chapter1 Part1 An Endless Nightmare

(Dong... Dong) (Dong)

Beth: "Hahh... hahh... hahh... hahh... hahhhh... hahhhh..."

(Click)

Doll: "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhh..."

(Crash!)

Beth: "Ghhhhhhh... Hahhh... hahhh... (Everywhere I look... I see nothing but an empty space... and behind that thing... a giant doll... Hahhh... I'm scared... Where am I...? I want to get out of here!)."

(Dong... Dong... Dong... Dong... Dong...)

(Crash!)

Beth: "Hahhh... hahhh... this staircase... when does it ever end...? Hahhh... I keep going higher and higher... Where am I...?"

The clocks began to move...

(Click... click... click... click... click...)

Beth: "Hahhhh... It's as if I'm trapped inside an endless tower... Hahhh..."

(Dong... Dong...)

Beth: "Hahhh... hahhh..."

(Crash!)

Robot: "...Wooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!"

(Crash!)

Beth: "Hahhhhh... hahhh... hahhh... hahhh..."

(1596, Neverland)

Beth: "Hahhh... hahhh... hahh... Just that nightmare again..."

She looked out the window. Carriages rolled through the streets, factories stood in the distance, and the ringing of the clock tower bells echoed through the city.

Beth: "Hahhh... hahhh..."

(Knock, knock)

Beth: "Yes... come in."

The door opened.

Police Officer: "Miss Miller... It's me... Michael."

Beth: "Michael... what is it? Can't you see that I've already finished my work for today?"

Police Officer: "I know, but it's urgent..."

Beth: "Hahhhh... Fine. What is it?"

Police Officer: "A tower has appeared."

Beth: "A... tower?"

Police Officer: "Yes. In the middle of Neverland's sea."

Beth: "Hmm... Okay. I'll go take a look."

She stood up and walked toward the door.

Beth: "Haaahhhhh..."

Then she opened it.

(Jazz music)

Beth: "Hmm."

Newspaper Vendor: "Extra! Extra! Newspapers! Newspapers! Stay up to date with all the latest news!"

She continued walking.

Beth: "Hmm..."

Beth had short purple hair, a hat, and two pistols. Her eyes were also purple. She had a tattoo at the point where her abdomen met her waist, and another on her neck. The first tattoo was of a pistol, while the one on her neck was a flower.

Beth: "Hmm... Eldersworth... the city filled with clocks..."

(Dong... Dong...) (Dong)

Beth: "Hmm?"

She climbed into her car and drove off.

She continued driving. Airships floated through the sky. The city carried the atmosphere of the Victorian era, with countless trains and a great river known as the Big Tim.

Hmm?... (beth  never knew her parents... she never even saw them. They disappeared without a trace. And for years she  suffered from a curse... a curse that causes her constant pain... and prevents her from aging. Even  injuries regenerate. Part of her is a doll as well. her throat was nearly torn apart through torture, which is why she  carry these keys. Three fingers on her left hand are merely doll fingers as well... Hmph...) 

(One hour later)

Beth: "Hmm..."

She took out the map.

Beth: "Southward... I see."

She searched for a ship.

Boatman: "What? No, I'm not going to Dragon's Eye. That's Dragon's Eye, girl. Those waters are dangerous."

Beth: "Would it be acceptable if I paid for the ship and sailed it myself?"

Boatman: "What? Are you crazy?... Hahh... 3,000 Dolores."

Beth: "Here."

She handed him the money and boarded the ship.

Beth: "Alright..."

She sailed onward.

Beth: "Hmm..."

(Half an hour later)

Beth: "This fog is making me nervous... Hmm?"

She looked down.

Beth: "Ughh."

A giant eye...

Beth: "Hahhh... Calm down... calm down..."

She lay flat against the boat.

Beth: "Hahhh..."

Tentacles emerged from the water.

 Before she became a detective... I was a Maid... sold away by my aunts... Fortunately, before anything terrible could happen... I was bought by a kind nobleman. He took care of me... and even allowed me to kill my aunts with my own hands... Then I threw their daughters' corpses right in front of them. I'm like Cinderella... just a little crueler. That's why people call me Lady Cinderella...... Hmm...she said

Beth: "Hahhh... hahhhh... hahhh..."

Kraken: "Rrrrorrrr."

Then it went away.

Beth: "Haaaahhhhhhh... I was lucky the fog confused even it..."

She slowly stood up.

Beth: "Ugh..."

There it was.

The tower.

Beth: "That's the tower... Wait... how huge is that thing? It looks more like an ancient clock tower..."

The boat came to a stop.

Beth: "Alright..."

She opened the door.

Beth: "Hmm?..."

The moment she stepped inside, everything changed.

(Wuushhh)

Beth: "Huh?! What... what... how...?"

She looked upward.

 Why... why doesn't it go up...? It's going down instead...? What the hell...? It's as if I'm at the very bottom of the tower... but how? she  only just entered it..."

She stared at the staircase.

