My vision kept coming and going.
‘So this is how scary it is to not be able to see.’
I thought while moving in Collen’s arms.
‘Such a short distance.’
It was a distance that didn’t even take 10 minutes by carriage. But last night, it felt like a hellishly long distance.
“Dad, put me down.”
The abandoned building. Standing in front of it, it felt like the memories of last night would come back to life.
I felt my way down the wall.
“I’m sure I remember, prince was holding my hand and running down these stairs into the basement. Right, Prince Cedric?”
“That’s right. And we escaped through the ventilation shaft with the princess.”
And beyond that basement is that horrible space.
My heart pounded.
“I’ll open the door.”
Zion opened the heavy stone door.
Creak, the door opened.
I couldn’t see anything beyond the outline of the room.
“Why is everyone like this?”
“There’s nothing here.”
“What?”
At Collen’s voice, I was puzzled. Cedric continued.
“The room is completely empty. There’s an altar, but that’s all. No chandelier on the ceiling, no decorations, no color on the walls.”
Zion added.
“This room is just a ruin. It’s nothing like prince and Leticia described… it’s all decaying.”
At Marianne’s words, I was at a loss for words.
‘In just one night, all that disappeared? Without a sound?’
How could that be?
What method was used?
“I’m not saying I don’t believe the prince and Leticia. But what I heard is too different. Are you sure this is the place?”
“This is definitely the place. It’s not another building.”
“We saw it clearly with our own two eyes when we escaped.”
Cedric backed up my words.
“And you said there were dozens of people in that place. All those people came and went without a sound? Even over the forest, without the nobles knowing? And they carried out all the furniture?”
One of the people from the Southern Gathering said.
‘But…’
My hands were shaking.
I’ve seen all sorts of things in this world, but this was the first time for a situation like this.
“Really, there’s nothing?”
I couldn’t believe it and felt the floor and walls with my hand. All I could feel was cold stone walls and floors. Collen grabbed my shoulder from behind.
“Be careful, you could get hurt moving around like that, Leticia.”
“Could it be magic?”
“It could be. But so far, there hasn’t been a wizard capable of such sophisticated illusion magic. And if the two of you saw the same illusion, that’s one thing, but you saw different illusions. There’s no wizard currently capable of that.”
Collen answered.
“Dad, you believe me, right?”
“Of course. I won’t let anyone insult you.”
Collen said.
“I’ll prove it. I will solve this mystery somehow.”
I let go of Collen’s hand that I had been holding. It’s okay even if I can’t see.
I’ll investigate further.
“Surely, the altar was over here. And there were several different sized skulls… black skulls laid out.”
I felt my way forward along the wall.
Then I tripped over something and fell. I hated these eyes that couldn’t see.
“Leticia!”
Collen caught me from behind.
Ah, that’s when it happened.
I saw a hallucination in front of my eyes.
My vision kept coming and going.
‘So this is how scary it is to not be able to see.’
I thought while moving in Collen’s arms.
‘Such a short distance.’
It was a distance that didn’t even take 10 minutes by carriage. But last night, it felt like a hellishly long distance.
“Dad, put me down.”
The abandoned building. Standing in front of it, it felt like the memories of last night would come back to life.
I felt my way down the wall.
“I’m sure I remember, prince was holding my hand and running down these stairs into the basement. Right, Prince Cedric?”
“That’s right. And we escaped through the ventilation shaft with the princess.”
And beyond that basement is that horrible space.
My heart pounded.
“I’ll open the door.”
Zion opened the heavy stone door.
Creak, the door opened.
I couldn’t see anything beyond the outline of the room.
“Why is everyone like this?”
“There’s nothing here.”
“What?”
At Collen’s voice, I was puzzled. Cedric continued.
“The room is completely empty. There’s an altar, but that’s all. No chandelier on the ceiling, no decorations, no color on the walls.”
Zion added.
“This room is just a ruin. It’s nothing like prince and Leticia described… it’s all decaying.”
At Marianne’s words, I was at a loss for words.
‘In just one night, all that disappeared? Without a sound?’
How could that be?
What method was used?
“I’m not saying I don’t believe the prince and Leticia. But what I heard is too different. Are you sure this is the place?”
“This is definitely the place. It’s not another building.”
“We saw it clearly with our own two eyes when we escaped.”
Cedric backed up my words.
“And you said there were dozens of people in that place. All those people came and went without a sound? Even over the forest, without the nobles knowing? And they carried out all the furniture?”
One of the people from the Southern Gathering said.
‘But…’
My hands were shaking.
I’ve seen all sorts of things in this world, but this was the first time for a situation like this.
“Really, there’s nothing?”
I couldn’t believe it and felt the floor and walls with my hand. All I could feel was cold stone walls and floors. Collen grabbed my shoulder from behind.
“Be careful, you could get hurt moving around like that, Leticia.”
“Could it be magic?”
“It could be. But so far, there hasn’t been a wizard capable of such sophisticated illusion magic. And if the two of you saw the same illusion, that’s one thing, but you saw different illusions. There’s no wizard currently capable of that.”
Collen answered.
“Dad, you believe me, right?”
“Of course. I won’t let anyone insult you.”
Collen said.
“I’ll prove it. I will solve this mystery somehow.”
I let go of Collen’s hand that I had been holding. It’s okay even if I can’t see.
I’ll investigate further.
“Surely, the altar was over here. And there were several different sized skulls… black skulls laid out.”
I felt my way forward along the wall.
Then I tripped over something and fell. I hated these eyes that couldn’t see.
“Leticia!”
Collen caught me from behind.
Ah, that’s when it happened.
I saw a hallucination in front of my eyes.
