18 The Mid Realm : Celesta I
Leon looked around, grunting in pain. The room he had entered contradicted the size of the door he had come through. Blinding lights and a high ceiling with marvelous chandeliers welcomed him.
Unlike the streets he had seen or the places he had been in Purgatory, this one was quite crowded. The people passing by were dressed in bright colors and appeared joyous, which was in stark contrast to the overall nature of Purgatory.
*ding*
[ You've entered a Mid Realm - Celesta]
[ Dropped by: A portal]
"Woah!" Leon exclaimed, momentarily forgetting his pain.
The walls were adorned with long ivory curtains, and there were huge pillars lining the hallway. As he observed, a Ford T drove past him, giving the impression of an unconventional enclosed street. The entire atmosphere exuded an eerie yet festive charm.
Leon regained his composure as he noticed his psyche pop up once again.
*ding*
[Your wound is healing...2%...]
'I've never been informed like this before, damn. Could it be because of the rank up?'
His gaze returned to the distressed Baby Elias once again. He grabbed a nearby curtain and tore it off with his moon sword. Wrapping it around the baby's leg, he connected its foot by the ankle.
'It ain't much, but it's honest work.'
He fashioned a makeshift baby wrap to cover unconscious Elias, tying it behind his back while also concealing his shoulder wound. Preparing to move forward, he noticed two young ladies looking at him curiously.
They stood beside a counter, with a golden curtain behind them that he couldn't determine whether it concealed a large wall or another room. Several people were engaged in conversation with them, reaching for the old mailbox near the counter. Then, they turned toward the golden curtain, entering what Leon surmised was a room.
'Should I follow that gesture?' he wondered. Just as he contemplated, one of the two young ladies nodded at him. She wore a sap green silky robe that complemented her shiny black skin.
Leon slowly approached them, unsure of what else to do but to go along with it.
"Looking for your letter?" the black woman asked, her gaze curious as she looked at Leon.
"I don't think so," Leon awkwardly replied. Even though everyone seemed friendly, he kept in mind that he was still inside the purgatory.
"Don't be so awkward with me, Now. I wrote your letter a long time ago," she added.
A familiar feeling washed over Leon. 'Why is this woman talking to me as if she knows me?'
"You did?" he arched his brows to which she simply nodded and smiled.
All of a sudden, the Mailbox started rumbling. Its old, worn-out appearance gave the impression that it might be alive. He wouldn't have been surprised if it truly were.
Then, a silver envelope emerged from it, and the woman swiftly caught it, handing it to Leon.
He opened it and realized it was empty. Upon closer examination, he discovered that the letter had been written on the inside of the envelope in silver ink on a pale gold surface, making it challenging to read.
"This way, please," the other woman gestured for him to enter through the long, sparkly golden curtains, and he complied, intrigued by the place.
Inside was a tiny, aesthetically pleasing room adorned with pastel colors. Wooden park benches were scattered about, with a few strangers seated, engrossed in reading their own letters.
Leon settled onto an unoccupied bench, clutching his letter and squinting his eyes to read it properly.
// Dear Son of Lou, //
'Damn Lou, I've got a name!' he glanced up towards the black woman, but the curtains closed before he could catch her gaze.
// I apologize for the delay in sending your letter and for writing in silver ink on a golden envelope. //
'At least you were aware,' Leon shook his head.
// Here's what you asked for: //
'When did I ask for anything?'
// Lysander
Nivro
Jasmine
Krish
Charles
Christopher
Nuggy
Sean
Alice //
'huh? What are these names?' Leon wondered. Some names were familiar, and some were new, while the rest triggered something in his memory, but he couldn't quite decipher them.
"Am I late?"
Leon looked up, curious about who had entered the room. Although he only knew four people from his encounter earlier in this purgatory, he was surprised to see a former high school classmate he had never really interacted with. This guy belonged to a different group of nerds, a clique that Leon wasn't a part of. It felt strange, as Leon had gotten along with almost everyone in his class and batch.
Seeing him in Purgatory made Leon question reality once again. 'Did he die too? Why is he looking at me? Is this all the work of meth?'
"Hello, Sean, right?" Leon finally said, unable to tear his eyes away from the guy.
"Are you dead too?"
Sean appeared thoroughly confused. Without answering, he sat beside Leon with an envelope of his own.
Leon looked at him, bewildered for a moment, then returned his focus to reading his letter.
// The princes with lower sweet voices will choose one from you. //
'What?' Leon reread the previous lines, wondering if he had skipped a paragraph, but he had not.
// I'm emphasizing this sentence. //
'Choose one from who? Who are these princes?' Leon's head was filled with loads of crap from his environment that he became slow in reacting to any external stimuli.
"Why does this fucked-up place have to be so fucked up like this?!" Leon ripped the envelope in a fit of rage. Just then, the other young woman entered the room. He noticed that she too was wearing the same sap green robes, but it looked better on the black woman.
She looked slightly surprised at Leon's action and said, "You should save it."
"What?"
The black woman had followed closely behind her and joined in, "Yes, save it."
The two young women looked at Leon with pleasant expressions, but he felt a passive-aggressive undertone as if they were subtly threatening him to keep the envelope safe that they had handed him.
"Okay," he neatly folded the torn envelope and tucked it inside his tuxedo, maintaining unbroken eye contact with the two women.
*ding*
[You've received a letter of prophecy! Keep it safe!]