Beth: "How tall is this thing?"

She walked forward cautiously.

Beth: "Hahhh..."

Numerous wires hung around her, twitching and moving.

(Click... click...)

Beth: "Hahhh... huh?"

She arrived at a circular chamber. The tower had no soul; there was no one not even birds or insects, or maybe even humans? Nothing there it is to silent here and too scary. Beth looked around hoping to find something. 

Beth: "What's going on here...?"

(Crack!)

Beth: "Huh?"

A giant doll landed on the floor.

Beth: "Ughh... what..."

It began to move. Beth stepped back.

Beth: "Hahhhh..."

Doll: "...Bbbbbbbbeeebbbbbb..."

Beth: "Hahh... I need to get back to the stairs... ugh."

Then it vanished. The doll was big so it was unclear why it was this Fast of course beth looked around but ...the doll is fast or Smart either way Beth Took it seriously and started thinking about how to Get the Way out of this tower.

Beth: "What...? Why...? Ugh."

She turned around.

Beth: "Damn it."

She drew her pistol.

Beth: "What do I do now...? Well, whatever. I don't have a choice."

She aimed and fired several shots. They barely had any effect.

The doll attacked.

(Crash!)

Beth: "Ghhh..."

She used a grappling pistol to swing away.

Beth: "Damn it... Then I have no choice..."

She pressed a mechanism on the pistol. Several needles pierced her hand, drawing blood.

Beth: "Ghhh."

The pistol became filled with blood. She aimed at the doll.

(Bang!) (Bang!)

Doll: "...Ughhh."

It worked.

Beth: "I knew it... Dolls are vulnerable to blood and gunpowder..."

The doll struck the pillars.

Beth: "Whoa... whoa... whoa..."

The structure slowly collapsed.

(Crash!)

Beth: "Hahhh... damn it..."

Doll: "Bzzzzz..."

Beth: "Why don't you just die, tin can."

It stared at her.

Beth: "Huh?"

Doll: "Hhhhhh..."

Then it suddenly shut down.

Beth: "Hahhh... What? Is it already finished?"

The staircase appeared once again.

Beth: "...What the hell is going on here...?"

She slowly climbed upward.

Beth: "Hahhh... hahhhh... hahhh..."

(Step)

Beth: "Ughh."

She turned around.

Someone stood a fair distance below her.

Beth: "Huh..."

Its head was made entirely of dark smoke. In the labyrinthine tower, it pointed toward the clock it carried.

Beth: "Hahhh..."

She continued climbing. Numerous eyes watched her.

Beth: "Hahh... hahhh... hahhh... (What's happening...? Where am I...?"

She climbed higher.

This time she saw a strange figure ahead of her.

It was female.

It looked human.

She approached.

Unknown Girl: "Oh dear... oh dear... It seems you've found your way into the Lost Tower, my dear."

Beth: "Huh."

Unknown Girl: "...Hmm?"

Suddenly, she appeared directly in front of Beth.

Unknown Girl: "...Hehehe..."

Beth: "What... what do you want from me?"

Unknown Girl: "Huh?"

Her mouth stretched wider and wider until it reached her eyes.

Unknown Girl: "Excuse me?... Hehehe... Hehehe... Look behind you."

Beth: "Huh!"

She looked back.

A figure had appeared behind her.

It was bound by ropes and possessed an enormous open mouth.

Beth: "What... is that...?"

The ropes released.

It was... some kind of metallic owl.

Owl Robot: "Aaaaaaarghhhhhhhhh!"

It became enraged and flew wildly around the area.

Beth: "Hahh."

She continued up the stairs.

Beth: "Hahh... hahhh... hahhh... hahhh... hahhh... hahhh... What kind of place is this...?"

She nearly reached the top.

Beth: "...Hahhhh... hahhhh..."

(Crash!)

Beth: "Whoa... no... no... no!"

The tower began to collapse.

Just before it gave way, Beth grabbed onto the very tip of the clock hand.

Beth: "Hahhh... hahhh... huh!"

A minute passed, and the hand moved.

(Dong!)

Beth: "Aaaaaaaarghhhh! No! No! Hahh! Please...!"

The owl flew around wildly and attacked the tower.

Beth let go and grabbed onto one of the robot's claws.

Beth: "Ghhhh..."

Owl: "Eeeeeeeeeekkk."

It flew madly through the air.

Eventually Beth released it and fell.

But just before she plunged, she caught hold of the still-standing clock tower.

Beth: "Hahhh... What do I do now...?"

(Dong!) (Dong!)

Suddenly, she was somewhere else.

Beth: "Huh?... What... where am I...?"

She looked around.

Beth: "What...?"

Unknown Girl: "Hello. Looks like we've met again."

Beth: "Hahh... what...? Who are you?"

Unknown Girl: "...I am... a former witch... trapped within this dimension."

Bells, clocks, and entire houses floated through the air around them.

Unknown Girl: "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Beatrice Sternenheim... hehe. welcome