Jin plugged the key into the hole and twisted it to let a satisfying click ring in his ear, jolting up his cloudy mind as he pushed the door inside. He stood still with eyes opened wide, seeing the interstellar room.
He is trapped between a narrow path that leads to a huge room. In the middle, a single king-size bed covered by a pristine sheet stands. Light filtered through the window on the bed's left side, creating a gentle and calm atmosphere in the room.
Cold wind seeped through the small gaps, letting a tied curtains flutter gently.
On both sides of the narrow passage, two doors facing each other are installed, which are probably toilets or bathrooms for his needs.
Jin was too preoccupied by the heaviness in his mind; he jumped forward and dove straight onto the bed. The bed rocked as his body submerged in the comfort of a warm bed straight from the sun.
"Man, this is heaven". The gentle embrace that wrapped his body, putting weight into his lids, making it heavier, until he finally let himself drift toward the void.
"Jin!?". A knock and his mother's calling snapped his eyes open, bolting him into a sitting position from the bed.
"Yes, Mother". He swallowed his resentment and shook his head to get rid of his dizziness.
The door slowly opened with a creak to reveal both his parents in formal attire. As usual, his father likes to wear blue, and his mother is bright red, which shows each of their personalities well.
"We are going to greet the King first." Ryan calmly announced their intention. His eyes swept around at his son, seeing that he was still wearing his traveling outfit.
"Jin, if you want to rest, change your clothes first." Marina approached, held the boy's jacket, and lifted it from his body.
"It's okay, mother. I can do this myself".
"Then, why are you still wearing your adventure set-up?".
"I will do it now, so please, stop".
She stopped her hand about to reach the kid's t-shirt and stepped back to stand beside Ryan.
Jin exhaled softly. He fixed his messy outfit before leaving the bed and thought, 'That was embarrassing.' He rubbed his arms and looked toward his parents.
"So, who else is going to go?".
"We and the Duke family". Ryan answered; he looked at the opened door and heard a faint sound of the opened door from the neighbor, and reached Jin's room.
"I see, so Silvia will also take part." Jin chuckled as his eyes caught the gleaming azure eyes peeking through the door gap.
He loosened his lips, greeted her with a warm smile, and turned to his parents. "Well, have fun out there".
It was for a moment, but Jin saw a gloomy cloud covering her azure eyes. Her deflated brows furrowed together as she left the scene silently.
"It's not like we're going there to have fun". Ryan smiled wryly, hearing his son's abrupt tone.
"What are you going to do, Jin?".
Jin shifted to his mother's question and placed his finger on the lips, deep in thought. He glanced at the side and saw the bed, but his drowsiness had been blown away by the guests' arrival.
He looked further beyond the window. A long rope was attached between the building roofs, decorated by a tiny flag of the Kingdom that fluttered gently.
Looking back at the town's atmosphere, Jin pondered for a second before pointing his thumb outside, "Well, might as well explore the unfamiliar place".
***
After a brief parting with his parents and Duke's family, Jin settled outside. His gaze wandered across the wide street, which led him to the central town.
From afar, his ears perked up as he heard the merry atmosphere surrounding the place. Jin slowly approached the place, gazing ponderously ahead.
His eyes widened when he reached the central town, which was in a festive mood.
A rowdy crowd filled the entire place. He looked around and heard a soft tune from a strumming instrument, its beautiful melody and hum attracting every passerby to stay still.
Various stalls selling food and drink further boost the ambiance radiating from the town. People exchange jokes; kids run around without a care in the world. Seeing all of this happening before his eyes, Jin couldn't help but parted his lips in joy as well.
Then, something entered his sight. A tall building with a wooden plaque that said, 'Adventure Guild,' stood before him, but Jin shook his head, recalling the promise he made with his mother.
Looking around at the stream of people loitering around the place. "Let's have some fun."
Jin took some coins from his Item Box and began to walk around randomly, following the river's flow until he arrived at the market in the east. He occasionally stopped before a stall that sold something he took a fancy to.
Three paper bags full of foods and ingredients vanished from sight as they entered his Item Box. In his hand, he held a half-bitten sandwich.
The fresh, crunchy texture of the vegetables and the juicy flavor of the meat mashed around in his mouth boosted his mood to explore the place further.
"Hm, what is this place?". Jin stopped in front of a rundown house that had a two-story floor.
