I started to feel lost, and I spaced out frequently as I walked towards the creaking main gate of this house. The mystery remained unsolved, with no people whom I can rely on to solve it. The military would not recognize me, neither would my family. I was left all alone in a pit with no thread to climb up. If this is a nightmare, I hope it will end soon.
"Where are you walking to this late at night, eh? You do not seem like a local. Where are you from?"
I looked up, and was greeted with the person whom I met before, when I was sitting beside the gate. My ears started to ring now. I closed my eyes with my hand.
"Murderer! Murderer!"
A child's voice, and laughter, was all I could hear. There was not just one voice. Multiple voices pierced from all directions, repeating the same word. I could not tell the meaning behind it. I closed my eyes in pain. I was tired of all this.
"Get a grip on yourself! Are you all right?"
I opened my eyes, and found the same man standing there. He held me with his hand to get up, even though I did not want to. I wanted all this to end, as if I was in a mere dream. I did not want to get up on my foot anymore. I wanted to lie down, and let this all end. Nonetheless, I was forced to stand, and I was left with no choice but to face this mystery.
"Sir, do you recognize me? I was sitting right beside that gate, and you told me of the barrier put in place around it."
The man looked confused. Now, I felt a perplexing emotion ground me. I had definitely seen him before, and I was definitely right besides the gate. Till that moment, I was affirmed that I had come here to get my prized chain back from this "friend." I had not lost faith in reality, and I could not have had a spirit exploit my psyche.
"A dream….."
Soon, the man disappeared into thin air. I ran further away from the house, to where some of the men ran towards when the hour of the Dusk had come. There was no one, not even a single building. I gasped in despair. The air started to shriek again, and I saw my family around me standing in a circle. I stood at the center, and the words repeated again, and it shook me.
"Murderer! Murderer!"
I could feel the air shriek louder, and louder. My hands were tainted in blood. I had known that this was not a spirit's doing. I had fallen. I sinned the moment I touched the library. The original sin of man to gain more knowledge than permitted by the Lord Of Heavens. I had committed it, and now I was trapped in limbo.
I recognized the name 'Immanuel.' It became clear why I could not discern its meaning earlier. I had become a vermin. This must all be another illusion, this city, the people I saw, and the 'friend' whom I came here for.
"Search this area at instant, Kircheis."
I heard a voice come from behind me. A man with long hair stood near me, wearing a military uniform. It looked like he had come from the outskirts, signified by the sigil of the dragon that he wore, which was put at the top of his arm. What was more wondrous was that I had heard his voice before, where I stood in the library, along with the name 'Kircheis.' I started to go towards him, and he quickly noticed my unusual walk.
"Are you from here? Do you know about anything that happened in this house?"
I felt it was all an illusion again, yet his voice felt authentic. I opened my eyes wider to see his face. His hair was white, but he looked quite young especially for someone in the military. I failed to recognize him though, and I could not tell where he was from.
"Do you know of Hermann von Harthenheigh?"
I accidentally let out the question. I did not mean to ask it, as I felt it all too futile to query about it. It seemed like a lost name to me.
"Yes. Unfortunately, he was lost in combat."
I started to let out tears. It did not feel real to me that someone knew of this name. After all the struggle I had come across, it felt strange to hear that I indeed existed in this world. And, despite knowing that this may as well be an illusion, I let out tears of happiness. Now, I felt at ease to speak my name.
"Sir, I am Hermann von Harthenheigh. As of the month of the Rat, I had fallen into sin after I entered the forbidden library. I am now Wolff Muller."
The man looked away, and let out a small gasp.
"I am Heinrich von Hohenberg, third in command of the Eastern Force!"
I felt at ease, meeting a person whom I can trust.
"Can you take me to the Northern house? I must seek this case at an instant. There has been a murder inside. The likely cause is a spirit. I must report to Central immediately."
With that, I left the mysterious house behind, certain that I was not robbed of my free will and reality.