Through The Lens Of Yesterday (MAGIC)

Chapter 1: Back At Home

I raised my camera and began to frame the familiar streets that I once walked on with the giant sign that says, "Silver Haven",

Click...

The town looked the same as I remembered. Unlike modern cities filled with glass and steel, this place carried old signboards, narrow streets, and buildings that felt lovingly worn by time.

Trees were set nicely along the roads, their leaves shifting gently. In spring, the town bloomed in soft greens and in autumn, it glowed in shades of amber and crimson. It was the kind of place that felt like it didn't belong in this century, unchanging yet so alive.

Being back home for summer break was just the rest I needed after being accepted to Hillian University for a Bachelor of Communication. The breeze brushed past me, lifting my hair as I took a slow, steady breath. The air smelled the same, familiar and comforting.

At last, I was home. The tree that stood tall and still in front of my yard was still as healthy as ever, its swing still hanging from a branch – the very one I'd swung on as a child. My father had told me my grandmother crafted it for him when he was young. It had somehow remained, just like the house.

I gazed up at the familiar two-story structure, its white paint slightly faded, the grey roof unchanged. There was nothing ostentatious about it, yet everything felt just as it should.

As I opened the door, the first thing I noticed was the wall of old photographs near the entrance, still moments of my family, smiling back at me. After a long period away, stepping into this comfortable space felt almost unreal. The familiar, homely atmosphere embraced me gently, easing the tension I didn't realise I was carrying.

Yet, despite how alive the house felt, it was completely quiet.

No one was home.

Usually, my overly clingy mother would be the first to run towards the door, and she would quickly throw me a big welcoming hug while patting my head, saying,

"Welcome home!"

I headed into the kitchen to grab a drink, my steps slowing when something familiar caught my eye. Propped neatly on the shelf was the very first certificate I had ever received from a photography competition.

"Alora Hills, 2nd Place."

I remembered how happy I was at only fourteen, clutching the certificate with shaky hands and teary eyes. My parents had cheered so loudly it embarrassed me, but I knew they were just proud. It was the moment they realised I had finally found something that truly sparked my interest.

After grabbing my drink, I made my way upstairs and into my room, setting my luggage down by the door. Only then did it sink in, how quiet the house was. No voices, no movement, just the soft hum of the breezy wind around me. Realising my parents weren't home, I took out my phone and sent them a text, asking where they were.

"Did you guys go out to buy something?" I texted while I was opening my luggage to start packing my clothes.

"Ro, you're back already? Your Father and I were out for a picnic, there's some leftover food in the fridge, we will be home soon!" My mom replied.

Just picturing my dad with his slightly cold face sitting down on a picnic mat made me giggle a little, knowing very well that he isn't the type to 'picnic'.

"Oh wow, make sure to take lots of pictures!" I said, as I would totally use that picture of my dad to make stickers to embarrass him.

After refreshing myself with a bath, I wanted to take a relaxing nap until I heard some movement up in my attic. It sounded light, so I thought to myself

"Don't tell me there's rats up there! It's been so long since any of us went upstairs."

It was forbidden for any of us to go up into the attic, a rule that my grandmother set a long time ago. But out of curiosity, I brought a broomstick with me, and I unlocked the ladder that led me up to the attic. I climbed up the ladder slowly, setting the broomstick in the attic first before I steadied myself to go up.

As I looked around, I noticed that there were many dust particles that were drifting around, along with that, there were many boxes of all sizes laying unevenly around.