Chapter 5: The Surface

The room behind the arched door is a complete treasure box.

There were sparkling gold bars and gold coins, crystal rubies, shiny jewelries, royal crowns, glowing trophies and medallions, pretty diamonds, and holy chalices.

"Oh, my goodness!" Alicia squealed, entering the treasure-packed room. "This is beautiful!"

Haru still felt skeptical.

He slowly and gradually entered, carefully scrutinizing the corners with his eyes. He plodded towards the edge and opened a wooden box sealed with a thin white cloth.

Inside was a parchment paper rolled over, containing jet black-ink text, similar to the language being used in this world. There was something else familiar about it, though; he just couldn't put his finger on it.

At the back of his mind, he was more intrigued with the writing itself than its content.

It seemed like a journal entry of an author expressing fright and anxiety.

"Ah.. Ah.." He glanced sideward and saw Ali awkwardly scrambling towards him, trying to say something.

Haru comforted the little boy with a soft smile, "Yeah? You want something?"

Ali nodded, pointing at the parchment paper.

Haru looked at the paper again and reluctantly gave it to the little boy.

Ali crumpled its side, clenching the paper harshly, not speaking a word.

"Are you okay?" Haru gently asked.

After a few awkward silent seconds, Ali seemed to just resign and gave the paper back. Haru was confused for a bit, but he didn't push or ask about it.

The little boy seemed extremely uncomfortable with a lot of things – from talking to being touched by someone.

Haru glanced back at Alicia and told her, "I don't think we should touch anything here for now."

"Yeah, I thought so too," Alicia said, her hands on her waist. "Did you see something else, exploring the castle? This room is different than the other rooms."

"At the entrance way on the ground floor, there's a long, golden table with a feast."

Alicia faced Haru, "Oh yeah? You think we could use some of that? If we have to stay here for a long time, we should have something to eat, right?"

"That's… true, but it's kind of suspicious."

"Y'know, the feasts and these treasures remind of the so-called devil's temptations. It feels like we're being tested right now!"

Haru thought so too.

It feels like everything is being fed to them comfortably and pleasantly – and it's too good to be true.

"For now, should we return to our meeting place?" Alicia suggested. "An hour has almost pass--"

Haru and Alicia felt a sting on their heads as flashes of images forcibly pushed their way inside their minds.

They grabbed their heads, clutching their hairs in pain. Images and events they've never seen or experienced pranced at their brains, cracking pain and anguish, as if they lived in that moment.

It was about a young lady brandishing an unspeakable depression. It was from Camille's memory.

From a glassy hallway at the south, the old man Mr. Wang was afflicted with this headache as well, with the lady's memories coercively rushing in.

They were all equally confused and distressed.