Chapter 70: The Room.
In just a moment when the whole group blinked simultaneously, the surrounding space immediately changed as if everything before was only a dream.
The group opened their eyes at the same time; confusion was clearly visible on the faces of all four people.
The group was standing in a bedroom, with a bed not too large for two people, the mattress and blanket with a bright red color mixed with white. The pillow was black. Everything was arranged neatly without a single fold.
Right next to the bed was a small cabinet with a staff attached with a glowing stone on top, emitting weak light, it was only slightly brighter than the light of a large candle. It made the space around the room even more dark and illusory.
Right next to the small cabinet, looking out was a somewhat old door with a red color faded by the years.
The wall near the door was a large wardrobe, with simple and common patterns.
Opposite the wall with the entrance door was a glass window. Outside, it rained as if pouring water, black clouds covered everywhere making the light from the sun seem to shut off. It could be compared that the light from a full moon day was even brighter than the present.
Right below the window was a table with an old wooden chair. On the table was a large piece of paper.
At the right corner of the wall were two old chairs similar to the type placed at the table.
Takeshi was bewildered, looking side to side.
"Where is this?"
The group was standing in the middle of the house, everyone was bewildered but also spread out to examine the surroundings.
Ayaka along with Airi stepped towards the bed, everyone's eyes at this moment were only scrutinizing.
Ayaka: "This is the challenge."
Ayaka and Airi immediately sat on the soft bed, the mattress surface recessed according to the weight of both.
Elyssia stepped to the table at the window, she pressed close to the table and looked near the glass surface of the window.
Her voice spoke softly quite small, as if only for her to hear. There was a bit of surprise in that tone:
"Outside it is raining too heavily, I cannot even see clearly what is outside. The sky is filled by black clouds."
Airi with a serious face, she glanced at the place Elyssia was standing, then glanced back at the bed surface.
"The feeling is too real."
Takeshi stepped near the large cabinet and touched the wood surface. The cold feeling from the wood surface transmitted into his fingertips.
"It is like it is not a virtual space."
Airi glanced at Takeshi who was touching the wood surface on the cabinet. Her voice deepened, expressing seriousness:
"Not necessarily fake, there are plenty of people with the ability to manipulate reality or space. That ghost is not ordinary, it is certainly very strong."
"What I fear most is that this ghost did not create a virtual challenge for us. But possibly he manipulated everything around us and turned everything into a game."
"Anyway, he is that strong so he is probably a subordinate of Loid Kencho, and being his subordinate. Certainly dangerous."
Ayaka nodded.
"Until now I still feel that entering that castle was a mistake."
Takeshi turned his back, and leaned his back against the cabinet, the roughness could be felt clearly through the layer of clothes. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, a pensive face.
Elyssia while watching the dark, silent sky outside, also listened to Airi speak. She bent down and picked up the large piece of paper. Her left hand held the paper, but she had not read it yet, her right hand took the chair and turned the chair around.
She slowly sat down, the paper was brought in front of her face. She glanced at the faint black lines of text written at the top of the paper. The weak light from the candle did not make her have to squint to read, she remained calm.
"Write what you remember after night falls."
Angels have very good eyes, vision very far and farther than other races. And the ability to observe in the dark is almost not restricted. For her, night is the same as day.
She frowned when reading the text.
At the same time, Takeshi was curious. He turned around and opened the cabinet doors, the "creak" of years echoed. Airi and Ayaka immediately paid attention to Takeshi's action. Elyssia who was pondering the text on the paper immediately stopped and raised her head to observe Takeshi.
Takeshi was a bit surprised when he opened both cabinet doors, inside was an hourglass of normal size. It was flowing grain by grain of sand falling down to the glass surface below, and there were only a few grains.
Takeshi reached out his left hand and held the hourglass, he turned around. A bit curious.
"Look at this, I found an hourglass."
Airi and Ayaka also did not understand why it was an hourglass, they remained silent and observed.
With a fairly large hand, Takeshi's left hand covered the top of the hourglass, he immediately changed posture and placed it over to his right hand.
At this time, on the top of the hourglass was a line of text. Takeshi frowned reading the text.
"One day?"
Takeshi stepped to where Airi and Ayaka were to show them the two words on the clock.
"Look, this hourglass will run within one day."
Airi and Ayaka leaned close to see the text on the clock that Takeshi offered.
Airi with a pensive look, she said: "This is a challenge, and it is possible that we need to do something within one day."
