If it wasn't my problem, why caring?
Wasn't that my life's big very important rule? Why break it out all of a sudden?
Don't care,
Don't care…
As if you can do something if you cared—
"Didn't you have any plans for the weekend?"
I wanted to say something like: 'Why help me out suddenly when you have no reason to?' but I kept it to myself.
They were the type of people who would say: 'because we are friends.' and mean it one hundred percent.
"We don't? Staying at home was boring so we got out. Then we saw you… and now it feels like we have a plan."
"Ah…"
Those two were planning to follow us to the end… but since Hero seemed to enjoy it, I didn't say a word.
And basically, they were a good company, except the fact that they were rapidly mentioning 'don't make this expression as your father' and whatever was similar to that.
I may not be the greatest leading figure out there, but they were acting as if I was the worst.
"So, see you at work?"
"See you at work."
Three and half hours later, we said goodbye to the twins and finally were about to end this trip.
"Now let's go home."
"Home?" Hero asked, already half asleep. "You are returning to that apartment?"
"No."
I was carrying him on my back so I didn't have to explain more before swiping my elevator key on the nearest building's elevator.
Two minutes later, we were in front of that familiar view. Hero didn't even wait a single second before I found him running to his room— to sleep.
"Yeah, sleeping on your bed was always the best thing to do in your day."
I looked around Hero's room for a while before closing the door. When I searched for anything familiar in the house or in the corridor, I found nothing.
It was familiar, yes.
But any other things or feelings or whatever?
No.
I was completely a stranger who killed the anomaly in this house then somehow became the owner. Wasn't that funny?
I used to fear this place but now? No. I've seen worse.
What could I find in a forest house? Old dusty rooms?
First room was the living room, so I skipped it, then the kitchen that was a masterpiece with unbelievable equipment, then one empty room, a library, a room that seemed like a guest room, and finally the main room that had nothing but furniture.
There were no traces of 'the father' here, nor anywhere… and the only room that has got some kind of touch on it was Hero's room.
Was it possible that he lived here alone? Since I wasn't sure yet that he was a human being after all?
"Thinking about it seems weird now."
I took a deep inhale then closed the room behind me, when I did that I ended up looking at my shoes then stopped moving.
Hero got the shoes from this place, right? But I didn't even find a T-shirt, let alone many choices of clothes and shoes.
So there was another room?
Didn't I see all of it? Or there's another one on the second floor?
"Remember, from where did Hero bring it— Ah"
The second floor.
There was a library in it and two rooms. This main room and the guest room.
Then I must search more deeply? For a secret room or something?
Or this house didn't see me as its owner so it played tricks on me?
"Anyways."
I was about to go and search for it when I remembered that I've got glasses that could spare me the whole process.
I didn't.
Nothing was there to see this time, no red glow, no golden glow, nothing.
"So, I don't need anything from this place?"
Really?
But I need— something?
Any hints of what I'm being involved at least…
To make sure, I searched the whole house, and the glasses still showed me nothing… so I simply gave up and returned to the Victorian living room.
"Let's think about things from the beginning, the strangest points first…"
Hero did not vanish when he fell asleep this time, he was still in his room.
Does that mean that this is the place he comes to when he sleeps every time? Or is it a different case?
Why was I thinking too much about 'his dad' thing when he himself was the biggest issue?
"I'm the biggest issue, to be honest…"
I was the one who went to search for him in the forest, I was the one who called his name even if I had no idea where I took it from, I was the one who acted normal with him all this time…
And I was the one who didn't think twice before calling him 'my son' in front of the twins earlier.
So, I was the problem, since I used to react so naturally with something nobody must act with it naturally.
"This won't take me anywhere."
I lay on the couch, trying to relax my body, then remembered that I have to go to the Auction whether I like it or not.
Or maybe I didn't have to?
I wanted to go back to the carnival since I was curious about multiple things, but was it that important? Was I too desperate to know anything?
Why?
From where I was someone who could decide to lose his peace just for a simple unimportant question that floated in his head?
Never.
I've never been that person.
"I must return the equipment and the ring to the Vampire then."
Yeah,
That was the best thing to do.
Leaving them alone to solve their problems…
"Nice, let's sleep now."
If someone told me three weeks ago I would end up sleeping in this place, I would genuinely think that he was the stupidest among all the crazy people out there—
But after doing it?
I was the stupidest among all the crazy people on the planet.
Why?
Because I literally opened my eyes to a different place, or to be more specific… The same place but everything else was different.
The furniture was different, the wallpapers, the atmosphere… everything. And when I went to the kitchen to make sure I found it the same but there was food in the fridge and it was looking like a kitchen that had been used, not just for show.
All other rooms got the same transformation… it was suddenly full of life.
Only the main room stayed untouched.
"Am I dreaming? Or what's happening?"
It must be a dream, or why was I seeing things change after only three hours of sleeping?
"I must return, why did I forget that this place was a Vessel too?"
I returned to the living room, in order to pick up my jacket and glasses, but somehow found them in places that I've never put them in.
The jacket was on the hanger, and the glasses were on the side table, perfectly put there.
What the.
Agh—
"Deep breath Nathan, deep breath."
Maybe this place has recognized me as his owner? Why organize my things all of sudden?
"Hey, where are my clothes? I need to change."
Yeah, speak to the house.
I was being crazy, but who cares?
"Where can I find it?"
The house didn't respond, of course. And I returned to my senses and put my jacket on then the glasses, ready to go back.
Go back where?
No idea.
But at least not here.
"I have to see Hero first."
I would be more comfortable if I saw him vanish to return to wherever he was returning every time.
Right?
"Yeah yeah, I'm acting weird again."
I went to the second floor to see Hero, and he was there, still sleeping.
After looking at him for a while, I just thought really hard that I need him to go somewhere safer— and that happened.
Even I got surprised when I saw him just disappearing in front of my eyes.
"Nice, now I'm returning."
I closed Hero's room behind me, then looked at the empty floor.
An array suddenly flashed on the ground.
I blinked,
Then it's gone.
Then when I turned to leave, it flashed again, in green this time.
"Am I seeing things again?"
No,
That thing didn't change, and it was pointing at the wall, not a door or anything, wall.
I touched everywhere on it, imagining that a secret door was there, but no. There wasn't anything.
"Then maybe it's the ground?"
It wasn't.
So, I simply decided to leave, again.
This time the color of the array became red, and it was specifically pointed at a single circle fold between the wall and the floor.
And what to do with a circle?
I touched it.
My whole body got an electrical shock after, and somehow all the floor changed. All. Of. It.
The floor got a new color, the ceiling too, there was new furniture, new photos, new toys.
Somehow,
It became more and more familiar.
"Oh, photos!"
I didn't hesitate before going there and picked one from the table, I didn't even give my mind or heart any kind of preparation before seeing it.
That's why I went stone after, no breathing, no thinking, no processing—
I was in the photos.
Maybe Tristan too, if we are alike.
Hero was there,
Silas too,
And a little girl with him, in the age of Hero maybe…
Somehow she looked like a small carbon copy of Adeline.