Adventures of Bangtan: The Heartbreak Prince

Chapter 10

Parchmentown was huge. With even taller buildings, and confusing ways. But still it felt so congested that Jo was starting to appreciate her town. From childhood she had a dream of settling in Parchmentown (which she was terrified to pursue, of course), but right now living here was not the idea of her favourite luxury. And do people do really live in these birdholes of apartments? If these were places to work then its fine. If not how she was going to spend 2 months in them?

She stopped in front of a tall building  (which one was not? (only a few)). From outside it looked like several others. Tall, shiny, glassy with lights shining through some windows . But according to address Aunt Fiona gave her this was where wizard JK lived.

There was a guard sleeping in front of the gate.His mouth was wide open, his head falling at the the back of the chair. She didn't see the need to wake him up so she went straight inside. As she took a her first step she was blocked by a invisible wall. She tried another time. But still the wall was there. Does she really have to wake him now?

"Sir? Hello? Excuse me?" she touched him at his shoulders. The guard woke with a start.

"Wha-a-at? What is happening?" he said.

"Hello sir ? Can you open this ? I have to go inside."

He rubbed his eyes. When he opened them he scanned her from top to bottom. When she saw his face she could see that he felt a mild disdain for her. 

"Why? What do you want?"

"I have to meet wizard JK.  Can you open this?"

"Wizard JK ? Who's wizard JK?"

"Umm...Jungkook?"

"Jeon Jungkook?"

"Maybe.... yes sir. That's him."

He looked at her and stood up . His brows were furrowed. "So you want to meet him? And you don't know his name? Are you bluffing me ?"

"No sir. I am actually called for housekeeping duties...." He still looked like he was not beleiving her " It's true." she stammered." Or you could read this note."

She gave him the note.

" Alright." He was still eyeing her suspiciously. "You know I will ask him in the morning?"

She just nodded and walked inside.

Inside she entered a big hall. All the walls were painted white. The floor was in white marble with black circles drawn on it. A big wall clock at the front said it was 2 am in he morning .A chandlier was hanging from the top. Four seperate ways at each corner, going to four seperate stairways Everything was screaming just two words, "luxury" and 'expensive".

When she looked at the address, the house was in floor 15. How was she supposed to go to floor 15?

Then she saw man coming from one side . He was wearing crisp white shirt and black pants and was walking briskly. "Excuse me sir?" she called. When he looked over at her , irritation passed over his face.

"Excuse me ? Can you tell me how to get to floor 15?"

"Ummm....  use the lifts right there." He pointed towards the bottom of the right hand staircase.

"And how do you use it?"

"Just say the spell and it will get you there."

"The spell? what if the person don't know the spell? And neither magic?"

He looked at her incredulously.

"Do you know magic?" she asked.

"Everybody here knows magic."

"Okay, alright. But what about the non magical people?"

"See, right now use the staircase. Tomorrow talk to the administration here.They will do something. Now, if you excuse me, I have to go. I am in a hurry."

"Okay, thank you." she said this behind his back.

Now I have to climb the staircase?? she thought.

She felt so exhausted she could have slept on the hard floor.

All of a sudden her eyes filled with tears. It happened so suddenly, as if the whole day she was running from feeling it .It washed over her with such intensity that's literally what she could think at the moment. That how scared and lonely she felt.

She's standing here, in the middle of  nowhere with a bunch of strangers who are treating here as if she can be  a criminal? Or worse a nobody ? She remembered her home but the memories felt of another lifetime. Although the longing of to get back to the comfort of her home was strong as ever.

She looked down to let the tears escape without anyone noticing and felt the locket on her neck. That was enough. She's not alone, she's just geographically separated. She started walking....

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Every door was just like the other. With the exception of few letters on the name plate. Why can't they be more creative and stop living in this cloud of mundanity? She thought. Just then her foot tripped on one stair, and she was quite close smashing her nose on the floor.

She just focused on putting one step in front of another. This was not the time to think anything. And definietly not philosophy.

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Climbing stairs is whole another level of torture, when you want to sleep. Every step felt she was chipping a part of herself one by one. And when she'd stop, she'd be gone. Completely.

************

There were only 15 stairs left (that's what she had been doing. Counting). Right now she had no idea whether the walls were swirling or she was. She just knew her head felt too heavy and she was barely in control.

She took her last step and saw the door in front of her. She had never felt such so hopeful at sight of one door. It felt like the most beautiful door.

She ranged the bell and put all her weight on the door. She closed her eyes, and let herself think that.... she had reached...finally.

 Neither she heard the sound of footsteps, neither she saw the light coming through the small windows beside the door when the hallway lights were lit. And neither she felt the bolts of the door opening.

She just felt the floor shifting ,the door opening, and her falling in the blur of blue and black.

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Thank you for reading.