Probing Visions 1

Chapter 5 (Part 1)

"Due to your physical injuries, dear, it appears you have to skip your classes for the whole day," the nurse stated, grabbing a logbook.

Jean moved across the bed, and his feet met the cold floor. "What? I thought I'm fine now," he said.

"Unfortunately, you still have to rest so that you may fully recover. Fortunately, you're exempted from your remaining classes this afternoon," the nurse replied, smiling.

     The nurse turns around and heads towards a wooden desk in the corner of the room, attending to a towering stock of paper. Meanwhile, Jean remains seated on the bed, his eyes trailing over the nurse's back. With his mouth hanging open, he lowers his gaze and sighs heavily.

     Afterwards, Jean finds himself lying in the soft, warm embrace of his bed inside his dorm. As Jean lies on his back, his head finding respite on a plush pillow, he crosses his arms and frowns. Slowly, a straight line forms on his lips as he contemplates the dream he had seen earlier, his eyes fixed on the ceiling.

     The sun begins its slow descent towards the horizon, its golden speckles hovering in the air. The orange sunrays travel across the land, finding their way towards the university's windows and filtering in. As time ticks, the tint in the ambience begins to darken, thickening with darkness.

     As time continues to fly away with the gentle breeze that rustles the trees on the school grounds, the orange sun begins to take on more of a reddish hue. Dim and muted, the fading sunlight reflects on the thin clouds above, casting ethereal shadows everywhere. With the sun bidding its temporary goodbyes to the overworld, the darkness prevails and shrouds every corner, enveloping everything within its black cloak.

     Jean's body remains rooted on the bed as he glares at the ceiling. His soft gaze, delicate and exuding grace, slowly turns piercing as his brows knit together. Boredom creeps into his spine, blending with the desire to uncover the meaning of his dream from earlier.

     The dorm, filled with silence and stillness, feels as if it is suspended from reality, detached from the rest of the world. The quietness within the closed walls becomes suffocating, and the shadows spawning in the corners begin to spread. With the only light source coming from the window, the dorm turns dark and dull, making one feel like their eyes are covered with a blindfold.

     With nothing else to do, Jean's mind solidifies with a decision, a choice to wander as he wonders about the meaning behind his dream. With a swift push, Jean shoves the white blanket around his body, revealing his white knee-length shorts. He then hops down the bed, his feet slipping into his black shoes. As he stands up, the sunlight pouring from the window gives his white shirt with intricate brown lacing on the collar a light shimmer.

     Jean walks towards the door and reaches forward, grasping the doorknob. With a light twist, he pushes the door open. Immediately, the eerie sight of the empty hallway, dark and barren of souls, rushes to greet him. Being cautious of his surroundings, Jean lingers on the doorway, his hand still glued on the doorknob as he glances from left to right, scanning the empty corridor.

     As Jean's eyes drift from both sides, he crosses the threshold and steps onto the carpet lining the hallway. Quietly aligning the door with the doorframe, Jean closes the entrance to his dorm and marches down the hall. As Jean steps forward, he deliberately lightens his feet, careful not to make noise that could draw attention.

     Taking a swift turn, Jean descends the curvy stone staircase leading from the dormitory. He then veers to the right and takes a few more turns in the corridors. As he tiptoes down the halls, his eyes rove, taking in the sight of the gilded but dark and empty hallway.

     The hallway lacks the brightness to shimmer as the sun fully sets underneath the embrace of the horizon. But, there is a replacement for the sunlight—the moonlight. The moon's soft glow begins to stream into the large, arched windows, allowing the golden linings on the grand hallways to glisten again. As Jean proceeds down the hall, the heels of his shoes inadvertently thud against the shiny tiles of the marble floor.

     Jean cuts to the corner, his eyes fixed on the lofty ceilings where the unlit chandeliers hang. Though unlit and barely creating any light, the moonlight gleams on the pearls and gold leaf adorning the chandeliers, giving the hallway a speck of illumination. As Jean continues to explore and delve deeper into the campus' heart, he stumbles upon more and more gilded sights that cause his jaw to drop.