Ayaka nodded in agreement. After she tried to spell each word.
"It seems like a mission then. Possibly finding something."
Actually, before that when everyone just came out of the forest where Ayaka lived. They had gone to the inn, and Airi when free had written words on paper and taught Ayaka how to read. Currently she also knew how to read, but quite slowly and had to observe and ponder for a long time. She still did not have the ability to write at all. Because they stayed there quite fast…
Elyssia holding the paper in hand stepped near, the sound of footsteps made them turn to glance at Elyssia.
Elyssia with a look of doubt, she was deadlocked and gave the paper to Ayaka.
"Look at this."
Ayaka took the paper, Airi beside her immediately peered in to see. Takeshi who was standing holding the hourglass also peered in.
Airi: "Write in the paper what you remember before night falls?"
The group still had not clarified anything in here.
When reading the text, the whole group could only be bewildered and doubtful.
Elyssia with a suspicious look:
-"Remember?"
Elyssia said what she was thinking in her head:
"Since it is a challenge, certainly this will be a clue."
The group remained silent listening to Elyssia analyze.
"There are only two clues and my reasoning suggests that: it is possible when night falls and we wake up, it is possible we will lose memory, that is why we must record it."
"Outside it is raining, even distinguishing day and night is difficult. Therefore we have this clock."
Elyssia pointed her finger at the clock making the whole group immediately look along.
"Look, the clock has only run a little, and the clock says one day on top. Like that it means when the clock runs out we will lose memory."
The three listening to Elyssia analyze also had to open their eyes wide in awe before Elyssia's analysis.
Airi stroked her chin, she nodded feeling it was very reasonable.
"So that's it?"
Then she raised her head again to look at the group.
"But then what do we remember?"
The group continued to go into a deadlock.
Takeshi immediately glanced through the closing door, he pointed his hand at the door. A calm voice:
"It can only be outside, right?"
Everyone immediately focused their eyes towards the door in silence.
Takeshi put the hourglass down beside the small cabinet next to the bed, he stepped near the door and reached out his hand wanting to open it.
But Ayaka immediately shouted:
"Wait a moment Takeshi..."
Takeshi immediately stopped, the whole group immediately focused their eyes towards Ayaka.
Ayaka spoke up, saying her thoughts:
"I think don't be in a hurry, this is a challenge. Every action can affect something."
"If now we open the door and something happens then what? Now every action needs caution."
Ayaka remembered when she was 11 years old, trapping a deer in the forest. She lay in a bush, right next to a tree tied with a string. She looked intently at it.
In a moment of carelessness, she moved her body a little, a small branch in the bush immediately shook lightly, unfortunately it touched the trap string hidden in her leaves.
The string immediately tightened and the sound the string emitted made the deer immediately run away.
Returning, Ayaka was smiling.
"It is like that, just like pulling a string and disturbing the forest."
Airi also nodded in agreement.
"Then we will record it into the paper, to be certain."
Elyssia forced a smile, looking at the paper placed on Ayaka's lap, she again turned to the table at the window.
"But there is no pen."
The whole group froze for a bit.
Takeshi stepped forward, with confusion.
"If there is no pen then how to record?"
Elyssia forced a smile.
"I don't know, at that table there was only one piece of paper."
Takeshi as if realizing, he stepped near the small cabinet next to the bed and opened it.
Inside truly there was a pen made from some method that made it transparent and could see the black ink inside the pen was at the half level.
Takeshi reached his hand in and grabbed the pen, he stood up and offered it out.
"Hey, only this place was not checked."
Airi was a bit surprised then took the pen. Ayaka immediately gave Airi the paper, Airi immediately took it. She glanced around everyone.
"Now I will write: When the hourglass runs out, memory will be erased. Is that okay?"
The three immediately nodded.
Ayaka: "Just do it like that."
Airi did not place the paper on the table to write, she placed the paper on her lap and started writing. Because it was not leaning on the table, her lines of text were quite ugly, but still could be read.
When she finished writing the line: When the hourglass runs out, memory will be erased.
Everyone around was silent watching Airi write. Airi stopped the pen and looked back at the line of text once.
She felt not yet satisfied. Immediately wrote one more line below: Must be careful in every action. Then she stopped the pen, the whole group was also silent and felt it was reasonable when Airi wrote more in.
