Adeline and the Ovunque's Key || Ongoing

009

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟗 — 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐝

Morning came soon after. The day dawned crisp and clear. The sun poured through the window. Yet another day had dawned on me being stuck in an era I didn't belong to.

I shifted around the bed uncomfortably, feeling another body on it. I turned and found Hilda sleeping peacefully by my side. That's when I remembered, I slept in her room last night. I gazed at her peaceful sleeping face. Never had I ever seen someone this close before. Her lashes were long and graceful. Her breathing was slow and steady. I kept staring for what felt like hours and only snapped back to reality when she started to stir in her sleep.

I got out of her bed and decided to walk around town today. It was still early morning in Hythewelsh. Vendors have already started opening their stalls. Calling out to people to buy their stuff. "Fresh bright apples, berries for sale!" One called out. "Meat and fish fresh from the sea!" Another called out.

The blacksmith's house was loud with all the sounds of hammering and sharpening. The smith started his day forging armour and weapons while making lots of clanking sounds as he did. A few warriors approach his house in a leisurely manner. "Oy, Phil, up so early today?" they asked the man.

I merely watched them all as I tried to retrace my steps back to the forest. The smell of the bread in the baker's house is rich on the street. I could hear my stomach grumbling. I dug into my pocket and mentally cursed myself for forgetting to bring my money.

With a heavy heart, I stared at the fluffy-looking bread on the window stand. Brown in colour and crumbs that give a wholesome taste of rustic grain. The well-baked bread would have been a good breakfast, but I had to shake my head to remind myself of my main mission going out today. Finding the door I came from. Or at least, where it is. I carried on and walked farther away than I ever think I'd let myself. As I got closer, I could hear the sound of rustling from dried leaves and twigs snapping at the bottom of my feet as I shuffled into the forest. Birds were singing and flying on top of my head while squirrels were running from tree to tree.

I took in every detail in the forest slowly. Green tall trees moved along the cold ghostly breeze as it brushed past me. The sun slitted past the leaves and found itself scattering in the forest. There are a few tree barks that had been stumped. Moses grew everywhere near the tall trees. As I kept walking, out of the corner of my eye, something caught my attention.

There's some sort of writing, or rather, drawing on the barks. I walked closer to it, only to notice that it wasn't drawn. It was in fact, plants, moving in a foreign way that created some sort of a drawing. Feeling quite unsure how to explain the plants, I shrugged it off and walked farther ahead in hopes that I'm much closer to the door now.

I can smell smoke in the air. Coughing slightly as I turned my head in the direction of where the smoke came from. I walked toward the scent and was stopped short when suddenly an arrow slit past me towards a bark near me. If I had moved an inch farther, it would have definitely struck me.

"Stop where you are.." I heard a girl's voice shout my way.

I halted and raised my hand in the air with my alert high up through the roof. "What is it? What did I do now?"

"You're trespassing.."

"Trespassing? It's in the middle of the woods.." I barked back.

"Please, we don't want any trouble, just go back where you came from."

"Where- I am trying to go back where I came from! I need to find it. The door. It's in here. I know it is. It had to be!" I said, slowly turning to face her.

"Stop! Don't turn to me. I don't want Wait.. what did just you say?"

"What did I say?" I asked, confused.

"You're from the forest?"

"I came from a door in the forest."

And then there's silence.

The wind suddenly brushed past me in a harsh manner, blowing my hair and gown, and the sounds of quick steps leaving were heard. When I turned back to where she was, there was no one. "Hello? Creepy girl? Are you still there?"

What was that? Who was she? Why did she react the way she did to my statement? Did she know anything about the door?

Thousands of questions whirled around in my head as I froze to the ground, trying to process everything. When I finally snapped out of my thoughts, I was already in town.

"H-how did I get here?" I whispered to myself as I frantically looked around.

Nothing suspicious here, but I still feel a tug in my heart. My breathing grew shallower as my heart slowly quickened its pace. Everything starts to grow blurry as I hear ringing in my head.

I feel lightheaded, so close to fainting. But then, one voice brought me back to reality. "Hey, you with the black hair and red top. Come here for a second." I recognise that voice. I lifted my head up and truthfully, I didn't want to confront that person.

I took a long breath to steady myself. I can still feel my body tremble. But nevertheless, I put on a strong front, straightened my back, and stepped towards the individual. I raised my face to stare at him. I never expected to see him again, but fate is so messed up that I'm not even surprised that we do end up having a second meeting.

"Wow, I thought it was you, but I wasn't entirely sure. I mean, I'm sure everyone thought you were a noble. Good to see you again, green eyes."

"Do you need something from me, Sir Nicholas?"

"Oh, you still remember me?" He smiled. "I've left quite an impression, haven't I? Are you free today?"

"I'm sorry, but I've got a lot to do today, just like any other day."

"I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem to skip a day. I wonder if Hilda's father knew about the other day or not." A wide grin pulled on his face, laced with a hint of mischief in it.

"I-... But I can't just leave work for no reason. You know that, right?"

"It's all right. Hilda's father will gladly lend you to me for the day. I'll just have to check with him first."

With that, he immediately dispatched his servant, Jo, to inform Hilda's father of his wish without even waiting for my reply. I stared at him, fire in my eyes as I gave him a tight-lipped smile.

"Brilliant." I'm so sick of people treating me like an object. These people are worse than people from back in my timeline. They just disregard my wants because I'm a servant. They should have asked me because I have my own voice, regardless of my rank.

Without a second more, Jo came back with a scroll in his hand. When Nicholas opens it, a huge grin forms on his lips. It appears Nicholas was allowed to take me along with him, not just for a day, but for a couple of days, or for as long as he wanted.

My shoulders slumped in defeat as I sighed a heavy sigh. This is unfair, and I'm not sure how I feel about it.

On days like this, I can't help but wish for a way to return home, to just appear and allow me to escape this horrible era.