Chapter IX: The Tale of the Four Ancients

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“Mom?”

“Happy birthday, Titus.”

I cried so hard. This is a dream and for the first time, my mom’s in my dream. I wish I can stay with her in the house. I wish everything’s normal. My mom is just there smiling at me while she holds the sponge cake she gave me on my birthday.

“Blow your candles.”

Like a happy kid, I tried to go near my mom but the moment I reached her, I noticed her facial featured changed. She suddenly had long ears and colorful hair and now she spread her wings and flew in circles.

“Mom!”

Sky was on my bed when I woke up. I was sweating bullets when I sat on my bed and just stayed there for a few minutes recalling the nightmare I just had. I was hoping I’d wake up in my bed and just pretend that everything that happened to me yesterday was just a dream—but it’s true.

Knock. Knock.

“Come in.”

“Great day, Titus.”

It’s weird how they use great here instead of good. Maybe they just want to sound more positive here than on earth.

“Good morning, King Orion.”

“You know, you can still call me uncle Orion. So, how was your sleep?”

“It wasn’t as haunting as what I experience now. How was your meeting?”

“Let’s talk about it on breakfast by the courtyard.”

The castle seemed to have changed its design. I didn’t see the same canvases on the wall and they changed the color of the wall from white to mint green and the floor to bricks.

“How much do you spend for your interior design?”

“We pay nothing, Titus. The castle is covered with enchantments or magic as you call it in your world.”

“Oh.”

“The castle reflects the status of the kingdom itself. If everyone’s happy, the colors are bright like what we have right now. If something’s wrong, it either shows its original old state a paintless castle or a dark-colored castle.”

“That’s cool.”

“Yes. Everything in this kingdom is connected. On earth, they call it String Theory. It actually applies here.”

“The castle, the streets, the walls, the trees and everything else is connected here. We celebrate together then we become sad together.”

We reached the table by the courtyard. I smiled at the lady who was in my room when I woke up yesterday.

King Orion and I sat facing each other.  It’s like another feast by the courtyard although there are just the four of us: King Orion, me, Sky and the lady servant.

“King Orion, Jeca and Estefan are not from here right?”

“Ah, yes. They are like you. Remember when they showed the marks on their body?”

“Yes.”

“Well, it’s like the mark on your wrist. It’s not just an ordinary birthmark, Titus. It’s beyond that.”

“I think I saw it glow the night I passed out.”

“It did. I saw it. It was only you and I who saw it.”

King Orion picked up something from under the table.

“Are you serious?”

“Well, I find this amusing so I brought one from your world.”

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