The Reincarnated

Chapter 19: Peculiar Posse

It was real... Then it wasn't...

My days flew by with that same cycle of sequence.

Reality was frightening. My thoughts were stuck in endless pain. I don't want to remember the insidious thing that happened. After a quick observation, I realized there was no window in the room but it was quite noticeable that this room is properly ventilated with air conditioning. I didn't bother to explore all the things found inside, but somehow I managed to turn on all the light bulbs and lampshades in my cell. The darkness was a horrid sight. So were the shadows.

With nothing to do, I'd cry myself to sleep and wake up screaming. The nightmare was worse. The same scene haunts every dream. Damien was always there. And the sword was always stained with blood. His blood.

Sometimes Aunt Tiffany would appear in my dreams, with enormous wolves chasing after her. I'd stood by, shouting hysterically for her but my feet couldn't run nor could I stop the wolves from devouring her. Her screams would fill my head. I'd wake up and gasp for air.

When I was awake, I'd stare blankly into the spotless ceiling, thinking about my family. I found myself wondering about how they were, how frustrating the outcome of my party turned out to be for them, and if they ever thought about me, or if I was dead in their minds. The idea of death made me remember Damien and Aunt Tiffany once again. Occasionally, I'd hear both of their screams. I'd cover my ears and squeeze them hard until I fall asleep again and the nightmares would come.

Out of all those doubts swirling in my head, I know at least one thing for certain: I was living in fear.

No matter how I wanted to be alone, I know I'd get out of this solitude and find the truth for myself. With that thought in mind, I unlocked the door and went out of the room, revealing a long corridor with white-painted Victorian walls. There were doors everywhere I go; some I was tempted to open but was afraid of disturbing anything happening inside. I didn't want to be glued on the floor and lifted up like before. It was definitely a disturbing feeling.

Exploring the manor was like a tour in a historical landmark. Everything seems so old: the furniture, the cabinets, the walls, the paintings and even the carpets. I was anxious to meet any stranger in this place, but to my relief, I haven't seen anyone pass the corridors.

A big room caught my attention. Compared to the others, this room had a bigger door. Suddenly interested and curious, I decided to snoop around.

To my surprise, I was welcomed with hundreds of books in numerous bookshelves. It looked smaller than the public library but bigger compared to my father's library. There was nobody around so I took out some books which seemed to be secured in a very long time. Everything was covered in dust and filth.

After opening three books and reading its introductory contents, I discovered all of these were outlines about history and geography. I turned around, only to find a smaller door. It was unlocked, making it easier to pry for me. The room was smaller, but it was still covered with various books and bookshelves.

Why were these books separated from the others?

That question loomed in my mind, so I decided to scan some. I discovered a contrast of the cover of the books in this room that the one's from outside differed from. There was a strange gold engraving in the covers of these books that looked like an inverted capital letter 'C'. There was no book title. No author; Just a boldly incused 'C'.

I looked at the other bookshelf and found a different symbol. The inverted 'C' had a thick line crossing its ends, and instead of a golden engraving, it was silver. I grabbed one book from the shelf with the golden incised letter and another one with a silver carving. I sat down on a chair and put the two books on the table. I took the one with the golden incused letter and flipped its pages. Coming across an odd picture, I saw an image of three men and behind them were different backgrounds. The first man was standing in front of a shining sun, and the third one was in front of a crescent moon. The second man in between was more complex. It looked like he was standing on a setting sun, or was it sunrise? It was half a sun and a moon.