-『Chapter 13』-

«  Heiress of the House of Novaldein »
— Velestina von Novaldein —

 I quickly apologized to Roan in probably the most sincerest apology I had ever made in my entire life. I honestly told him that I didn't know what came into me to do such a thing and he simply stood there silently with an austere demeanor for about a minute whilst massaging his neck. 

He gave me a reprimanding look for which seems to be gauging how sincere I am and he eventually loosened his face and lightly scratched the back of his neck before saying, "...I'll forgive you this time but I hope that this won't happen again Lady Novaldein."

"Definitely." 

I stated with conviction and we finally parted ways as I closed the door and walked back inside.

I didn't let him see it but my hands is still shaking but I urged myself to get a grip of myself and rationally analyze what just happened in a much more logical fashion.

Speaking of which...

What was that...thing, that just took control of my body? 

Is it that other 'me' whom I initially thought was simply just a split personality of mine?

Or perchance what was happening to me right now is something more than just a mere strange case of split personality disorder.

In any case, I knew that there was something bizarre going within my mind. Beforehand my mindscape was simply just a formless construct not given any particular shape nor form probably like everyone else, howbeit as days goes by, it drastically keeps evolving in a rampant manner. Taking a life on its own and before I even realized what's happening, an imaginary castle akin to the likes of our ancestral abode back in the mainland had suddenly sprung up into existence within this monochromatic realm inside my mind.

Its totally ridiculous for never have I knew anyone else that got an imaginary castle all inside their heads. What's more, if I just meditate and channel all my focus into thinking that I desire to enter this castle then I will find myself at that very next instant transported inside this imaginary structure as if the entire castle physically exist.

To say that it was mind boggling would be an understatement to say the least.

"Haah...let's get this over with." I whispered to myself after sitting on top of my bed in a loose lotus position. 

I emptied my mind and closed my eyes as I made an effort to relax all my muscles as I imagined myself being inside this imaginary castle. Gradually a certain feeling as if I'm being pulled onto something graced my inner being. 

I felt like being spirited away and when I finally opened my eyes once again, I found myself at the very top of the fake Novaldein Castle. 

"This truly is a mysterious realm."

I let my eyes roamed around and found everything to be completely stationary and devoid of colors.

The clouds, birds, trees...practically everything before my eyes lay completely still and simply stood there as if time itself have ceased into existence.

This is actually my second foray into this imaginary realm and unlike my first endeavour, I plan to explore this realm even further this time around. 

This imaginary castle is just like the authentic one back in the real world which have a grand total of five floors. Currently I'm standing at the rooftop and having been spent my entire childhood within the confines of this colossal structure, of course I knew every nook and cranny of this place which I call home.

I opened the door leading to the lower area and passed the steep stairs which led me down to the fifth floor. Back in the real world, this floor was my family's personal private quarters. My bedroom was in this floor as well as the master's bedroom for which my grandfather uses. 

In this realm however, every room within this area are apparently locked and sealed tight. I tried kicking a door before and the damnable thing feels solid as a rock. Nothing much can be done within this floor so I swiftly head towards the stairs located at the end of the hallway to go down further. 

The fourth floor has some few open doors available and when I checked onto what's inside those doors, I've found out that my recent and newest memories are stored within these rooms.

It was a surreal and somewhat disturbing experience for I get to see all my memories in an odd sort of third person's perspective as if someone's secretly recording my every movements without me knowing. For instance, one particular door let me view myself bathing completely bare and naked in all of my sheer indecent glory. 

...Heavens. 

I really hope there aren't other people existing around this realm or else, I'll see to it that this damnable place gets pulverized down to its very foundations.

Before I continued going down the middle area, I made a beeline towards that insufferable room for which stores that embarrassing memory of mine and kicked its door with all my might before barricading its entrance by putting a huge painting right in front of the entrance.

"Hm, this will do for now." I nodded to myself with a slight sense of satisfaction before heading down to the third floor. 