Unlike any other building around it, which gives breathers with its bright color, the building was painted with dark color. It stood out like a sore thumb, for it stood in the middle of the market.
On top of the entrance door, a wooden plate hung with a serpent symbol, coiling around a book and the name "Witch Knowledge!? What a strange name".
Jin rubbed his chin and pondered his decision for a minute. His gaze was firm, and he scanned the reaction around him and the building atmosphere before exhaling.
'With how those people looked, it seemed the people around were aware of the building.' Jin glanced at its wooden plate and thought, 'I don't know why, but my gut feeling is screaming to me to look inside'.
Something subtle, like a lingering feeling from the place, drew him in, or rather, it attracted his consciousness to visit and see what it had to offer. 'Let's see what it had inside'.
He tossed the remaining sandwich and walked toward the entrance, pushing the door. It rang a clattering bell that echoed inside the bright space. 'Woah, some differences we got here'.
Unlike the external appearance, the internal gave off the opposite vibes. The place was painted brown and gave off a nature's scent. Like in any library, several brown bookshelves lined up in every place, filled with books and scrolls he was unaware of.
"Welcome, dear customer". A sweet voice like a gentle breeze of autumn wind that carried an earthy scent.
A receptionist's desk stood in the innermost place, straight from the entrance. Behind it, a woman draped in brown robes closed the thick book on the table as she stared at Jin.
She wore a triangle hat, her golden wavy hair cascaded to her back, a crown with the symbol of nature coiled around her forehead, and her golden eyes shone chillingly in a familiar feeling.
Jin's breath stopped, his body frozen solid as an undulating pressure exerted by the woman. A golden aura leaked from all over her pores; it seared his pupils and fried his brain for an overload of information.
A chill crept out on his spine; he clutched his head to stop the throbbing agony that pierced his brain's cell, "Aaaakh!".
His body fell with a dull 'thud' and began to seize like a fish in the land. The searing pain spread to all his nerves, burning all the blood in his veins.
"A, a,". The pain corroded his throat, corrupting his capabilities to speak.
"Halt!" a dignified and clear voice from the woman halts Jin's body; no, it halts even the atmosphere in the room.
'This was…'. The woman, who somehow stood near Jin, lowered her gaze and shrunken her golden eyes. "Can he see through my illusion? A mortal!?".
Her golden eyes flashed, disbelief written on her expression. She observed the boy's condition. All his internal organs and brain had been scorched to crisp. The situation made her wonder just how a mortal could survive the ordeal.
"Impossible!?". She covered her slackened jaw and took a step back, seeing the absurd phenomenon before her.
Something subtle about her gives off a cold and indifferent attitude toward the boy. She snorted before raising one of her hands, trying to dispose of the body that was beyond saving.
"Hmph, this is what you get for trying to peek through my illusion…!?".
However, before she could truly get rid of the body, a faint golden aura manifested through the boy's skin, wrapping him in gentle care. Although the aura itself had no ability to heal, it appeared to delay the destruction that was happening inside the boy's body.
The woman's face tightened as the golden aura pierced her eyes, and her heart thumped so loud that it felt like bursting from her chest. She could feel the familiar feeling coming from the aura as her lips quivered.
"N-No way! That was impossible!?". She kneeled beside the boy and touched his skin, sensing the golden aura around him. "This, don't tell me!? Athena?".
As if responding to the woman's calling, the golden aura blinked, giving her confirmation that the power residing within the boy's body was coming from her long-lost friend and half-sister who also recognized her.
Suddenly, strength left her body, and the woman's vision turned blurred by tears after finding a clue about the person she believed had died in that war. 'Athena, you're alive?'.
"A,".
Hearing the weak whimper from the boy. The woman's eyes snapped open. She shook her head and gently clasped her hands as a golden aura flooded the room.
It seeped through the boy's pores, slowly healing his damaged internal and burning flesh.
In a matter of seconds, the boy's face regained its lustrous color, and his breathing stabilized, so the woman closed her eyes. 'I must suppress my Anima, first. Then, inquire about Athena'.
The golden aura that bathed the whole room flowed in reverse. It crawls back toward the woman's body, leaving nothing behind, not leaving a single speck. All being wiped and settled inside the woman's body.
She fluttered her eyes open and witnessed the boy's soft breath, "He is unconscious."
A clattering sound from the shaking bell turned her attention toward the entrance, and she met her gaze with the familiar girl who tends to visit the shop.
"Granny, I've come to visit".