The Sigh of the Clock Tower at Midnight

On the first day when transfer student Xiaofeng stepped into Wutong Town, his eyes were caught by the ancient clock tower in the center of the town that had been silent for hundreds of years. I came here to stay away from the hustle and bustle, but on the first late night, I heard a sound that did not belong to the human world. When everything was silent, a sigh as light as thin smoke penetrated the night. It had no source, but it penetrated the heart with clarity. Everyone told him that it was just the wind passing through the hall, the soft sound of an old building, and the overly sensitive illusion of a foreigner. Only Xiaofeng knew that it was not the wind. Because every time a sigh is sounded, the huge rusty minute hand of the clock tower will always tremble slightly in a strange way. At 3:17 in the morning, the chirping of insects suddenly stopped, the lights went out, and the whole town fell into a deep sleep. Only he and the clock tower shared a secret that no one believed. Every time the minute hand trembles, the town becomes quieter. Every sigh brings you one step closer to the truth. When the silent bell tower begins to whisper, those who hear it can no longer pretend to know nothing.