The broken gear

Family Dinner

"She's a friend" Thomas said immediately.

Nelle confirmed Thomas' statement.

Arthur found it odd how she managed to get past their security.

"It's true, they told me about themselves. They're good friends with each other." said the visitor.

Arthur wanted to object but he felt an eerie presence. One different from the visitor's family members. Although faint he felt the presence instilling slight panic in him.

"We just had a small argument, she simply wanted to check in on Thomas and was about to leave."

Due to the slight panic, he didn't think of questioning her. "Um, alright, if you say so." he said as he walked downstairs.

"Thanks, um, you never told us you name," said Thomas.

"Valeria," she said.

"Why did you tell him I was about to leave?" Nelle said with slight frustration in her voice.

"Because you can make yourself invisible to them."

"Fine."

Valeria turned to Thomas, "May I open a window, I feel as if I would like the fresh air."

"Of course," he said as the three of them entered a bedroom. They opened a window to the left of the bed, moving aside the seemingly gilded soft and delicate curtains.

The wooden frame creaked while it slid up, letting in a small wave of fresh air and the ambience of the night. Everyone felt a bit more relaxed afterwards, letting them feel a bit more open towards one another. They could hear the crickets outside as well as see a few clusters of fireflies flying around either blue glowing flowers or the open air. The scenery was somewhat dark yet pleasant, as if the dark was a beautiful thing. They could also see a couple of moths and other bugs around the artificial lights outside. The grass moved in altering waves creating a visual symphony. They all sighed at the current moment being able to faintly see the stars as if they were a ghostly apparition.

"This is nice," said Valeria as she broke the silence.

"Yeah, it is," Thomas agreed.

Nelle silently stared into the forest agreeing within her mind.

"Nelle, are you alright?" asked Thomas.

"I'm fine," she stated in what could be considered a whisper.

Valeria moved to stand next to her, accurately guessing how she felt. How she felt about her.

Looking out once more she froze in fear. Fear that she had only felt once before. Fear that would be more than enough to brink back horrors far worse than she could tell anyone.

Yet she continued to stare. Stare into the purple lights behind a tree. She could tell they were part of one, with a slight metallic glint in between them. The highest light, the brightest one, the one stretched horizontally acting as a face, was staring at her.

Both Nelle and Thomas noticed her reaction. A reaction that bled through the emotionless face that she had most of the time while in the manor.

"Are you ok Valeria?" asked Thomas with a worry while Nelle kept trying to see what she saw.

Valeria stuttered over her words. Words that sounded mostly like short sounds attempting to form letters.

As Thomas shifted her head away from the window she seemed to regain herself.

"W-What are the purple lights?" she said, sounding frightened while attempting to remain calm.

"I don't see any lights," said Nelle.

Valeria hesitantly looked back.

The lights were gone.

The being was gone.

She felt calmer now, yet still felt distressed. She asked Thomas for an answer again.

"They should just be the royal golem that was mandatory for all parts of the Crown to have. A purple being of stone and metal." Thomas stated with fascination and concern.

That seemed to calm Valeria down.

"I think that's enough time up here, let's go down to dinner," Thomas said while feeling a bit of dread as he closed the window.