Takeshi immediately spoke up, offering an idea:
"How about now tearing the paper into small pieces and copying exactly like that, so each person has a warning. And if in an emergency case, whoever has the pen records the necessary lines before memory is erased."
The three girls immediately felt it was reasonable. Then they each had a separate scrap of paper recording the same content. Elyssia held the pen and walked near the table near the window and placed it down under everyone's observation.
Airi: "In emergency cases run to the table and grab the pen."
The group immediately nodded in agreement.
Airi: "To be sure, Elyssia will stand next to the pen for precaution. I feel now we are even weaker than normal people, I fear reflex will not be in time."
Ayaka folded the piece of paper and put it inside her person.
Suddenly, a loud noise echoed, emitted from outside the room. The sound as if someone just kicked down the door.
The whole group was bewildered before that loud noise. Alertness surrounded the space, but still mixed with a bit of worry.
Airi with a bit of irritation.
"That fast?"
The eyes of the four of them focused on looking at the door in front. But they did not move and still stayed in one place.
The sound at this moment immediately disappeared, but that did not help reassure their spirits at all. But was like a moment of silence before the storm.
Takeshi stood in the middle of the house, he entered a familiar fighting stance. Alert eyes looked at the door. He cursed silently in his mind:
* "Damn it, cannot use energy. And feeling the body weakened too."
Ayaka and Airi sat on the bed, alert eyes looking at the door.
Elyssia was standing next to the table, where the pen was placed on it.
She immediately remembered earlier Airi told her:
"To be sure, Elyssia will stand next to the pen for precaution. I feel now we are even weaker than normal people, I fear reflex will not be in time."
Suddenly, the silence of the rain sound was again disturbed. A sound of footsteps echoed, footsteps slow, leisurely.
"Clop clop" the sound of stepping on the wooden floor kept getting closer in a slow manner.
The whole group stood silent inside motionless, no one spoke. Everyone's heart beat erratically as if wanting to escape from the chest.
Then the footsteps as if stopped in front of the door.
Knock... knock…
The sound of knocking echoed, the whole group bewildered glanced at each other. Those eye contacts carried extreme worry.
Knock... knock…
The times of swallowing saliva gradually increased. No one dared to do anything, they themselves knew currently they could not fight.
Knock... knock…
The sound of knocking blended with the rain sound, making the scary feeling pushed even higher. Feeling like a piece of music of fear.
The grains of sand slowly fell down rolling on the glass surface slowly…
Elyssia slowly, leisurely stepped near the table, her eyes only looked towards the door. Hand was groping the pen she had previously placed on the table.
She touched the pen and gripped it tight, left hand flipped the scrap of paper over to the side without text. Left and right hands raised up. Like preparing to write what would happen next. Her two hands trembled, the pen nib rubbed against the paper placed on her palm.
The atmosphere as if getting colder, the wind outside shrieked, rain and wind collided into the window.
Knock... knock... knock…
The sound of knocking was faster, as if saying the one outside was very hurried and impatient.
Takeshi stepped near the door with slow footsteps and did not emit any sound.
No one dared to breathe hard, the feeling as if the air thickened extremely uncomfortably and a cold feeling made each time breathing in difficulty a bit of coldness surged straight into the nose.
Takeshi raised his hand wanting to hold the iron latch in cylindrical shape to open the door.
Touch…
Airi since when had grabbed the right hand being raised up of Takeshi. Her squeezing strength at this moment was very weak.
Takeshi turned his head to look at Airi. Airi said nothing, she only shook her head signaling not to open.
Crash!!
The sound of metal piercing through wood echoed. Everyone was bewildered, Airi and Takeshi standing near the door opened their eyes wide in surprise.
A sword not too large, but it was also larger than normal swords. The sword pierced through the wooden door, the sword blade glinted with illusory light reflected from the candle, and it was right above the door latch.
Airi with worry, eyes glued tight to the front, inner mind also felt not good at all.
-"This one has ill intent."
Takeshi stood silently, Airi's hand still holding his hand.
Ayaka sat on the bed with worry. Eyes kept towards one direction, not blinking even once.
Elyssia still trembled, but she was ready to record when anything happened next…
Like the one outside used strength, the sword being right above the metal door latch was immediately pulled down very fast with extremely strong force. Tearing apart the last pieces of wood like dry lives.
The sword immediately cut off the metal door latch. The sound of metal echoed piercingly.
Clang!!!
....
Boom!!
