Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Threshold (Part 2)

"Seven" that was the title of the book.

Hearing this word kinda reminds me of the picture book Seria read for me, when I was a few months old.

It was a very cliché story that everyone knows.

There were seven holy knights who were granted sacred weapons and blessings, by the seven archangels.

It was so they can defeat the seven great demons of sins, who were slowly destroying the world.

Facing off the seven great demons of sin, the holy knights noticed the difference of power, between the demons and humans.

They can't defeat them.

So they decided to seal the seven great demons of sins. And as time passed, these demons turned into soil.

And now, they are known to be the lands that we, people live at.

Ahem!

Even though it might sound real, since this is a fantasy world with magic, this story is nothing but a mere story.

Well, even if it isn't. There is now way of knowing, since everyone from that time is no longer in this world.

More or less, right now my mind is filled with the word seven.

I looked at the red old book on my hand and cleared my throat, a bit loud enough to make Zack and Thor look up.

They were about to ask me things, so I just waved at them with a forced smile.

It's time I stop these bothersome train of thoughts and start looking over the book, or else my curiosity would explode already.

And like that, I started flipping the book's pages open.

Somehow, it kinda felt like that book was sucking me in. Of course, not literally. It was more of being unable to spare a gaze away from it.

A thought crossed my mind twice, as my hands kept on flipping the pages of the book, like it was a programmed duty.

"I shouldn't have succumbed to my own curiosity"

My hands stopped from flipping the pages, as I reached the middle of the mysterious old red book.

Why..?

A tear drop fell down the page of the book.

Why am I shedding tears? Why does it hurts so much, to the point that I can't help but grasp for breath?

"Why can't I remember a thing..?"

Sweat dripped off.

I don't remember anything clear about the events that happened, when I was 7 years old as Hakuya Soraki.

Short quick breaths left my mouth, one by one, all painfully and heavily, as my body shivered from cold that covered my whole body.

No, that must be wrong. I do remember!

After all, that was when my parents abandoned me and my little sister.

I fell onto my knees, a bit loud enough to make a large sound that can make anyone worry about it.

"Your highness..?" Zack looked up the second floor, and Thor followed with, "Are you fine up there?!"

But, then…

Why does it feel wrong? Like, there's more to it than just that. Like… I am forgetting a really important thing.

"H-hakuya…" a blurred image of a woman, with blood covering the ground she was lying down at, reaching out her hand to me came to my mind.

It hurts… My head hurts.

Why is it filled with these thoughts? It hurts..! Stop, whoever is making me feel nauseous and crazy, like this.

Please… stop.

My hands quivered, as my vision became blurred. On its own my teeth bit my lip and I shouted, "Stop!!!!!!"

Zack and Thor gasped, as they looked at each other. "Ed!" they both rushed to the second floor of the library.

How nostalgic…

I can't help but think so, as a blurred image of someone's back appeared in my mind.

…

Dark…

I can't see everything, at all. Everything, everywhere is dark, even if I open or shut my eyes close.

Quiet…

I can't hear anything, at all. Everything is silent. But, I can hear a bit muffled sounds, though I can't understand them.

I… where am I?

A girl's voice was heard from behind, "Are you lost?" I turned around to see who it was, but only saw a light.

There was no girl to be found.

I asked, "Where are you?" as I moved to-and-fro and looked around for the girl who I was talking to.

"Right in front of you" she spoke.

However, only the light was in front of me, there was no girl there, nor even a boy or an animal.

Just the light…

The girl asked me, "What do you see in front of you?"

"Light…" I mumbled as I blankly stared at the light that shone upon the dark place I was at, which was somewhat beautiful, and fleeting.

The girl chuckled.

"You must be filled with uncontrollable emotions right now, aren't you? And those are unfathomable emotions for you"

I tilted my head to the side and asked, "What do you mean?"

"This place shows your heart. Its darkness shows your sadness and loneliness, and the reason you can't see me is because you are filled with such things"

She thoroughly explained.

