The Veil Between

Chapter Three | The Haunting Of Anson Manor

Chapter Three | The Haunting Of Anson Manor

Finally, after what could have potentially been a fatal wrong turn, Tobias arrived just inside the front gates of the long-abandoned Anson Manor.

The magician sighed in relief, a wave of the strange combination of calmness and nerves as he looked up at the rather gigantic and looming house in front of him. To him, it looked like something out of one of those mortal Halloween stories, with large windows, towering columns, and looming arches. It was dark, but strangely not too dark, it wasn't as intimidating the longer he looked at it, it became more inviting and mysterious, and Tobias was intrigued like he was being invited inside to explore.

So, he began to walk.

Journeying up the long and slightly winding driveway took quite a bit more time than expected, and most of it was because Tobias went slow, looking around in amazement. The front-facing grounds of the manor were gorgeous. Clearly, they were not regularly tended, if at all, but the wildflowers and towering grass that grew was beautiful, and it reminded Tobias of home.

In the magical realm where he was from, it was like a fairy tale. Strange and unique plants towered over people sometimes, and this was somewhat... comforting that it wasn't all that different from his mother's garden.

He wasn't even inside the house yet and he already felt at home.

Tobias tilted his head in thought, at the feeling of being drawn in, and settled on the feeling the house gave him as he decided on a descriptive word for the manor. Beautiful. He chose to call it beautiful, and he was genuinely happy to call this new place his home.

While it was slowly falling to ruin, left abandoned, no one able to afford it, except apparently his father Tobias still loved it. Vines grew wild, through the windows and around the pillars, like they were trying to reclaim the house and pull it into the ground. He loved when structures were lost to time... and he knew that despite the condition of it, he was going to be right at home, despite how nervous he felt.

Slowly entering the house, he was a bit overwhelmed by the size of it all. Even though he came from an equally if not more large house, where he had grown up always felt bright and warm and lived in. This manor was empty. Cold, and dark, and it made it seem larger.

Tobias turned to the left and saw a large mahogany dining table that could have easily fit twenty people with space for another in between all of them. He walked forward and set his bag down on the dusty and gigantic table, and immediately cringed. Dirt was one of his worst enemies, he could not stand his home not being clean, he loved to clean. So that would be his first order of business. After he explored and maybe found the old servants' tunnels which would hopefully lead him to the cleaning supplies.

The young magician had never been on his own before. Due to his mental disabilities, his protective father had always kept him very close. But Alistair knew Tobias needed to learn to be on his own, both to learn independence and to be safe from those who wished him harm, so the mortal realm seemed the safest, and Tobias agreed. It was a place where those who wished him harm would not think to look for him, and Tobias was delighted by this, there were so many things to study, he couldn't wait.

He could finally learn science! What a novel idea!

The gentle giant of a man began his slow and meticulous journey through the house, examining every room and spot and piece of furniture or decoration, it all fascinated him. He felt at home... despite the copious amounts of dust and debris, leaves and dirt on the floor that had been blown in through the broken windows. Tobias knew it would take a lot of work to restore this house to its former glory, but he was gladly up to the challenge.