The Golden Pear [YA - Featured]

♫~Notes 101~♫

Examining his surroundings, he realized he might have ventured into Oikos, a household from ancient Greece. The rest of the walls and columns outside of the room had a striking resemblance to those he had seen on the island.

'Let's see, if I'm right, and I'm usually right, this could be a living room, and next to me should be a storage room or place for slaves.' Venturing from the room, he looked into a small one that seemed to have a burned wall inside.

'Kitchen, I can still see the leftovers from the fireplace. The hall connecting all rooms is big, so I guess the old owners were rich or successful.'

Walking outside, he looked up, but there was no sky or sun, yet he could see.

'I wonder if I'm reliving my memories from the trip to Delos inside this dream.' His trained eyes spotted a circular temple called tholos with a caved-in roof, and its steps were crumbled and cracked across the entire length.

'But for what purpose?'

He strolled, checking the history lost in the dust of time as if he was inside a park. Taking notes of decorated tops of pillars, statue missing heads or arms but never their genitals, as if those were untouchable, he slightly smiled as he recognized everything. One house stood entirely on thick columns as if it expected floods every spring.

The long stair started in front of the house, and Rigaku took one by one. More fleshless bodies laid across the steps as if the greatest battle took place here. From outside, the house didn't look that extraordinary, but it could contain a rare treasure.

The boy stopped for a moment as he thought he had heard a whisper behind him. Pivoting, he saw nothing, but his heart refused to settle down for a few seconds. His brown eyes traced the corps, expecting them to spring into life.

Taking a deep gulp, he turned to proceed, but his brain took note that the stairs hid in the mist. Clenching his fingers, he examined the area. The other buildings, even the tallest towers, disappeared. Either eaten up by the haze, or the dream played with his sense of perspective.

'Well, in ancient Greek, they invented many optical illusions like with that floor.'

Finding little solace in his words, he continued up. With each step, he was sure the house got further.

A metallic screech tore his ears. Turning back his heart stopped responding. Darkness crawled up the stairs, gulping all the corps and crushing them like soap bubbles. One skeleton's head bobbled up, its jaws opening as if screaming for Rigaku to run.

And the boy ran.

His feet never moved so fast, except for the time he dashed to his brother's side. But jumping out of the window wasn't an option now.

"What's that?" he screamed. "Hey!"

Calling the voice yielded no result. Whoever it was, they kept watching from behind the shadows. Perhaps it was them, who sent the hungry darkness after him. The mere bones couldn't vanquish its apatite.

The fact Rigaku wasn't exactly meaty morsel didn't help him at all. Reaching the top, he took out a few moments to catch his breath. Lifting his head, he needed to shadow his eyes, as in the center stood a powerful light source.

Its beams wrapped the oldest Kamini in an embrace, ensuring him everything was going to be alright.

"Get it!" The voice appeared. "Obtain it! And you shall be saved!" Its demanding nature pushed the boy forward, and he sprinted to get the floating object.

"Save yourself!" the voice added, this time without the malice or ordering him, but in an almost motherly tone.

Needing only a few more steps to grab his ticket to safety, he glanced two figures crouched under one column. Without hesitation, he headed their way.

"What are you doing?"

Rigaku ignored the voice, checking the pulse of the people. Their tattered clothes ensured him, they fought hard to get here.

"I'm taking them with me!" Rigaku shouted.

"No! Only one shall pass!"

As if the darkness resonated with the woman's voice, it invaded the place. Its mass changed into a porridge-like substance, covering and climbing up the columns, but it kept its distance from the light.

"Leave them!" the voice ordered him, and Rigaku felt his legs tucked the way toward the dimming light.

Was it losing its strength? How much time had he left? Could he make it? Sweat slid down his forehead.