"Those emotions of yours are keeping you from seeing me clearly" I pressed my chin and asked, "That's why I can only see you as a light..?"

"Yep!"

Somehow, it looked like I saw a sight of the girl nodding at me, with a smile. Must be my imagination…

"I kinda understand it and can't, at the same time" I rubbed my nape, as I looked away from the light.

She giggled.

"That is alright. After all, you don't have to focus at this place yet. That will be a bit far from now…"

Now, I kinda felt like I saw her look down slowly, whilst mumbling those words that I can't understand.

The girl gasped and I asked her, "What's wrong?"

"Hey, look above" she called me and mumbled, "I guess he has finally come to save you from this place"

Following her words, I looked above, whilst mumbling, "He..?"

As if trying to crack or destroy the dark space we were at, a new light slowly shone upon the darkness.

Seeing that, it made me feel like the darkness was about to end, so I looked back at the light, in front of me.

"Uhm! Can I ask your name?" I asked the light.

This time, it looked like I saw the girl smile… NO, I did saw her clear. However, her face seems vague and blurred, like that boy's.

Slowly, her smile changed into a frown. "That's my line. You… who are you?"

With that sentence left in my mind, my eyes opened up, a bit aggressive, and I painfully groaned, "Ugh!"

I slowly raised my right hand and looked at my palm. "A dream, huh..?" those words left my mouth, along with heavy pants.

Someone was sleeping beside me, for I heard a snore.

"Maria…" I mumbled, as I saw a woman with a familiar marigold hair color. "E-ed…" she woke up.

She then gasped and grabbed my shoulders. "Are you fine? Does it hurt anywhere?" she asked, with her hands that were grabbing my shoulders, shaking a bit.

"I-I am fine, right now. More or less, you are hurting my shoulders"

Hearing my words, she gasped and let go of my shoulders. "Sorry…" she apologized and looked down.

Silence filled our surroundings.

Maria is looking at me with a worried face, so I guess I ought to say something to assure her, right?

I forced a smile and told her, "Good morning. I guess…"

…

Later on, they told me everything.

Zack and Thor said that I was surrounded by some black mist, when they found me at the second floor of the library.

After the two of them found me, it seemed that I kinda messed up the library unconsciously, and attacked them.

The two of them got injured, but they're both well now.

It seems that while the two of them put off a pretty good fight with me, a red-haired man came out of nowhere and came to heal me.

According to Maria, I had slept for 3 weeks due to the fatigue I felt, after raging on and fainted onwards.

The reason why I raged like that was unknown.

And somehow, I couldn't remember the contents of the book, except for one line that isn't leaving my mind, since then.

"Thy emotion is what makest thee right now"

I kinda remember that when I read that line was when everything turned dark, and a bit complicated.

Maria said that when that red-haired man had some of the palace's servants check the book, it turned out to be just a normal book.

The content everyone saw was off a normal recipe and history book.

But in my and the mysterious red-haired man's eyes, it was a grimoire, a magic book in other words. Other than that, nothing came out of that book.

Even so, the fact that line left off a big impact on me is unknown.

And the fact that I suddenly thought about the events when I was 7 years old as Hakuya Soraki is also unknown to me, myself…

Means all is left as a mystery.

"I assume that the book wasn't the cause of your son's sudden rage. More or less, it only served as a trigger"

With his fingers crossed and is covering his mouth, the emperor nodded, as he listened to my explanation.

"Then, leaving the book unscratched wouldn't hurt him or anything?" the emperor asked and I nodded.

I cleared my throat.

"However, there isn't any guarantee that this will be the last time" I stated and the Emperor asked me, "You are saying that there is a possibility of it happening again?"

I nodded

"Knowing your son, Prince Edward's mental state, I am sure of it, your imperial majesty" I stated.

The Emperor raised an eyebrow and mumbled, "Mental state..?"

"If my speculations are right, your son… he isn't sure about his own memories, your imperial majesty"

With my words, the Emperor's crossed fingers loosened up and showed his baffled expression. "What do you mean?" he asked, with a worried face.

