Beyond Time

Disappearing Door

My eyes widened as we walked to the gates of the mansion. Its walls stretched across the grounds and the sky, a garden laying before it.

Le Comte entered first with Sakura, and the rest of us followed along like little ducklings. Most of the residents departed, but Arthur, Sebastian, and someone else who introduced himself as Leonardo came with us into le Comte's room.

I sat down across from him. He had finally let Sakura down, and she stood to the side, her face slightly flushed. Arthur threw her a knowing glance, and I wondered if she was cold.

Le Comte turned his attention to me. "Now then, could you tell me your story?"

I took a second to gather my thoughts, and they waited patiently. And so I told them how I had wandered into a castle through a door. And as I spoke of Vlad, le Comte's expression changed ever so slightly, leaving me wondering if they were acquainted, if they had some history between them. I told them how I had been threatened by Charles and Faust and that I had high-tailed it out of there. I didn't speak of the man I had run into by the entrance, thinking it to be of no importance.

"So Vlad has a door," said le Comte, more to himself than to anyone present. He looked around the room, his gaze settling on an hourglass sitting on the table.

I nodded. "He said he was a vampire." I looked up at le Comte, who smiled as if he knew what my next question would be. I recalled the conversation he had had with Sakura down the alley. "Am I right to assume you are as well?"

He nodded. "But as I said, we don't drink from humans. Our source comes from Rouge—" He gestured to Sebastian, who pulled a bottle with red liquid from his pocket "—And Blanc." Sebastian pulled out a bottle with white liquid this time.

Le Comte turned to Sebastian as he put the bottles in his pocket. "Would you get a room prepared for her as well?"

Sebastian nodded, and his footsteps retreated down the hall.

"Sorry," I muttered. A hand landed on my head, and I turned to see Leonardo.

"Le Comte's the one who seems to be having fun adopting stray girls, so don't worry about it."

"Leonardo," said le Comte, exasperation in his voice. "And ma cherie, why don't you meet the residents properly at breakfast tomorrow?"

I nodded, and Arthur laughed. "Isn't there yet another secret you have to tell her, Comte?"

Le Comte considered that. "I think that was enough for today, Arthur."

I smiled but it quickly faded as I felt the pressure in the room change, and I knew le Comte felt it too. Both of us looked at the hourglass, which had begun to glow.

Arthur pulled me into his arms as it exploded, glass flying everywhere. I closed my eyes until everything settled. Sakura had been shielded by le Comte, and everyone seemed to be unscathed. Leonardo whistled.

"That was made from a kind of glass that couldn't have broken," said le Comte, his eyes on the remaining shards of the hourglass that had been scattered on the table.

The room shook, and Arthur held me again, looking around.

"What's going on?" I asked, holding onto his coat.

"It's alright."

By the look on his face, it most definitely wasn't alright.

After the shaking subsided, I looked to the door, where Sebastian stood, his eyebrows scrunched together and restlessness evident in the way he stood. "Monsieur le Comte."

"Come with me," said le Comte, heading out the door. We followed him out the corridor, and Sakura gasped as she stared at the end of the corridor, where there stood nothing but a bare wall. She traced a hand on the wall in disbelief, and then knelt on the floor, as if someone had pulled the world out from under her.

"I don't understand," I said, looking to Arthur for an explanation.

"The door she came in through is missing," he said, obligingly filling the gaps in my knowledge.

"It's likely the one in Vlad's castle is missing as well," said le Comte, lifting Sakura up again. "Fear not. I will find a way to get both of you home."

Both of us relaxed, and I wondered if it was some vampire power of his that made us believe him, or whether we would just trust anything this man told us.

"Her room is prepared," said Sebastian, bowing.

"Good night then," le Comte said to me, nodding as he headed down the corridor with Sakura.

Sebastian led the way, Arthur and I trailing behind him. Arthur left me outside my room. "Good night!"

I watched him saunter down the corridor, before heading into my room. Sitting on the bed, I looked around. I had thought I had wandered into a horror story when I met Vlad and his vampires, but now, sitting in this room decorated pink and white, I wondered if it was a fairytale. I lay on the bed, not expecting to fall asleep, but sleep I did.

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