Fallen Stars [Howl's Moving Castle Fanfiction]

Chapter Seventeen - The Mysterious Door

Chapter Seventeen - The Mysterious Door

I yawned and rubbed my eyes, clearing the blurriness out of my sight. With a glance at my surroundings, I noticed that none of the others were near, and the sun that peaked through the mountains. "It can't be... I can't have overslept today as well..." I mumbled, stumbling out of my room and running out to the corridor. In case of waking up Sophie, I quietly passed her and Howl's room and skipped forward towards the stairs. Though, it seemed unusual. The castle was completely silent, not a single voice or sound could be heard anywhere. It sure is rare for Jacelyn to be quiet, no matter what time of the day it was. Could they already have started? 

When being at the top of the stairs, peaking down at the place where we normally have our lessons, I found no one being there. I sighed and shook my head with a little laugh. "I would have thought so, well then back to..." I trailed of what I was saying as my eyes landed at the other end of the corridor. The door that I escaped through to get home, with Mr. Fireball by my side. By then, I would never have thought to come back here, I never thought the future would lead me here. Maybe, there was a point of me crossing my paths with Howl's moving castle? That way, there was somewhere I could go to when not having my home to return to. That way, I bit by bit learned that I was a wizard, when I began to get suspicious of the things occurring. There's most likely been hints from the past of me being a wizard, but my parents were sure to never reveal them to me. It must have been because of Madame Suliman, and the current unsteadiness of the country. Thinking about it, I've never been given details about what the society is unsafe in, and how it came to be like it.

With small steps I walked towards the door, carefully so no one would notice me. What would happen if I just opened it? Would it look the same as before? Would it be filled with the depths of darkness, or was there something else hiding behind that wooden door?

At first I continued to stand in front of it in silence, but after a moment I dared to grip the handle. Would Howl be angry if he'd find me doing this? Would he throw me out of here and dismiss my chance of becoming a wizard as him? No, Howl wouldn't be like that. However, maybe I shouldn't risk it... I shrugged my shoulders, he wouldn't notice a peak, would he?

I twisted the handle, only to find it unable to budge. I blinked and sighed. So it was locked anyway? It must be a sign of some sort. I narrowed my eyes and glanced down at the doorknob with a thoughtful expression. Surely, they can't have locked it with magic?

Or maybe it was a sign of that I should try to open it?

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, concentrating on the knob. Maybe, if I concentrate enough, there would be a possibility of me being able to open it!

Surprisingly enough, I felt my hands heating and a pounding feeling go through them. From the fingertips to my wrist, it felt like my hands were going numb. Then after a while, a light feeling of replaced the numbness which made it feel like sparkles made their way into my hands. I took another deep breath and opened my eyes, twisting the doorknob once again.

This time I heard something click, but only merely. I tried to open the door now, but yet again it was immovable. I sighed and shook my head in disappointment. It seemed like I managed, if I didn't what even happened when I tried to use my magic? Didn't I succeed to affect it at all?

"Well maybe I shouldn't..." I mumbled and rested my back against the wooden door. Once I did, my eyes met the amused expression of Markl, whom just happened to stand behind me. He raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "Trying to escape?"

I flinched and blinked at him. "N-No, of course not!"

Markl tilted his head with a puzzled smile. "Then, whatever might you be doing?"

Should I be telling him about my suspicion of that door? Would he tell Howl? What would he do? "Nothing really, I thought I was late for the next lesson, but it seems I was too early instead." I said and scratched the back of my head with a nervous laugh.

"Oh, is that so? Then how come you're standing by the door you escaped through last time? You must have figured out already that this door isn't a normal door. It's created by Howl, and bound to take you wherever you wish. Before, when I was younger, the time when Sophie first appeared, the door only had four destinations. You can see that near the keyhole there's a colour painted upon it, can't you? What is the colour you can see?" Markl explained, pointed at the small area close to the keyhole which hade colour painted on it.

I squinted my eyes and hummed. "What colour? It must be navy blue, mustn't it? It's hard to see in this darkness, so I'm not very confident it is that colour. It also looks a bit like purple." I rambled and continued to focus my eyes on the colour. It almost looked as it shifted from being navy blue to purple, as if it switched each second from one colour to the other.

Markl looked genuinely shocked for a second, as his eyes widened. He didn't say anything and went closer to me, until I had to step away from the door. He stared at the colour and rubbed his eyes, and the spared a glance at me. "Navy blue and purple?"

I nodded, uncertain of how to respond. "Yes, that's true."

He then stood right up and looked directly into my eyes. "It's the first time someone else than me that have seen it as navy blue! It's unbelievable! Though, it's also the first time someone have ever said that it differs in colour."

"What is the meaning behind it, if I may ask?" I asked him while giving him a curious gaze.

"The meaning behind it, that's something you'll have to ask Howl about. Not even I know why this door exists, and why he removed it from the entrance downstairs to up here. Why he changed the four destinations is also a mystery, but it must have been to create it the way it is now. Depending however you see the colour, it all binds you to what destination you can be taken to. You decide with destination you want to go, and that colour reflects your thoughts. If you have one certain colour, then it will interpreted that way forever." Markl explained and mentioned with his hand at the colour again. "Even if this door is created with magic, people that aren't wizard can use this as well. Sometimes I see Sophie go through this door, I don't know where too, but she manages to do it."

"So what you're meaning to say is that this door can take us only to one destination, depending on that colour? Only one colour that confirms the destination, is that right? Then what does it mean that I see two?" I asked him, poking his shoulder lightly. He raised his shoulder and smiled reassuringly at me. "I don't know, it might mean that you can visit two places instead of one."

Two places? Well, I've already entered that door before, which first surrounded me in the depths of darkness but then led me home. That must have been one destination, my home in the city. Then the other destination is unknown, because I barely know any other places to visit.

"How come it's locked?" I asked after a while.

Markl chuckled at me and cleared his throat. "After all, this is created by Howl. It's his magic that's used. His magic won't let you open it if it isn't necessary."

The moment Markl ended the sentence, the sounds of steps came towards us.

Markl quickly grabbed my wrist and led me away from the door, into an empty room at the left in the corridor. In silence, we peaked from behind the door who it might have been that came in our direction.

It was Howl. He barely even touched the doorknob, it opened itself in one move. He stepped in, with quiet steps and closed the door as if it never were opened.

"Howl also uses this door, usually by this time a day." Markl whispered in my ear.

Someday, I must figure out the mystery behind that door. It was after all in there where Mr. Fireball disappeared. However, that door is only used when it's needed. It needs reasons for it to open, otherwise it will remain locked.