𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒

Nova Caeli

The next morning, Regan woke up from the dim glowing light that filtered through the tall window. She yawned and then remembered her fears and thanked God she was alive. But the negative mind was still there. The cramps had gone away at least.

She slipped out of the bed and changed her clothes. Her stomach was grumbling and the plate of waffles was still there. She looked out of the window and even though she couldn't see anything else except the trees and the sky, she knew there were so many things to explore.

There was a sudden knock and Regan quickly hid the tray of food behind the curtain. She knew it was probably Althea and she didn't want her to know she didn't eat.

It was Althea, carrying another tray of food. She smiled warmly, and Regan forced a 'thank you'. She asked how Regan felt and Regan said she was fine.

Maybe Vesper's threatening her, Regan thought. She didn't want to eat the food. She knew Vesper hated her and wasn't going to risk it. The scent of the food was one similar to that of scrambled eggs but she wasn't sure if eggs even existed in that place.

After what felt like an eternity, her mentor came, her heavy jewelries making sound with each of her step. As soon as she entered, Regan asked her about the food. She wasn't sure and wanted Seraphina to check it out if it was possible, using magic.

And apparently it was, since Seraphina chanted something under her breath and watched the food then looked. "It's totally fine," she clarified.

But Regan was anything but relieved. She said she wasn't hungry right now and they could continue with the lessons.

"Well, since you're allowed to leave your room, we can go outside if you want," Seraphina suggested, holding her books tightly.

"Outside?" Regan asked confused. Was she even allowed to go outside?

"Yes, in the gardens. We aren't going to pass any restricted area, don't worry," Seraphina chuckled.

This made her feel a rush of excitement. She was a captive in that alien world, but the thought of what it'd be like outside the castle's dark walls had never left her mind. "Alright," she said.

Regan followed Seraphina eagerly as they stepped out of her room and walked down the corridor, going up the same stairs that Regan had stepped yesterday. They passed that chilling pentagon hall, walked straight and then twists and turns. Regan tried to memorize and not forget her surroundings, so that she wouldn't be lost.

As they walked through the castle's passages, Seraphina was speaking, "The castle has beautiful gardens. It's a tranquil place where you can practice your powers without any disturbance."

Regan rolled her eyes. She was longing more to walk on the fresh air and to step on the unknown planet's land, rather than to hang around in a garden that was a demon's property. Nevertheless, it was still better than staying isolated inside all the time.

The walk led them through various corridors and stairs until they reached a set of grand double doors. The set of doors was made of a mix of strong iron and oak, with intricate carvings of mythical creatures that twisted and turned. Two guards, clad in black, nodded at Seraphina as she approached and pushed the doors open.

The view that followed after was mesmerizing.

The gardens were large and wide, sprawling with an array thorny red roses and tall, dark trees, oaks and willows whispering secrets in the breeze. In the middle, there was aa round stony fountain, the water falling gently on the pit.

The castle was in a hilltop, and she could see on her side the horizon, wherei the lilac sky kissed the dark blue ocean. On the other side, there were dark mountains, their peaks shrouded in mist.

Regan nearly tripped and realized she had been stepping down the stairs, lost in thought. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. The view of the garden was beautiful, but these thorny red roses made her rethink it. They had haunted her as much as the lord of the castle. Their thorns were like knives, piercing through her retina without even being near her.

She inhaled deeply, the fresh air satisfying her lungs.

The lilac sky—not red as she had seen it, was totally extraordinary. The celestial objects shone despite being day and they looked more real now that she wasn't seeing them from her window.

But one of them—a huge planet hiding behind the woods, made her heart skip a beat. It was blue and she could....she could actually see buildings? She wasn't sure. Whatever it was, it was otherworldly beautiful, and terribly scary.

"The garden is very beautiful, I told you. It's marvelous," Seraphina said, noticing Regan's expression.

After she was done looking at the garden, she turned behind to look at the castle and gasped. She hadn't seen the castle from outside before. It was a terrifyingly beautiful sight to see.

The castle's foundations were made of dark stone just like the rest of the walls and they merged with land's rock, as if they had grown from the very land itself. The grandiose structure had a number of towers, all tall and pointed, like spikes scratching the sky. Its walls were lined with ivy, and decorated with gargoyle and grotesque statues, which seemed to come alive if Regan kept looking at them long enough.

She knew there were castles in Earth, but none had ever looked as eerie as this one. This one was pure gothic, imposing, and intimidating. It was straight out of a gothic fairytale.

Seraphina led her to a secluded area, while Regan's eyes never left the castle. The dark balconies looked lonely and she didn't know why she was expecting to see someone watching her from one of them.

The sat on a bench covered with thorny vines. With a flick of her fingers, the vines shrieked away and Seraphina sat down.

Regan stood still, the heavy scent of roses forgotten as she stared at the castle, taking in the details. There must be hundreds of rooms inside, she thought. She wondered what it'd be like if the castle was hers or if she was allowed to explore it.

Something tickling her ankle made her snap entirely out of the intrigue. Regan looked down to see a small creature like a rabbit with eyes of a cat and scales, dragging her ankle. She jumped away in fear and jerked her leg to throw the animal away. The weird, small creature flew somewhere in shrubs.

"Now, that's a peaceful place where you can focus and feel your power freely," Seraphina said, not looking up from her book.

Indeed it was peaceful, it offered tranquility and calmness. The air was filled with the sounds of birds and insects. But she knew that little would she focus with all these thorny roses and this terrifyingly beautiful view.

As her mentor began the lessons, little did they know by who they where being watched.