'My head was like a nest of bees as I felt an extreme buzzing sound, following no matter the position I placed my head.
It was a nightmare; I couldn't even locate the source of this intense sound.
Maybe I should focus on how I arrived at this location, it could be the key to this state of mine…'
After moments of struggling to piece his memory together, Stiles came to a conclusion.
'I can't seem to recall anything, only the annoying feeling of this buzzing sound is etched in my memory.'
Stiles was in a dilemma as he struggled to figure out his situation. His eyes were tightly shut, and every attempt to open them proved futile. A horrifying situation, indeed.
'Am I chained somewhere, maybe by an unknown force? Stiles, you have to recall—anything that can get you out.
Ohh, I recall my name, Stiles. Seems I got the essence or rather key to escape this place.'
Stiles focused more on recalling his life. Slowly, fragments of his memories flooded in, arranging themselves as Stiles worked on piecing them together.
To accomplish this task, Stiles had to experience everything over again as if he were living in the past. From the day he gained consciousness to date.
Stiles felt like giving in to the grief, but he knew that it won't help at this moment. He was able to close his mind off to the pain by focusing on the happy moments of his life.
'What do I truly want? To live or die?'
At this moment, Stiles felt confused about what he truly wanted—what was this thread that he kept holding unto?
Did he truly want to die? Or maybe he is struggling to survive so as to perform his research?
Stiles knew it was none of this fact. Life was just like an instinctual thought on his part; he always held on to it, despite deeming it irrelevant.
'How infuriating… even my life does not truly belong to me.
Is that what I am; a puppet of fate!'
Stiles screamed in his head, lashing on the reins that dragged him on.
'Heh heh, I believe I've discovered the necessary key to escaping this circle.'
Stiles' chest heaved up and down as he rolled off the majestic bed. His unfocused eyes stared at the ceiling before he hastily turned to a mirror, hung at an appropriate spot in the luxurious room.
Stiles didn't waste a second, standing on his shaky feet, and slowly staggering to the mirror with great difficulty.
'My eyes, they are golden… no longer multi-colored…' Stiles hissed, feeling a sense of urgency in his actions. 'My skin still feels and looks the same, but I can sense the faint tingling on my back…'
Stiles took off the button shirt he wore, almost reaping off the buttons in an attempt to reveal his upper body faster.
'The Triskelion…!'
Splendidly crafted on his back was the Triskelion symbol, glowing with multi-colors. It was as if the symbol had taken all the colors of his eyes for itself.
'N-no, no…' Stiles muttered under his breath, holding the bronze mirror by its edge.
He couldn't bear looking at how much the incident had changed him. After all, he prided in his physical characteristics.
'Stay calm, Stiles. At least the only strange change lies in your eyes and back… but what if the symbol affects another part of me…
I should start researching the symbol. Yes! That's the best line of action for now.'
Stiles headed for the bathroom, hoping to freshen up before heading for the library and other research locations of Kynburgh.
The bathroom did not fall behind the bedroom, all items were splendidly made and placed.
Soaking in the bathtub was just like consuming sedatives for Stiles. He felt his muscles relax, his overheated brain cooling down within seconds. It was a feeling Stiles wanted to bask in with all his might since he rarely encountered sensations like this one.
'I feel like sleeping here forever, maybe I should just become the Sin Of Sloth…' Stiles had read many books on creatures of the world, so he knew of the Sins, as well as the Virtues.
'Hmm… I didn't see my attendant, and also remember blacking out at the entrance of that newcomer…'
Due to his relaxed state, Stiles could now recall things apart from his personal problems.
'That Leopold guy must be pissed that he couldn't end me, I'm sure it won't work even though he tried now…. '
After everything he had witnessed, Stiles knew he had some automatic defense system created subconsciously by himself. It could also be that someone was trying to mislead his thought process, but he won't like to think of it as such for now.
'Heh heh…'
Stiles chuckled, picking up the soft sponge by the edge of the bathtub. It was squishy and very comfortable to hold.
Stiles rubbed the sponge against his skin, spreading the foam around his body.
'The Royal family seems to have a thing for blonde head individuals. This brings me to a conjecture, my caretaker, Alexia, is a blonde head female.'
Stiles could not help but picture a royal situation where the king would have an illegitimate child due to extramarital affairs; or rather, a child of his concubine.
'Maybe her level of power stems from the fact that she is no ordinary female. But if my theory is correct, why would she become a caretaker? Even though her Ability requires her to take care of or protect something, she could have become a lord of a land or household, catering for her path.'
Stiles witnessed imaginary smoke exiting his head as he tried to understand the Royal Family lifestyle. They were such complicated beings, magnifying the smallest of issues.
Creak
'Who is it…' Stiles shifted his head slightly, eyeing the entrance to the bathroom.
Standing at the entrance was the blonde lady with scarlet eyes, looking at Stiles as if to cut a big chunk of his flesh.
"Alexia?!" Stiles called out, perplexed by her sudden intrusion.
"You seem to be doing well, now," Alexia commented, her gaze unwavering.
Twitch
'What a pervert? She can't even avert her gaze, looking at a nude male with such intensity…' Stiles felt infuriated by his caretaker, Alexia, attitude toward his privacy.
"You should get ready soon, things are getting messy around here," Alexia said as she turned to leave.
'Wait…! Fuck!'
"I'm coming, wait for me!" Stiles jumped off the bathtub, uncaring for his nudity.
'It seems I'm not allowed a moment of rest….'