I looked away, before looking back at the Emperor.

"Like I said, speculation sir… It means that it is similar to something you can call a bluff. Right now it is. But who knows what might happen"

I took a deep breath in and out.

"Time, your imperial majesty… Give me time to prove my speculation, please"

The Emperor pressed his forehead and sighed. "Alright, I will give you a position that will make you stay with my son"

My lips formed a smile of relief.

"But for now, we will have to do a thorough check on your background and things" the emperor pressed his table, and push off his chair away from it.

This Emperor always show an intimidating aura around him, but I guess he is a loving kind father deep down.

I bowed, "Roger!"

The emperor stood off his seat and looked at the window, behind him. "You said your name was…What was it again?" the emperor uttered, as he looked back at me.

My smile changed into a smirk.

I pressed my chest with my right hand and introduced myself. "Fiore, sir. My name is Fiore Gunrlink"

"Uhm! Can I ask your name?" I asked. I felt the girl smile… no, I did see her smile. However, her face seems vague.

The girl's smile changed into a frown, "That is my line. You… who are you?"

"Ugh!" I groaned, as I opened my eyes a bit forcefully. I looked at me right palm. "A dream, huh..?" I mumbled, as I panted.

I heard someone snore, beside me. "Maria…" I mumbled, as I saw her. "E-ed…" She mumbled, as she woke up.

She gasped, and grabbed my shoulders. "Are you fine? Does it hurt anywhere?" She quickly asked.

"I-I am fine, right now. More or less, you're hurting my shoulders, Maria" I spoke. Maria gasped, and slowly let go off my shoulders. "Sorry…" She looked down.

Maria looked at me with a worried face. "Good morning, I guess" I stated.

Later on, they told me everything. According to Maria, I had slept for 3 weeks. It seems that I raged and fainted.

Zack and Thor said that I was surrounded by some black mist, when they found me at the second floor.

After the two of them found me, it seemed that I kinda messed up the library unconsciously, while attacking them. The two of them got injured, but they're both well now.

It seems that while the two of them put off a pretty good fight with me, a red-haired man came out of nowhere and came to heal me.

The reason why I became raged like that was unknown.

And somehow, I couldn't remember the contents of the book, except for one line. "Thy emotion is what makest thee right now"

I kinda remember that when I read that line was when everything turned dark.

Maria said that when that red-haired man checked the book, it turned out to be just a normal book. The content everyone sees was off a normal recipe and history book.

But in my and the red-haired man's eyes, it was a grimoire. A magic book in other words. Other than that, nothing came out of that book.

Even so, the fact that line left off a big impact on me is unknown.

And the fact that I suddenly thought about the events when I was 7 years old as Hakuya Soraki is also unknown to me, myself…

Means all is left as a mystery.

"The book surely was not the cause of your Son's sudden rage. Probably, it was nothing but a trigger" I stated.

The emperor nodded. "I see. Then leaving the book unscratched wouldn't hurt him or anything?" he asked.

"Surely, but there isn't any guarantee that it might be the last" I spoke. "So, you are saying that there is a possibility of it happening again?" The Emperor tilted his head to the side.

"Yes, knowing your son's mental state. I am sure of it" I stated. "Mental state..?" The Emperor mumbled.

"If my speculations are right, your son… he isn't sure about his own memories, your majesty" I stated. "What do you mean?" The Emperor asked.

"Like I said, speculation sir… It means that it is similar to something you can call a bluff. Right now it is. But who knows what might happen" I explained

I added, "Time sir… Give me time to prove my speculation"

"Alright, I will give you a position that will make you stay with my son. But for now, we will have to do a check on your background and things" The emperor stated.

I smirked. "Roger" I spoke, as I bowed.

The emperor stood off his seat and looked at the window, behind him. "You said your name was…What was it again?" The emperor uttered, as he looked back at me.

"Fiore, sir. Fiore Gunrlink" I smiled