This middle area is the last floor I've checked back on my initial visit. All the rooms here seems to be unlocked for which all of as well stores my teenage memories. 

 

What makes this floor different from the other upper two floors however is that this is the floor where these floating « Memory Shards » begin to appear. 

These things that look like a little piece of broken crystals keeps floating around in mid air as if it is entirely unaffected by the sheer force of gravity.

I've tried touching one before and it gave me this sudden visual fragmented memory of a man rambling madly about words which in my ear sounds like ' lost data' and 'computers'  and some other technical jargons for which seems entirely nonsensical to my understanding.

That vision just lasted mere ten seconds long but it still gave me quite a scare thus I decided to end my initial exploration after experiencing such an event.

This time however, I'm far more mentally prepared thus I decided to see as to whether I can reach the very first floor of this castle for I have a vague feeling deep within me that the answers that I seek lies around that place. 

I reignited my resolve once more as I cautiously walked towards the stairs leading down to the second floor. There are Memory Shards floating along my vicinity but I deftly evaded each and everyone of these pieces in fear that I will see something for which I wasn't entirely prepared. 

I'll study these floating shards at a later time for my only agenda at this moment is to  explore the entirety of this imaginary realm.

I placed my feet at the stair's steps one after the another as I gradually reach the base of the second floor. I stopped and stood still once I reach the bottom before warily glancing around the hallway with a heightened awareness.

This entire realm is completely silent thus no sounds could be heard apart from my own footsteps and it gave a rather eerie atmosphere since only through the light passing along the evenly spaced out windows can the interior of this castle be illuminated.

I cautiously walked towards the nearest door and slowly turned its knob counter clockwise. It was unlocked as I expected and I began seeing memories from my prepubescent years as I opened the door. I then firmly closed it back after a minute and the visual recollection began to fade as well.

I repeated the same actions at least a dozen of times and confirmed that this entire second floor houses my adolescent memories. I've also noticed that the numbers of Memory Shards floating around this floor have doubled the amount. 

There are only five to six shards back at the third floor yet here in the second, there's at least fifteen shards in my rough estimation.

I evaded every single shard as well as I finally head towards the stairs leading to the bottom floor.

My ancestors built this ground area with lesser window panel thus making the entire floor haunting due to its low illumination.  Surprisingly the memory shards within this area started giving off this weak glow and it became my primarily source for lighting in an area where the outside light cannot reach.

As per usual, I checked the rooms and it came to no surprise that this floor stores the bulk of my childhood days. The memories in each rooms kept getting younger and younger as I head more closer towards the entrance and a foreboding sense I cannot truly fathom began to emerged deep within my being as I move closer to the castle's main doorways. 

From a distance I found that the castle's main door was somewhat weird and that these towering arched double sided door seems to be—

I squinted my eyes.

—lluminating?

I moved closer to its vicinity and I finally found the reason why. 

"....A door entirely made out of memory shards." 

I whispered to myself in an odd mixture of dread and morbid curiosity as I instinctively took a single step back. 

The logical side of my brain is telling me to retreat and never enter this dubious door that leads to who knows what, but an another side of me is nagging for me to take a leap of faith and discover the secrets beyond these unknown entrance. 

I stood there motionlessly as I weighed the pro's and con's of each decisions. The former is far more safe and prudent but the downside is that I will never truly get the answers I'm seeking for. The latter on the other hand, posed far more risk involved but along with the dangers comes a chance to unveil the mysteries behind those bizarre occurrences and the reason why my 'split personality' suddenly gained power to undermine the control of my own body. 

Although normally I followed the side of logic and prudence, this time around I really felt that the second option is the right answer. 

I psych myself up in an effort to boost my resolve before letting out a long breath that seemed to contain all the tensions within my body. 

"Okay, here goes nothing..." I muttered to myself as I slowly moved closer to the door and placed both my hands at its surface and began pushing the mystical door open.