the curse would be completely unleashed."
"So, you chose to bear it alone?" Darlene asked in a low voice. A hint of pity flashed in her eyes.
Ivan remained silent. His presence seemed like just a faint afterimage, gradually fading.
However, just as everyone thought everything was about to subside, Anna keenly sensed something was wrong. "No, the seal is weakening."
The cracks on the bell surface gradually widened, and a wisp of black mist slowly escaped from them. It was as if something was spying on them.
Ivan suddenly looked up, his face pale. "Run!"
But it was already too late — the chimes of the clock tower suddenly exploded beside everyone's ears. They were deep and eerie, and each chime seemed to be pounding on people's souls.
**"The seal is collapsing!"** Lucas shouted harshly. He grabbed Kalle and rushed towards the downstairs. However, the space inside the clock tower seemed to be distorted. The spiraling staircase repeated continuously, and the exit had long disappeared.
Kalle broke free from Lucas's hand and stared fixedly at his father, who was disappearing into the darkness. "I have to save him!"
Ivan stood beneath the bell and shook his head. "Kalle, I'm already dead. You can't save me."
"I don't believe it!" Kalle roared, his voice almost tearing his throat.
"What you need to do isn't to save me." Ivan's voice seemed to have the power to penetrate people's hearts. "It's to stop the curse and make it disappear completely."
Darlene bit her lip tightly and grabbed Kalle's wrist. "Kalle, we have to go."
The clock tower shook violently. The runes on the walls gradually peeled off. The entire clock tower seemed on the verge of collapse at any moment.
**"Remember, no matter what path you choose, I'm proud of you."** Ivan's voice gradually dissipated, along with his final image.
Kalle stood at the top of the clock tower, looking at the empty pendulum. His fists were clenched
tightly, his eyes slightly red, and tears quietly rolled down.
Darlene stood quietly beside him until the last chime faded away. The night sky returned to calm, leaving only endless silence.