Dust wakes up once again in an unknown place.
Confused and stunned he stares at the high cieiling which features sculptures of owls fighting over his head.
A magnificent crystal candlestick in the shapes of bunch of grapes is held by the talon of one of the birds and illuminate the room with warm light.
His hand runs over his face wiping away cold sweat.
What the heck happened?
He is still wearing his clothes, and his pants cling to his skin like crazy because he sweated.
His mouth is dry too.
Did i dream all that?
But i remember it too well.
Half-lying on the big bed, his back against the wooden headboard he look around him.
He still doesn't remember who he is.
The bedroom is like one that you see in a castle. The wood used for the furnitures has a dark cherry colour and is carved.
Two larges wardrobes are in his left, while in his right a bedside has a simple lantern with a candle.
There is also a door in front of the bed a few meters away with a silver wing-shaped door's handle.
The two-meter mirror beside it reflects the bewildered face of the boy.
He inspects his own face curiously as he get off the bed at the same time.
Dark brown eyes underlined by dark circles between light brown strands looks back at him.
It's a cold and hazy look.
A look that should belong to a lost being cornered but determined.
It's strange, he thinks, i have shifty eyes but they are chilling if they stay still.
Again, the same question come to his mind.
who i am?
His shoes touch the white carpet where lily flowers are woven with silver threads.
When he stand he can confirm with the help of the mirror that he is indeed small in size.
He can also see that his muscles are more traced than he had thought especially at the level of his calves.
His hair reach his jaw, he has small lips who seem to contain a perpetual sneer.
His face is round, his sheekbones are pronounced while his cheeks are hollows.
His eyebrows hiddens by his bangs are lines horizontals without any curves.
Small scars on his skin around his right eyes can be seen if one pay enough attention. As if it was left by shards of glass.
He seems quite… well.
He isn't handsome like Suspicious. But at least he is good-looking.
Where i am?
Turning his head he look at everything around him.
After the wardrobe, part of the wall is covered with velvet curtains in the colour of fir needles.
The same color as the bed sheets.
Dust opens the curtains and discovers arched windows.
He tries to look at the outside but only see absolute darkness. Considering his nightmare, he recoils as if he is still in the mine.
Since earlier he didn't relax one a bit.
He isn't a fool.
His hands feel his pockets which still contain some blue stones.
The mine, the creature wasn't a nightmare. Now that he is more awake he is sure of it. It was real.
And he must have fainted when the door was opened there.
if his memories is correct Suspicious collapsed in front of him too.
So…
Why is he here? Who put him to bed? one of the other in the group?
It doesn't seem likely.
Where are the others? Where is the creature? How can he even find an explanation for all the supernatural events that happened to him?
Should he even find one?
Maybe he is actually crazy and is currently raving in an asylum while a doctor try to speak him out of this.
Really this theory is the most realistic.
So Dust ask himself seriously.
I am crazy?
In any case no voice in his head answer him.
Thus Dust gives himself the benefit
of the doubt.
If he is crazy so be it.
If this is reality then he better act wisely.
He search in the room for anything useful but find nothing apart from elegant clothes in the two wardrobe and leather boots.
After a bit of thoughts and mental preparation he take the lantern on the bedside and come to stand before the lone door of the bedroom.
The boy draw a long breath.
His ears trying to catch any strange sound behind it.
He hears nothing but the howling wind outside.
With precaution he open the door.
Dust expected to see a dark corridor quite alike the one in the mine with a monster made of fog jumping at his face.
But instead a small living room appear before his eyes lit by candles.
There were green clothed couches with golden decorations depicting nature colorful cushions as soft as the coat of a rabbit with in front of it a round and glossy wooden table with curved foots in the center of the room. A extinguished fireplace at the back is between two doors.
At his left three windows framed by their velvet curtain tied with a white ribbon.
Everything was warm and simple but it couldn't hide how every furnitures were luxurious product that you could only find in European castles.
Walking on the parquet Dust cross the room and choose to open the door at his right.
It was a big bathroom.
The bath was ready, the hot water clouding the mirror over the sink.
A sink who seemed to be made of a material like jade with a silver faucet.
A faucet?
He turn the tap and clear water flows one second later.
He drink it with happiness.
Dust feel a bit safe.
Someone has prepared a bath for him.
If people has the leisure to think about this then it must mean there is no monster out for blood here.
He hesitates, then he takes a bath.
The water is great. Covering him like a warm embrace.
He still want to delay the time when he will have to look at the other door as he doesn't know what await him.
After taking a bath, he come back to the bedroom and dresses with the clothes found in the wardrobe. But he keep his shoes. The blue stones are put in his new pockets. Like a lucky charm.
Then he comes back in the living room and take the right door while still keeping in his hand the lantern.
He doesn't think about leaving the building. After all when he looked through the window the opaque darkness was quite worrisome.
But he does want to know where he is, and where are the others.
And, Dust think while rubbing his stomach, i want something to eat.
Behind this door he find an hallway with a lot of other doors and lit candles.
Happy to see the lights, Dust relax a bit more.
The boy doesn't look at the other rooms but directly goes at the end of the hallway to go down.
A majestic spiralling staircaise wait there quite a far cry from the one in the mine.
He didn't meet anyone on his floor.
Now he goes down the steps, the howling winds is reduced to whispers.
He goes to another floor but continues to descends. He can hear voices there.
When he see the ground floor, the boy stop to look in awe at the carved wooden doors wich is five time his size. Next to it a two- meter high clock has its hands still.
The free hand of Dust stroke the handrail of white marble.
Pony is in front it with the old man and discuss between themselve without having seen him.
The boy sighs in relief at the sight.
This place seem quite safe indeed.