Museum

Upon setting foot on the museum's premises, its vast architecture was strikingly conspicuous; seemingly engineered for capturing the eye of passersby. Its resemblance to a fortress was uncanny, featuring a pair of grandiose gates at the entrance and stern wooden door between two expansive windows.

Exiting our vehicle, we approached the gates. Here, a gentleman garbed in a black and white suit greeted us, requesting tickets for entry. Subsequently, Alice Knight, the daughter of the king and our companion for the day, informed him of our visit. She disclosed that she had sought permission from her father to view the museum, and he had granted it. With that revelation, the gatekeeper permitted our entry.

Upon stepping inside, we were met by aging walls and a plethora of impressive chandeliers dotting the ceilings. The floor was a contrasting checkerboard of black and white tiles. As we strolled about, the presence of statues, testament to numerous important historical figures, was stark.

As we made our way through the museum, something captured my attention - the statue of the historic elemental hero, Justine Stone. Pointing to the sculpture, I shared a light-hearted comment with my companion, Michael, teasing him that he may one day match the strength of the figure represented before us. However, Michael's response was one of silent contemplation, as he stared at the statue with a somber expression, before subtly shifting his gaze onwards, deeper into the expanse of the museum that was lined with artifacts on either side.

As we approached the museum's terminating point, I encouraged the others to continue ahead, as a peculiar item had sparked my curiosity. It was a mirror, but its reflection did not mirror my own image. Instead, it depicted a unique scene – a landscape with trees swaying in the wind, void of foliage, and shadowed by darkness. The mirror stirred in me a sense of unexplainable fascination – the longer I gazed into it, the stronger the pull I felt, almost as though it was drawing me into the enigmatic scenario it presented. Overwhelmed and somewhat dazed, I gradually moved closer to the mirror, consumed in its enthralling allure.

As soon as Alice raised her voice, my attention was instantly drawn towards her. Compelled in her direction, I departed from the mirror in a confused state, unaware of the events that just transpired. We geared ourselves up to progress towards our impending destination - the Clock Tower.

Upon our arrival at the Clock Tower, we were met with an astonishingly long queue. This was rather surprising considering the hefty admission fee. Alice, by virtue of her status as the monarch's daughter, facilitated our bypassing of the entire queue, enabling our direct entry into the tower.

Observing the scene, Reo couldn't suppress a stir in his conscience. Aware of the moral transgression involved in leveraging the princess' title to bypass the queue, he nonetheless chose to carry on up the tower with the rest of the party. The awaiting spectacle was a panoramic view of the city; the glow emanating from the households below intertwined with the starlight originating from above, painting a captivating landscape.

Everyone was admiring the beauty around them when Reo began to feel disconnected, as his gaze shifted to the stars. A feeling of familiarity dawned upon him, reminding him of the Mirror. He delved back into his absent-minded state as the spinning sky took over his senses.

Suddenly, a voice brought him back from his dreamy state: "Reo, Reo, Reo!" As the voice shook him, Reo quickly regained his senses. The voice was full of cheerfulness and spoke, "I have been trying to get your attention for a while now, but you seemed so engrossed in the view. You were drifting away!" Still, Reo remained silent, his eyes fixed on the stars. After a certain time, the group decided to depart from the tower.

Alice then presented a plan, which was setting into groups of two and having a friendly race to see which group reaches the dormitory entrance first. At first, Liam and Michael were against this plan, but they eventually agreed to divide and meet at the entrance once the groups were finalized.

The teams were arranged as follows; Alice and I formed one group, Liam and Amelia made up a second group, and the final group comprised Aurora and Michael. With teams finalized, we embarked on the competition, each taking different routes through the various neighborhoods towards the dorm entrance.