Unforged and Unforgiven

Chapter Two

I follow her through the grand archway. My gaze roams over the extremely high vaulted ceilings and the massive gold chandelier that hangs over us. The opulent design is amazing to say the least, with its intricate moldings and ornate detailing. Rich tapestries adorn the walls, and the floors are crafted from gleaming marble that echoes our footsteps. This lavish architectural style speaks of elegance in a way I've never seen.

As I take it all in, I can't help but feel awe mixed with intimidation. The grandeur of the surroundings makes me feel both small and privileged to be in such a place. It's as if I've stepped into another world entirely. Being brought up in tiny houses that were left abandoned due to Charlie's paranoia of someone finding us, the houses were always falling apart. Some of them definitely needed to be condemned.

We walk past a group of other students laughing and talking in hushed tones. When we make it to a spacious common room my breath catches in my throat when my eyes catch the scene of a painted mural on the far wall. It pulls me in and I don't hesitate to walk towards it and let my eyes take in the scene before me.

The mural itself is dark and gruesome, but it still intrigues me. It's like something you'd see in a horror movie. There's a dark torn down house standing on a hill in the background. A girl runs, almost as if she'd jump out of the painting if she could. A horrified look is etched across her face and I can tell she's screaming, but that isn't the scariest part about it. Behind her is an abnormally tall creature that is only a few steps away from her, reaching out towards her. I step closer and the creature moves. I can feel its eyes on me, as if it's watching my every move. I take a step back, my heart pounding in my chest.

A hand waves in front of my face, "Hello? Earth to Athelia. What the hell was that about? You went freak on me." Valerie's voice pierces my ears and knocks me out of the trance.

I blink rapidly, trying to shake off the lingering unease the mural left in me. "I don't know," I murmur, feeling embarrassed and disoriented. The intensity of the painting had gripped me so completely that it was like I had momentarily lost touch with reality.

"Look, Mandor has a way of confusing people and making them go crazy. Try not to be one of those people, okay?" She scrunches up her knows and I can't tell if she's being sarcastic or if she really means it. "C'mon, it's starting to get late, and we still have a lot of ground to cover."

She turns away and I follow, I throw a look back over my shoulder to the mural but it's completely still. A chill runs up my spine again at the thought, and I brush off the feelings before I start sounding insane and asking a thousand questions about something apparently only I saw.