Cherreads

Chapter 3 - Attempt

As Linda descended from the stairs, arriving at an empty corridor, she saw four doors, even on each sides.

Ahead was an intercepting hall featuring a series of veil windows that illuminates the surrounding darkness.

To her left, between the two mahogany door is a waist-level table, next to it is a wooden grand clock, approximately two feet higher than Linda. Its short hand points slightly above the nine, while the longer points slightly below twelve, indicating the time: 10:15.

At that moment, a faint creak echoed from a door to her right, slowly swinging open.

Startled, Linda's breath hitched. Without a second thought, she darted into a nearby room—thankfully unlocked—and quietly eased the door shut behind her, pressing her back against it as she strained to listen to the outside.

Tap Tap Tap

Soon, the footsteps gradually vanished. Opening the door, she saw that the corridor became quiet once more.

A wolf in a sheep's clothing, what a better way to refer to them... She silently mused. Choosing to believe Selina's accusations. Before striding off towards the entrance of the basement.

She eventually reached an interception, from her left, according to Selina's memories, leads to the manor's dining hall, while the right leads further to a corridor, with a trapdoor at the end.

With this in mind, not long did she arrived at the trapdoor of the basement.

She lowered herself towards the trapdoor, unlatched the wooden panel, and entered the descending stairs.

Attached to the walls are a series of small tubes extending into a fist sized lamps, illuminating the narrow stairs. Each step she took echoed within the confines of the cobblestone walls.

After awhile, her feet felt the cold rigid surface of the stoned floor. The darkness ahead completely consumes the basement's interior.

I should have brought a candle.. Slight regret welled within Linda. 

Relying on the dim glow of the wall lamps, her eyes caught sight of a wooden stick resting against the wall. She took it, opening the glass layer of a nearby lamp and carefully lit the tip.

With her makeshift torch in hand, Linda pressed on—still in search of the ancient hand mirror.

The light emanating from the torch reveals the contents concealed by the darkness, ranging from swords, armors, relics, and wooden crates. A thick layer of dust cloaked everything, marking the long passage of time.

With a slightly exhaust sigh. Linda began rummaging the caugh-inducing piles of antiques.

Her hand threw one item to another, rearranging them into another pile for half an hour.

Soon, her eyes caught a glint of a metallic object through the dim light. Beneath a layer of multiple relics, the object is engraved with a pattern of a pupil-less eye, with vines and waves frozen in its metallic surface. Its unique design radiates a sense of antiquity.

Her hand turned the object over, revealing a mirror, the size of a human palm.

This is it! She exclaimed in delight. Quickly taking the mirror from the rubble pile of the relics.

As she was about to return, a sequence of faint steps echoed from the entrance of the stairs.

Startled by the sudden intrusion, Linda dashed into a stack of wooden crates—pressed the torch onto the stone floor, twisting it, and extinguishing her presence.

Soon, two individuals have arrived from the stairs.

The man on the right have a deep outline, wrinkled and stubbled face, brown eyes, lean body, and a combed black hair with a prominent white strands, wearing a tuxedo and a pair of white gloves.

While the woman on the left have a set of dull limp eyes, wrinkled face, crooked nose and a few strains of white in her black hair tied with a headpiece. She wore a maid's attire combined with white frills and laces.

Georgia and Marquis? What are they doing here? She wandered, leaning her back against the wooden crates, straining to catch a fragments of their conversation.

Suddenly, Marquis began to grew illusive tendrils that seems to complete his body, the insect-like creatures squirmed and contort.

!? Linda's eyes shiver in fear as she peek from the stacks of relics and crates.

Before her, Marquis's form began to shift—his once aged body was reshaped into a much younger man—deep brown eyes, black hair, aquiline nose, lean body and an outlined face.

While Georgia began to mirror Marquis's transformation, displaying multiple worms that wriggle themselves into a younger woman with a blackish-brown eyes, shoulder-length hair, rounded chin and an average face.

I-Is this what... Selina meant? Linda thought, a chill treading through her spine.

The man that have reformed from Marquis spoke in a deep tone. "The mystical artifact's effect have faded... Let's head back to the head before someone sees us"

"What's the rush?" The girl mused, holding a piece of tattered garment over her palm. She added, "They'll report their own members? They're apart of us!"

Apart of them? Linda's thoughts spiraled, her eyes skittered . Have all of Selina's loved ones replaced by strangers!?

"Yeah, but there's an exception" He replied, shrugging off the girl's careless indifference.

"You mean Selina?" She answered, amused by the man's overly cautious demeanor. She paused momentarily before adding, "Soon."

At that moment, the stillness of the air stirred in turbulence. The tattered garment from the girl's hand burst into a radiating light. Shrouding the entirety of the basement.

Not long after, the brilliant glow receded and the two individuals disappeared from Linda's view.

Deep inhales resounded from the darkness of the basement. Linda, her hand clenching the metallic mirror, felt her heart ramming her throat.

I need to return back! Her fear escalated into urgency. With the antique mirror in her palm, Linda quickly returned to the trapdoor entrance.

Muffled brisks of foot steps echoed through the empty hall.

Ascending the flight of stairs, she finally arrived back to her room, quickly closing the door shut.

Linda's breath became rugged and

With the antique mirror in her possession. Her only method to return home can now be attempted.

Lifting it in front of her, She saw the pale and beautiful Selina once more.

Gathering her thoughts, Linda retraced her final moments on Earth. In her dorm, holding the ancient mirror brought from a street merchant, rattling her mind for a prayer.

The "heaven and earth" sentence is common among religious scriptures. Adding a god's title using this as the basis, Linda managed to revised her own prayer for the mirror.

Using it was a long shot, but Linda had nothing else to rely on.

She took a leap of faith and began chanting a prayer she used before.

With a deep breath, she muttered "Lord of Heaven and Earth, I beseech thee for blessings"

The second, heaving an air, she whispered "Father of Heaven and Earth, I beseech thee for blessings"

The third, she silently chanted "Ruler of Heaven and Earth, I beseech thee for blessings"

Finally, she exhaled a foul breath before she solemnly declared "Celestial Lord of Heaven and Earth, I beseech thee for blessings"

Her eyes closed shut. Leaning her back towards the mahogany door. Her heart raced with anticipation, fear and unease.

Will it work?

Will she be able to go back?

At that moment, Linda felt the air has suddenly stopped. Becoming thicker and mysterious.

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