A Haunting Melody: The Golden Lyre

08 | Kappa

The symbol Kappa (κ), improves a hunter's hearing abilities. Hunters receive this mark by killing a Siren while it is singing. This has become an increasingly difficult task as Sirens hardly ever sing anymore, as it draws too much attention.

***

Astrid's ears perked up at the sound of violins stirring to life. The sound reminded her of a cat, stretching itself lazily after waking from a long slumber. The golden lights which poured down from the top of the stage, dimmed down, signaling to everyone that the show was about to begin.

As the heavy maroon curtains lifted, she felt her dad squeeze her little hand in his. She knew that he wasn't much of a fan of ballet, but she loved it, which is why he had surprised her with tickets to the Russian Ballet for her eighth birthday.

The audience's attention was drawn to centre stage as an old, thin woman with white hair which was slicked back in a neat bun, came out through the curtains and onto the stage. She addressed the crowd with a professional, yet pleasant voice.

Astrid, being the little girl that she was, didn't take much interest in what the woman was saying. Instead, she began to look around the dim auditorium, using what light was being emitted from the spotlight to make out the golden crown moulding which bordered the high ceiling, and the beige fabric wallpaper with a metallic hue which covered the walls. She noticed that there seemed to be golden accents all over, all little statues of angels and mermaids. She especially noticed the one right at the top of the curtains which was a cherub. She could just make out its little feathery wings and the dainty instrument which it held in its chubby fingers. It looked similar to a trumpet, but she couldn't be sure that it was.

Soon, a row of ballerinas glided out onto the stage and got into their positions. Their glittery tutus sparkled in the white light of the spotlights, leaving Astrid dazzled..

When the ballerinas finally began to dance, she felt a jolt of excitement settle in her stomach. She hoped that one day she could be as graceful as the ballerinas were. They looked as if they were walking on clouds.

When Daniel finally stopped the car, Astrid looked around with curious eyes.

"The Opera House?" Daniel finally asked, seeming just as confused as Astrid was.

It looked exactly the same as she remembered. She felt as though she was eight years old again as she made her way down the steep sidewalk, which lead to the worn, wooden double doors at the entrance of the building.

Neither uttered a word as Astrid reached out and gave one of the brass handles a pull. Sadly, the doors were locked, as she had expected.

She decided that there was only one option now. She fumbled around her pockets to find her lock picks. She had discovered over her years that it happened more often than one thought that she needed to forcefully enter into places in order to catch Sirens. These days, she always made sure to carry her lock picking tools, just in case.

When she felt the cool metal tools at the tips of her fingers, she quickly drew them out of her pocket and placed them inside the keyhole of the door. It was definitely an old lock. She wasn't sure that this would be as easy as usual.

She got to work and began to move the bottom tool carefully from left to right, holding her breath as she worked. As she fiddled, she felt suddenly aware of Daniel, who had taken a step into her personal space and was presently peering over her shoulder.

She shivered as his warm breath hit her neck. She was certainly not used to anyone being this close. She couldn't be sure whether she enjoyed it or found it incredibly uncomfortable. She decided it was the latter.