61st Dawn - Secrets of the Attic

Bathing in the gleaming streaks of twilight that are seeping through the opalescent surface of the stained-glass, I just continue standing there in awe.

"Magic, huh?"

As time ticks by, I find myself slowly believing that it's always been there, probably in some kind of form that had only been obscure to me. Perhaps, the peculiar atmosphere in this house is influencing me too much either. Snapping out of it, I then decided to just proceed to my room and put this thought on the back of my mind. Tomorrow's going to be a busy day, so I have to recharge and freshen up.

"This isn't quite bad..."

A fluffy pink room with a plain white bed, a single closet, a lattice window, and a furniture set greet me as soon as I enter. It's bigger than the room back in the inn and has more decorations, though the lattice window is a bit incongruous for some reason. After a short while of poring over every detail of the place, I then start unpacking my stuff and organizing them. Two briefcases don't hold too much baggage so I already finish arranging them right before dinner.

"For the food, Sir Alexander told me to join him for now since he's still not paying me, yet... Should I go see him, then?"

With that, I walk out of my room and back to the corridor. As I am about to turn to a corner, I happen to lay eyes upon a woman's statue at the furthest part of the hallway. It's an intricate sculpture with what seems to be wings on its back and a flower crown on its head, resembling a fairy. What baffles me, however, is the fact that it hasn't gotten a single speck of dust or dirt unlike the other displays around here. It just portrudes there in all its majestic glory like an ancient replica of an untold past.

Fascinated, I decided to look closer and pace towards it. It just has this mysterious vibe that somewhat draws me in. Unable to keep my hands to myself, I reach out for its features and curves, lightly brushing them with my fingers. That's until I lock eyes with the woman and find myself bewitched all of the sudden. At this, I catch sight of a faint beam of glittering crimson light in its pupils, making me stumble backward in flummox.

"H-Huh?! W-What in the world...?!"

Then, there's a subtle shaking from the ground and the sound of stones being rolled.

Perplexed, I swerve and look around my surroundings. It's as if something heavy and colossal is starting to move. As I turn back to the statue, my eyes suddenly widen in bewilderment, body almost staggering after being caught off guard. At this very moment, the sculpture has taken a spectral form, slowly dissipating into shimmering dusts. That's also when I notice that an entrance to a passageway suddenly opens up before me. It's as if it had been hidden behind the statue that had vanished all along.

"T-This is scary..." I tremulously stuttered, horrified and confused.

I recall that this house had been here for many decades. Though terrified of the unknown that can happen any minute, I feel compelled by the glowing splinters that materialized from the sculpture. When they begin floating towards the direction of the secret pathway, two options weigh heavily in my mind - whether to follow suit or run away. But then, for some reason, I suddenly find myself trailing after it. My feet are just moving on their own, head a little bit fuzzy as if I'm in some kind of a trance.

Letting my curiosity take over, I then ascend the flight of stairs that comes into view upon entering.

A moment later, I arrive at the house's attic. A similar stained-glass window from downstairs welcomes me along with a squeaky clean wooden floor, cordovan wall, and a myriad of wardrobes, mannequins, sewing machines and more. As I am still strolling around, I catch sight of the same glimmering specks from earlier hovering over a certain spot on the wall. I then instantly saunter there, only to find a massive geographical map drawn on canvas.

"A map of a foreign land...?"

Everything is starting to turn into a huge broken puzzle, an unsolved mystery, or an unforseen escapade to a discovery. Extremely befuddled, I just pore over the chart for a while until something crosses my mind out of nowhere. I yelp in pain at the stinging pang that flashes through my head the moment I remember it. At this, the glowing splinters then eventually accumulate into these mystifying sprite-like creatures with tiny wings, viridescent skin, and sharp, leaf-like ears.

"W-What the- Ack...!"

But then, the excruciating ache only intensifies. I can't even see them clearly anymore nor can I keep myself standing still. The stabbing numbness makes me kneel on the ground as I hold my head and continue groaning in pain. A blistering sensation then swells in me until I can no longer stay conscious. Eventually, I find myself drifting into slumber, body knocked out cold and draped all over the floor.

The last sight I've had of that encounter is those fluttering wings and the scarlet, gleaming fragments shrouding over them.

---

"Woah...! I can't believe it. I really am here..."

Staring outside of the small window, I'm warmly greeted by the beaming, scintillating sunrise peeking over a sea of bluish silver clouds. Morning came at last, and I myself only woke up at the captain's descent announcement, which is still rolling at the moment.

"...please make sure that your backs and tray tables are in their full upright position. Make sure that your seat belt is securely fastened and all carry-on luggage is stowed underneath-"

Then, the sound of crashing.

What follows is a clamorous cascading chain of events. Panic-stricken faces. Brittle voices. The bloodcurdling smell of something burning. Hollers of the tormented souls. Wails and weeping. A stomach-churning sight. Then, the horrendous fall from a thousand feet high.

"N-No... No... I-I can't die... Not now... N-No... I'm already so close... s-so... s-so close... P-Please, I don't want to die... Please... Please!"

Everything's much too late, though. In the blink of an eye, life went crashing. Death came knocking, and all dreams ended up shattering.

"N-Not yet..."