Love Will Continue - Sequel to Phantom Child

12. Reunions pt.2

The dark castle was towering over the park. Weirdly, it looked like it was made of glass. The walls were so smooth, yet not entirely straight. I could see my own reflection getting shorter, taller, wider or thinner as I walked along the wall. The one thing that drew the attention about this magnificent sturcture was the tower. It was much taller than any building in the viscinity. I could barely see the top from the ground.

Since the castle was a work of Erik's, I knew that the main entrance was not a way to get in. There must've been another way. So instead of going to the front, I decided to walk around the castle and find it myself. Soon enough my research proved to be wrong; there was no windows, no hidden doors or anything of that sort. Forced to go in through the main gate, I walked cautiously inside.

The splendor of the building almost took my breath away; inside, the blue walls and pillars seemed to be made of ice. I really wanted to run along the red carpet that marked the path to the middle of the lobby and spin around under a spellbinding chandelier. But in reality I had to sneak in and stay unseen.

I had a justfied reason for that; the castle had its fair share of guards. I was beyond thankful for my creeping skills. I moved along the wall and, whenever I heard someone's footsteps, I would jump behind a pillar or lean against a wall of a hollow. The men would pass me by, leaving my hiding spot unnoticed.

Something was telling me that if Erik's domain was anywhere in the castle, it had to be in that sky scraping tower. I was examing every inch of the castle, but to my surprise, found no staircase that could possibly lead to the top of it.

Suddenly I heard footsteps once again, so I jumped into a hollow near me and pressed my back against the wall. The trick was old and had never worked for Erik, but the guards passed by without a slightest idea that someone might be hiding in the shadows. That one was a narrow escape!

As soon as I was safe, I breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against the wall. My heart stopped when the wall slightly moved away. I turned around and pushed it further. It was a passage! My eyes lit up in amazement. I opened the door and sneaked in to the labirynth. The trapdoor silently closed behind me.

The secret hallway looked nothing like the opera house's ones. There were lamps on the black, brick walls at the height level of my ankles. It was dark, but I was able to see things quite clearly. Not having any other option, I just walked forward, the way that the corridor was leading me.

Soon, after taking a few turns I discovered that it's not really hard to navigate this maze. Since it was Erik's design, it had a pattern. And the pattern was exactly the same as in the opera house in Paris.

Now it felt like I had been treading these hallways for years and instantly knew every corner and crossing. Many would get lost, but not me. I had been raised to navigate these tunnels!

The corridors were winding up and down and I felt like home, getting to walk them. The path I had chosen led me to heavy, dark, wooden door. It had to be Erik's place. I cautiously pushed the door open.

The sight that graced my eyes was nothing like what I imagined it to be. It was a spacious room, with a glassy floor and walls similar to those in the lobby, but darker. On the opposite side from the door there were dark blue curtains, probably covering a vast window. A little to my right, stood a grand piano, with different papers scattered all over it, and above there was a little chandelier hanging from the ceiling. (I'm using the word 'little', becuse I had seen bigger chandeliers in my life, one of which could've almost ended it.)

And in the middle of this mess stood someone, who I didn't notice at first...

I shook the weird memory out of my head and continued to look at Erik, who, in fact, did stand in the middle of the aerie, in which I just found myself. At first he seemed surprised at my unexpected visit; he must've had a similar flashback from when I had first gotten to his lair in the fifth cellar. But then the baffled expression on his half face was replaced with one of self satisfaction.