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❅{ THE CORRIDOR OF ANCIENTS } -- x (2) ❅{ THE CORRIDOR OF DREAMS} -- x (2) ❅{ THE CORRIDOR OF TIME} -- x (2) ❅{ THE CORRIDOR OF MADNESS} -- x (2) ❅{ THE CORRIDOR OF SECRETS} -- Secret Room (5 bonus)
“Get the carriage as soon as possible, we're at the portals set up in town. Jackspeed.”
...
“Wake up, please.”
- - -
She had forgotten how she had gotten here. Wandering down the endless corridor, all she knew was that she had been here for a while.
I need to get back. The thought echoed through her mind, though it spurred her to move no quicker. The right way would be revealed in time.
The ghoul passed by one broken door after another, somehow knowing that they held not the answers she sought. Instead with each step she took, the ghoul found herself falling deeper into contemplation.
Why, despite knowing the risks, did she always follow? Some part of her must have craved the danger, even after all this time. Was she sick for being so?
Something prompted her to stop and turn, moving towards a broken door. She knew it was not the one she was looking for, but there was something she wanted to see.
The door swung open, revealing a tessellated floor of black and white tiles. Ah, yes. She remembered those visions from back then when she was caught in limbo in wonderland.
She had found that happiness they promised her, had she not? She could walk down that rosy road and choose to forget. Why then, did she still cling onto those memories that only gave her scars.
But she couldn't bear the thought of going back to not knowing. And yet the irony was that she would feign ignorance each time, keeping the knowledge all to herself. This burden was not one to share.
A pulse was felt throughout the air, as if her thoughts had resonated with something, somewhere. The choice to keep those memories, despite all other costs.
The white door stood before her, whole and complete. A sense of calmness washed over her, having found her answer in some capacity.
She would have to try, and give herself a chance. Herself, and...
Light engulfed her as she opened the door, entering a space of complete whiteness. She could sense that it was not empty, despite its appearance. Her hand reached out through the air, grasping at the invisible something. And as her hand closed upon it, it bloomed.
- - -
She found herself staring at a familiar ceiling, laid comfortably on the bed. She was conscious she had been out for a while, but for how long?
The ghoul shifted onto her side, sliding herself into an upright position. A figure was slumped over a chair beside the bed.
For that long, huh.
A hand touched his knee, still cautious of jolting him awake. It must have been a furtive sleep, for his eyes immediately flew open, inspecting her frantically.
“You're awake,” he uttered, as though he needed some confirmation.
Her arms found their way around him, holding him in an embrace.
“I'm sorry,” she whispered into his shoulder.
Neither one moved for a while.
“How long was I out for?” she finally broke the silence, slipping away eyes averted.
“Two days,” he confirmed, sounding concerned and relieved at the same time. “Your leg, I had a doctor see to it,” he glanced over her, though the injury was hidden from view under the covers.
“It's just a scratch, it'll be fine,” she dismissed it quickly, turning back towards him but still avoiding his gaze. “You must not have had much sleep,” she sighed apologetically.
“I will now,” he got up from his seat, stretching out the strains from the prolong vigil. “Stay here, I'll get you something to eat.”
The ghoul watched him exit the room, head propped up on her knees. There was going to be a lot of explaining to do. She owed him that much at least.
Ugh. She buried her face in the covers as flashes of memory came back to her from the incident. Some of them... not belonging to her either. She would need a while to process everything again, but she could take her time with that.
There was something else she was missing.
Her gaze was drawn towards the nightstand, where a single flowered hairpin lay. It was not a gift from him, she quickly deduced out of pure instinct. Not in that frame of mind.
She picked it up to examine, handling it with delicacy. Something told her it held a lot more to it despite its innocuous appearance. A pulse rippled through her, emanating from the object in her hands. And then she knew.
“But what do I do with you?” she asked rhetorically, all too wary that such an object would be in her hands. She already had another problem to deal with, turning her hand to stare at the red ring sitting on her finger. And yet, her worries seemed to be surface deep. Something was reassuring her that it would be okay.
