━━━ ꧁ད ✶ ཌ꧂ ━━━

CHAPTER 16

━━━ ꧁ད ✶ ཌ꧂ ━━━

I woke up surrounded by the scent of cinnamon.

I contemplated the mahogany wall of Thomas' room for a moment and, with the help of my arms, sat up on the mattress, feeling a sudden urge to pee. The mess was the same, except for the bed, where I was now lying. I assumed Thomas had taken off my shoes.

Next to me, Ashton was sitting on the mattress as if doing yoga. Although, he was watching me.

"Just now, not even paradise can tempt me," he whispered as if in a dream. "Seeing you sleep is adorable."

I pinched my arm, but he was still there, in the same position.

I couldn't help but wonder if, during the past few nights, he had spent his time watching me like that.

"I'm curious. Earlier, you were talking in your sleep. What was it that you saw so clearly?"

Dismayed, I snapped out of my trance and shook my head, hoping I hadn't said anything foolish.

"What did I say?" I asked, feeling a slight drowsiness in my voice and heat flushing my cheeks.

"I couldn't understand. That's why I thought maybe you could tell me about what you dreamed of. You seemed frightened."

And how could I not be after everything that was happening? The door opened, and Thomas walked in.

"I see you're feeling better now." He pounced on the bed, and I had to pull my feet away so he wouldn't squash them. "I was afraid you wouldn't wake up." I diverted my gaze to the cane that passed in front of my field of vision. Behind a wrist movement and the faint glow from the object hanging around my neck, Thomas fell off the mattress.

"What's with the kick?" He complained from the floor. "I already apologized!" I looked at Ashton, who shrugged in response. Although the gesture might have seemed childish to someone else, to him, it looked different, more mature, and carefree.

"He couldn't even shake the sheets." He excused himself unhappily. On the other hand, Thomas, looking disheveled, sat on the edge of the bed, keeping a safe distance from me.

"You fainted," he told me, sounding defensive in case I hit him again. That made me feel like I had taken advantage of him all the time, but if I had, it was because he deserved it.

"Ah!" The screams of the crowd echoed in my memory once again. "Sirius... Sirius..."

I suddenly shivered.

"What's wrong?" Thomas scratched his head, further messing up his unruly curls.

"The music box worked. And when I looked at it, I felt like it sucked me in. Then I heard screams."

"Like terror screams or..." Thomas paused.

"Not at all," I clarified, and I looked at Ashton. "They were proclaiming the name Sirius loudly."

"And you say all of this happened because that box suddenly opened." Tom pointed to the now-closed object on his desk, next to my backpack. "That's strange..."

"Why do you say that?"

"While you were sleeping, I tried to open it a couple of times, but I couldn't. It's stuck."

"It won't open for just anyone, and it doesn't respond to bad intentions either," Ashton intervened, which I found most offensive.

"What's your problem?" I snapped.

"What are you talking about?" Thomas raised an eyebrow but quickly realized.

"Do you mean him? Should I turn on the lights?"

"No." I stopped him before he stood up. "I just need a moment to think."

"If you want, you can freshen up in the bathroom and then come down for dinner. Dad left at noon, and..."

"Wait." My mind processed his words in fits and starts. "How long did I sleep?"

"I know you said we would leave before nightfall, but..."

"Is it already night?" I jumped off the bed, and my steps resonated as I approached the window to check that he wasn't lying. "Why didn't you try to wake me up?"

"Let's talk about this after you've eaten because you suddenly seem furious." He got up from the bed and nervously approached the door. "I know something that can improve your mood."

"Thomas," I called, but he didn't pay attention.

"I'll be waiting downstairs. You need to relax a little; that's why you keep fainting, woman." He fled the room, and I exhaled in annoyance. He always did whatever he pleased.

"You took my words the wrong way," Ashton said at an inappropriate time.

"The medallion only stays with its custodian. The same goes for the box; it responds to its owner's voice and opens for them. That's how magical gadgets work in our circus."

"By gadgets, you mean..."

"The medallions, the box... those kinds of magic objects," he clarified.

"But none of that belongs to me."

"It came to you as a gift, didn't it? That makes the music box and the magic it contains yours."

"Another cursed object? Must be a damn joke." I took three steps forward and retraced my path. "So, it was you who took the gift from the closet and took the card."

I had never mentioned the gift, so I took it for granted.

"What I wanted was to get my tailcoat back. When I saw it, I recognized the wrapping. I tried to open it, but since I can't touch anything from your world except the medallion, it was impossible for me."

"So, it wasn't you who took the card," I deduced. It might have gotten lost at some point. "Will this box chase me like this thing?"

I pointed to the medallion.

"No. That's not its purpose."

"Then what is its purpose?"

"Memory chest. It keeps all its owner's memories, and you can access them now."

Ashton's words resonated in my mind, and a memory surfaced in my mind. In the last dream I had, the audience showed their excitement and cheered for someone named Sirius. The connection between the dream and the music box began to form in my mind. The box must have held a special memory related to that same cast member, and I was able to see it.

"Zara!" Thomas shouted from downstairs. "Are you calmer now? Come down!"

That brought back memories of Mom.

"I'm coming!" I replied.

I headed to the bathroom in the hallway, closed the door, and sat in the bathroom. As I turned to reach for the toilet paper, I realized I had forgotten to turn on the lights and startled myself, causing the water flow to stop. The darkness in the bathroom was overwhelming.

I quickly told myself to stay calm. There was no reason to think something was going to manifest right now. However, I dared to ask:

"Ashton?"

There was no response, and I hurried to finish.

I went to the door and cautiously raised my hand, but it wasn't the doorknob I touched in the end. Yet, I didn't dare check what the hell I had touched when I heard him say:

"If you're looking for the doorknob..." I paled at the sound of his deep voice as his breath brushed my chin.

That's how I learned that I had touched his body with my hand. But I had no idea what I had touched.

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