A/N: This chapter begins right before Chapter 22.

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4:36 a.m.

With each second passing, the clock near the birch door ticked—the pendulum beneath the clock face swinging back and forth. Over and over again. Never stopping, never changing. A constant force.
   
4:37 a.m.

Putting down his steel pen, Allen glanced at the clock.

4:38 a.m.

It was late. Bookman, who was in the room next to him, had already gone to bed. Allen rose from the chair he was sitting in and took his book and metal pen off the desk. The teen held the elaborate-pattered book in his hand. It was one of the first things Bookman had ever given to him. Meant for logging, yet the boy could never bring himself to write in the leather book—he would always use others.

4:39 a.m.

Allen put the book into the worn leather bag sitting next to the small bed. For a moment, he paused, deep in thought.

He scoffed.
   
Several years ago, when he first was gifted the book, the auburn-haired boy had promised himself he would use it for something he deemed important. Not Bookman, but himself.

It was ironic—Allen had made a promise, albeit to himself. Something like that was not something Bookmen were given the leisure to do.

It's not something Bookman Jr. should do.

Fixing his metal-framed glasses, he looked at the clock again.

4:45 a.m.

It was far later than he had planned to stay up, but he wasn't tired. No, not at all. Grabbing his jacket hanging on the chair, he opened the door to his temporary room. Allen walked down the quiet hallway and out of the hotel.

For the first time since he and Bookman got to Aberdeen, it wasn't raining. The sky was perfectly clear.

Outside, he breathed in the cold, humid February air. Although it was a pleasant contrast to the warm hotel room, it caused his glasses to fog. He frowned.

"I should be used to this by now..." Allen muttered to himself.

Cleaning off his glasses, he walked down the empty street. His footsteps echoed on the stone path. Besides the occasional drunkard sleeping in an alley, there wasn't anyone out. Regular townspeople were still asleep.

He turned his head toward the direction of the port, but before he could reach the coast, he felt a strange chill. Looking into the city, Allen narrowed his eyes.

He wasn't sure what he sensed, but he knew it was malignant. He felt the back pocket of his pants and then let out a frustrated noise.

"Of all the times I could have, why did I forget them now?!" he furrowed his brows.

Suddenly, a loud, irritated voice snapped Allen out of his thoughts.

"Oi! Don't just rush in there!" the voice called out.

Allen blinked blankly. Shaking his head, he turned in the voice's direction. He adjusted his glasses. From the voice, he knew there had to be at least two people, and at least one of them wasn't a Scottish native.

Looking up, his eyes widened. It was a Level One Akuma. He ran towards the commotion.

"I thought I told you to stay there!" another voice called out. This voice definitely had a Scottish Highlands accent and was oddly familiar...

"Well—" the former voice started.

"Oh, whatever!" the latter exclaimed. The voice shouted something, but whatever was said had been drowned out by the shrieking Akuma.

A bright light shined from the two voices' location. Allen flinched, covering his eyes from the light with his forearm. When the light was gone, he peered his eyes open. The auburn-haired boy was wide-eyed. In front of him was a black wolf-like beast with a cross sigil on its chest.

He'd seen Innocence before and recognized the beast as one from its appearance and the cross.

He'd also seen this beast before.

Yes, over two years ago...

His memory had never failed him before, and although his vision was weak then, he still got a glimpse.

Allen stared at the two who were fighting. While the boy with the spiky red hair helped constrict the Akuma with magic (which only made Allen more frustrated that he didn't have the seals with him...), the one with the Innocence destroyed them.

Seeing Exorcists destroy Akuma wasn't an unfamiliar sight for the teenager, but seeing an Innocence-bearer and a kid who looked only ‌a bit older than him work together was new. The way they fought showed that they were amateurs, but they still worked relatively efficiently.

Eventually, it looked like the duo had destroyed all the Akuma. However, Allen gasped as he saw something metallic from the corner of his eye. Before the Akuma could attack him, the Innocence bearer lunged at the Level One and crushed its body with the beast's sharp teeth.

Allen gulped.
   
The Innocence bearer suddenly was surrounded by black smoke. From the smoke, there was a teenage girl in a long white nightgown with wavy blue hair.

Blue hair.

Before the girl could turn her head, he ran. This time, away from the duo.

"Hey, are you all ri—"

He knew that voice, even though it had changed over the years.

"Oi, Mary!"

He knew that name, even though he hadn't said it in years.

Even though he promised himself to forget it.

Turning a corner, he panted. Allen looked up at the clear sky.

The sun would rise soon.

Stumbling, he walked back into the hotel and into his room. The teen grabbed his pen from the table and fell onto his bed, out of breath. He reached for his bag, still next to his bed, and grabbed the elaborately patterned book out of it.

Allen sighed and stood up.

He went to the birch desk that came with the hotel room and placed the book down.

Slowly, he opened it.

February 15, 18XX

Bookman Jr. wrote as a multitude of thoughts rushed through his mind.

For a moment, he paused and closed his eyes.

"I hope this is the first and last time we meet again," he whispered.

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*old* A/N: HELLO! I AM ALIVE! This chapter wasn't supposed to take this long or be this long, but 'tis is life. I'm excited to get to write about Allen more! :D I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Votes and comments are always appreciated!