THE castle was larger than she could’ve imagined. No matter how far she walked, there was no end in sight.
No sooner had she started her walk than Yura began to regret it. She couldn’t even remember which way she had come from.
“I always thought I understood just how big a castle really was,” Yura moaned.
This is more like a labyrinth, though. Big enough for an entire town rather than just a castle.
As she wandered aimlessly, Yura continued to be amazed. No matter where she went, she’d run into something new. Tall vases full of exotic flowers, water fountains that pierced the heavens, gigantic tapestries. Soldiers clad in suits of armor that sparkled like children’s toys. Everything caught her eye. And then she stopped.
It took her less than five minutes to get lost.
Oh well…what does it matter? Yura thought. She’d wanted to be alone from the start, so she simply wandered on.
At any rate, she had so many things to think about.
She’d searched high and low for a clock but found none. When she tried to turn on the phone in her uniform pocket, she found the battery was completely dead. No matter how many times she pressed the power button, her phone wouldn’t power on. Perhaps it was broken?
I’ll have to get it repaired when I get home… How much money did I have left from my allowance?
Yura had carelessly broken her watch last month, and if she didn’t explain it right, she’d be in for a big scolding.
But how would she explain this?
Along the pillared corridor were numerous statues. As Yura glanced casually around the corridor, something suddenly caught her eye, and she exclaimed.
“Amazing…! How did I not notice this sooner?”
Above her, a massive painting covered the ceiling.
The top parts of the tall columns intersected in arches, stretching off ahead as far as the eye could see.
The magnificent fresco painting was so fresh, she could still smell the paint.
A garden sprawled out beyond one of the side passages. Yura gasped.
It was laid out in intricate geometric patterns. Like those found on a carpet.
Her eyes entranced by the flowers in full bloom, Yura smiled gently.
What a lovely place.
As if to lead the bewitched Yura on, one beautiful enticement after the next seemed to appear. It was as if all these sights were created solely to allow her to let go of all her worries. As if trying to convince her to put off the harsh reality of it all for a little longer.
Up ahead, she saw the end of the corridor.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the garden off the next corridor and then noticed something else. It was a path.
A narrow side path, seemingly stretching off from the massive corridor.
Yura blinked rapidly. Standing still, she peered down the hall.
As she marveled at it, the sound of water from somewhere caught her ear.
If the corridors she’d walked through up to this point could be considered the arteries of the castle, then this path was more like one of the capillaries in one’s finger, absolutely undetectable by the naked eye.
It was like an aerodynamic hole drilled into the walls, a narrow tunnel path, and completely quiet.
How was this made?
As she peeked in, she could see something that looked like a water fountain.
Unlike the white floors up to this point, what awaited her here was bare earth.
This might be the perfect place to do some thinking…
Without hesitation, Yura stepped forward. There was barely enough room on the path for two people to pass one another. On top of that, the passage was dark. If there was anyone on the other side, they likely wouldn’t notice her.
From within the passage, she could hear something that sounded like a small brook.
The sun was shining at the other end, and the second she reached it, Yura was taken aback.
It was a small garden. A snug little space with no one else around. It was square in shape, but with the corners covered with grass and ivy.
There was a round little water fountain on her left, but the basin was tilted.
Yura blinked.
On top of the basin was a beast she had never seen before with its wings spread wide. One leg was raised and its beak-like mouth was open. Water spilled lazily from its mouth and leaked onto the ground.
…I guess they don’t really use this area yet.
Yura stood there by herself. The ground at her feet was covered in weeds. There were puddles, and the pathway of stones were overturned.
Yura was getting splashed from standing too close to the fountain, so she stepped back and wiped her face.
Clearly, this area hadn’t been used in a long time…
Further into the garden were two thick overturned columns, apparently left behind. They were low enough for her to sit on. She headed over to it.
Perfect, I can do some thinking there…
She took a half-step into that weed-covered garden, assuming no one else was there. But then she froze.
“Oh…” Yura stiffened.
There, in that derelict garden, was a person.
That person was sitting absentmindedly on a single step. He was slumped over, with a hand on his knee. Even with his back stooped forward, Yura could tell he was far taller than she.
He looked around the same age as Ashes. He wiped his cheek sluggishly, likely having been splashed by the fountain. Occasionally, he blinked his eyes thoughtfully.
Yura instinctively gasped upon seeing his frighteningly handsome face. Then the young man who’d been staring off into space lifted his head.
Yura froze, startled. Their eyes met.
He gazed back at Yura as if seeing something strange.
A sudden wind blew between them. His light golden hair danced on the breeze, and his unfocused eyes were a misty green. He blinked—then his eyes went wide.
It was in reaction to Yura shrinking back at that same moment.
It was as if they had initially seen the other in outline only, then became completely shocked when that blurry image came into full focus.