The door was kicked by an extremely strong force making it fly back into the room. And grazed past the faces of Airi and Takeshi standing in front, then slammed hard into the wall.
Crash!!
A loud noise echoed, along with that were two short pieces of iron which were the door latch falling down to the wooden floor.
Thud…
Thud…
A man with a fairly neat brown outfit, like a soldier no longer in the army. The black belt tied at the waist clearly showed meticulousness.
Jet black hair, along with the sword held in hand flashing up. At the hip was the sword scabbard clearly showing professionalism. At the chin there was a bit of beard, but quite sparse. The face had a bit of boredom. Eyes clearly showed killing intent for everyone.
Airi and Takeshi had not yet shaped up when the door was kicked open. The man immediately swung the sword upwards from below.
The right hand that Airi was holding Takeshi's hand was immediately slashed off at the wrist. This one acted without even frowning once.
Being slashed unexpectedly, the pain from the slash made Airi retreat, she grimaced, a painful expression. The left hand holding the paper immediately dropped out, she held the right hand which was incessantly leaking blood. The hand fell to the ground, blood splattered out.
Takeshi retreated two steps in bewilderment.
Ayaka at this moment stood up, she was shocked before the bloody scene taking place.
Elyssia behind with panicked eyes, but she still did not forget her mission. Her hand briskly recorded each word of this scene.
When Takeshi retreated two steps, the man immediately swung the sword. The slash flashed cutting through Takeshi's neck.
The paper in Takeshi's hand also fell out of his hand.
He stared wide-eyed in horror. His head gradually tipped off the neck. Blood had not even had time to flow out yet.
Suddenly, space as if warped.
The whole group snapped their eyes open.
The scene at this time had returned to normal. The whole group stood in the middle of the room like at the beginning when just transported here.
The whole group bewildered glanced around the room.
Ayaka felt something strange in her chest, she immediately reached her hand in and took out a small piece of paper folded neatly.
The other three were walking around the room and examining everything.
Ayaka still stood still and flipped each fold of the paper in her own confusion. When it was flipped open, she frowned reading each word on the paper slowly like a baby spelling:
"When the hourglass runs out, memory will be erased. Must be careful in every action."
Ayaka was bewildered, she grimaced and glanced again one more time.
"How so?"
Airi stepped to the bed and touched the mattress surface, the soft feeling transmitted through her person.
"Is this the challenge?"
Ayaka stepped to Airi's place, in suspicious eyes, and thinking about the line of text.
Seeing the sound of footsteps coming, Airi immediately turned over, she stood straight up.
Ayaka offered the scrap of paper in front of Airi's face.
"Look at this."
Airi was a bit confused, but still took the paper with her right hand. She turned it back towards herself and read silently in her head.
Airi looked up at Ayaka, then looked down at the paper, then looked up at Ayaka's confused face.
Ayaka: "I don't know why this piece of paper was lying in my chest."
Airi frowned, she was confused before Ayaka's statement.
Airi spoke up in doubt:
"It appeared by itself in your chest?"
Ayaka did not speak, she only nodded instead of words.
Elyssia stepped to the table next to the window. Above was a large piece of paper with a line of text. Elyssia picked up the paper and brought it close to her eyes.
"Write what you remember after night falls?"
She raised her head and looked out at the pitch black sky raining as if pouring down, like a rage of nature.
Then she bent down observing the line of text one more time and turned to walk towards Airi and Ayaka.
At the same time, Takeshi opened the large cabinet door. Inside was an hourglass running its first grains.
Elyssia immediately looked at Takeshi who was intently looking into the cabinet opened by him. She glanced over towards Airi and Ayaka who were intently looking at the paper.
"Hey, you guys. Over there I found this large piece of paper."
Airi and Ayaka were silently reasoning, seeing Elyssia's call. Ayaka turned her back, Airi peered over to one side.
Ayaka: "Is something the matter?"
Elyssia stepped near and gave Ayaka the large paper. Ayaka also reached out and received it.
Elyssia: "I saw it on the table at the window."
Airi stepped near Ayaka and read the line of text on the large paper. Both frowned, and directed eyes to look out the window.
Airi: "It was on the table?"
Elyssia nodded.
"Right."
Takeshi stepped over and brought an hourglass in his right hand.
"I found this hourglass in the cabinet. On top it also says one day."
The three girls immediately turned over and looked at the hourglass in Takeshi's hand trickling down.
They looked at the line of text on the top of the clock.