Probing Visions 1

Chapter 5 (Part 4)

     Jean pauses, and his gaze lowers, dropping to the ground as he ponders about every word the girl has said. Pulling his lips to the back of his cheek, Jean raises a brow and clenches his fist. Then, he takes a moment to relax his eyes, seeking respite from his perplexing situation.

     As Jean's eyelids open, he finds himself in another place—as if he were transported into another dimension, another place. Jean's eyes flutter open, feeling heavy like a bar of gold, and as his eyes pop open, he notices that he is still lying on his bed inside his dorm. The confusion may weigh down on him, but the desire to stand overpowers every emotion within him.

     Swiftly, Jean's body bolts upright from the bed. He quickly peeks through the large window beside his mattress and gazes outside. As he looks up at the heavenly sky, he observes the darkness swallowing every remnant of the orange sunlight. His eyes wander, and the stars and the bright full moon greet him.

     Peering at the night sky, Jean's eyes squint, and his brows arch with surprise, creating a subtle wrinkle between his nose. His jaw hangs open, leaving his mouth agape. The reality of what he had seen—Gabriel, the frozen students, and the girl inside a lavish ballroom—became a question as he contemplated their existence in time. Thinking about it only makes his brain race with his heartbeat.

     Jean pushes the white blanket off his body and jerks his way down the bed, his feet, concealed with white stockings, meeting the floor. Slipping his feet into his shoes, Jean stands up and walks towards the door. Then, he opens it and leaves the dorm, a determined brow furrowing his face.

     As Jean descends a staircase and cuts to the right, he stumbles upon rows and rows of doors. He halts before one of the doors and peeks through the glass panes, seeing an ocean of students in their respective uniforms with a professor inside a classroom. Jean's eyes widen with realization, and he quickly moves towards another door, peeking through and seeing another classroom filled with students and one professor.

     Jean pulls back from the glass panes and looks around, his eyes flitting in every direction. He then hurries forward, and soon, he reaches a corridor where a humongous double door with a gilded doorframe stands. And there, a sign with elegant letterings sits atop—the Gilded Chamber.

     Jean steps closer to the door, his brows furrowing deeply and his lips tightening. He clenches his teeth and takes a deep breath, bracing himself. With a careful touch, he grasps the doorknobs and pushes the door open.

     To his surprise, Jean found the hall empty. Not even a single soul wandered. The silence was like a living entity. And the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and the lamps on the walls held no flicker of light or life.

     As Jean reached the back of the hall, he pushed open another door and entered the chamber where the ballroom lay. And there, in stark contrast to what he had seen, the chamber possessed no vibrance of life. His eyes darted from left to right, and he noticed no soul walking by. The chandeliers on the ceiling and the candles around the corners did not shimmer with light, leaving every surface concealed in a veil of darkness.

     With confusion churning within, Jean inhales, and his breath hitches. Soon, he returns to his dorm, closing the door with a faint slam. Marching like a soldier, Jean walks towards a desk and pulls out a chair, settling into his seat. He then presses his elbows on the desk's surface and places his hands on his head.

     A whirlwind of thoughts began to stir inside Jean's restless mind. His head became a bustling downtown for questions and endless ponders. What he had seen, he couldn't forget, and it was a thought he couldn't let go. Everything felt too realistic, and now, it had stayed in Jean's mind.

     Gradually, a firm thought formed within Jean and compelled him to stand up. Rising from his seat, Jean turned and approached the bookshelf, peering at the ocean of books before him. He raised a brow, his finger flying to his chin as he studied the lettering on the book covers. With a careful decision, he reached forward and grasped a thick tome with a red covering.

     Returning to the desk, Jean settled into the chair and opened the tome. With a swift hand, he began flipping the pages, his eyes scanning every word. As his eyes landed on a title on a specific page, he paused, his hand halting.

"...Visions," he read aloud.

     Jean's brow rises and hides under his sandy bangs as he studies the paragraph written in the book. His eyes flit from left to right, swiftly taking in as much context as he can read. Taking a moment to rest his eyes, he furrows his eyebrows and lets a deep sigh out.

"...So, I was having visions..." Jean muttered.