At night, Rowan sat on the bed, contemplating a picture of his family, whispering to himself, "Will this journey be very long?" The sound of crickets outside the house, accompanied by the rhythm emanating from the gramophone, provided a calming sensation.
In Rowan's room stood a wardrobe locked with a peculiar symbol-carved lock. Along with the bed, lamp, table, and wooden chair, the wardrobe was the most striking feature.
Amidst Rowan's tranquil state, knocks were heard from outside his room, starting slowly. Rowan thought to himself, "Perhaps that's David." But things took a strange turn; the sound was now not from outside but from above the house's ceiling. David's ceiling couldn't bear much weight, so how could someone be up there? And who would climb onto the roof in the middle of the night?
Rowan's heart began to race, all his hairs stood on end. This situation was not ordinary but seemed paranormal. Rowan rose from the bed, attempting to see who was knocking on the door and walking on the ceiling.
Before Rowan's hand reached the door, all sounds ceased, the lights began to flicker, and the wardrobe, locked with the peculiar lock, started to tremble as if something was inside, yet without opening. Then, a dark figure stood in front of the wardrobe and vanished inside without opening it.
The tense and eerie situation dissipated instantly after the figure entered the wardrobe and disappeared. Rowan decided to leave the room as he didn't feel it would be safe to stay.
Outside the room, Rowan saw David tying something wrapped in white cloth. Seeing David, Rowan felt reassured and returned to his room, hoping that nothing like before would happen again.
Rowan fell asleep, dreaming of the moon floating brightly in the sky. Suddenly, a dark figure obscured his view in the dream. Rowan slept sweating but feeling cold. In his dream, the figure held a piece of white cloth concealing something from view. It reappeared, untying the cloth.
As the cloth unraveled, Rowan was shocked, his heart almost stopping. He saw a person's body infested with maggots, and instead of a human head, it was that of a horse, as if someone's head had been severed and replaced with a horse's head, sewn with red thread. On the body, the same symbol as the one on his room's wardrobe was carved. Rowan woke up from his nightmare.
Rowan didn't speak much and headed straight for the bedroom door. As he approached, almost all the furniture shook, the ceiling seemed to echo with the sound of footsteps. Rowan opened the door, and the first thing he saw was something wrapped in white cloth, just as David had tied in his dream. Blood appeared on the white cloth covering the object, but when Rowan opened it, it was empty. There was nothing inside the cloth; the blood had vanished.
Unable to sleep, Rowan went downstairs. David was still awake, making tea and coffee. David asked, "What happened? You look startled and scared." Rowan replied, "There's something in the room, and it's not human." David responded, "Oh, I forgot to mention, after I studied magic and the occult, lots of paranormal things happen, like knocking sounds and footsteps. The worst is a grim-faced figure coming down the stairs with a machete or knife."
Rowan was shocked and surprised because David hadn't mentioned this when he first arrived. David said, "It's okay, now you know what's really going on." Rowan asked, "How do we get rid of such disturbances so they don't come back?" David replied, "There's no way, you just have to get used to it, but if dark entities or other figures can harm, believe me, it's not a dark entity or that figure is a different, more dangerous creature." Rowan had no further questions and returned to his room to sleep.
Morning came, and Rowan opened the bedroom window, feeling the warm sunlight on his face. There was a knocking on the door, but this time Rowan opened it, and it was David, telling Rowan to shower and have breakfast downstairs. Rowan asked, "Where's the bathroom?" David answered, "Behind you." Rowan was astonished and turned around; his bedroom had transformed into a bathroom. Rowan, who was about to ask David what was happening, disappeared when Rowan turned around.
Without doing anything, Rowan chose to shower. Under the flowing water, Rowan felt the gentle touch of the droplets. Freshness flowed, washing away dirt and fatigue. In each drop, there was a comforting warmth, erasing all burdens of the mind. Showering wasn't just a routine; it was a process of refreshing the soul and body.
After the shower, Rowan felt refreshed. Breakfast was prepared by David, consisting of toast with melted butter, fruits, and a cup of coffee. The fragrant aroma of coffee greeted the sense of smell. Crispy toast with melted butter added a warm sensation to the mouth. Fresh fruits added freshness, providing a natural sweetness.
While Rowan was eating, David introduced himself for the second time, but this time more deeply. David Harris is someone old, but not an ordinary elder; he is a sorcerer. However, he doesn't reveal his identity to the public, so people consider him crazy and insane. The power David possesses is unlike other sorcerers. It's the power to make an entity, object, or even a place live according to his will, including reality, the laws of physics, science, mathematics, and more. Powers like haunting, killing, and destroying are nothing more than "small things" compared to David's power.
If David's power is viewed through the lens of science, his abilities could reach into highly dimensional worlds and possibly surpass time and space itself. David's power is also unlimited in terms of stamina and other aspects. His profound and extensive knowledge of mystical and scientific matters makes him even more formidable. The paranormal situation Rowan experienced last night wasn't evil but rather his house guardian perceiving Rowan as a threat. David also lives eternally, an absolute eternity.
David becomes one of the great wonders of the Hemfrous world." Rowan was amazed to hear this and simply finished his breakfast.
David exemplifies the vastness of the Zephyria world with his power, and there are still stronger beings out there.