Demon's Paradise / 5

5

Along the way, Emilia almost trips herself on a protruding root, and another one. The pathway swerves and slopes downhill – until at last, she spots a gap between the trees which she peers through.

Anor Londo is much more bigger than she could have ever imagined. A labyrithine layout, of wandering alleyways and embedded settlements, of walkways that veer over deep chasms, of cathedrals which have remained beautiful over centuries, and at the centre apex, she can spot the inner castle that leers over all. If it were that perfect kind of storybook castle, with a king and queen, and a prince who longs for a princess from the general populace. But Dietrich's words still linger in Emilia – the battle of 1594 had raged on in these grounds, and now it is a museum exhibit. Why don't they make renovations here, so people can still live in royalty?

"People used to be afraid," Dietrich says. "They say that like Macbeth the play, the place is cursed. Up until the 1920s. Even then, some people are wary of visiting because of this, while other people come here to disprove the mumbo-jumbo."

"Do you guys believe in it?" Emilia asks.

Dietrich pauses, wondering what sort of answer to give. "I don't think so. It's like ghost stories, and it turns out to be something else."

"I wish it could be real.." Johan goes. "You did sound like you believed in it, that dinner."

"One of my family was involved, so I can't help it. I usually like telling people on that I'm related to the battle, so it's better to brush up on things."

Bah. He really is a snob! Emilia imitates a mock-phantom from those horror movies. "Oooh! Spooky!" She makes them grin. "But really, Dietrich.."

"Erm?"

"I don't think you should use your connection to Anor Londo as some kind of.. credential. I feel it's like you're trying hard to show off, in every way."

This makes Dietrich turn around with a bang. "And what do you know, Emilia," he says, "about showing off?"

Now she's got him miffed, like she has set off that stifling tripwire that had been gnawing away at the back of her mind. "It gets obnoxious for me," she goes. "I don't like it. Because you're infinitely more than what you can spit off a sharp tongue."

Johan looks like she'd slapped him in the face.

Then Dietrich approaches Emilia, his intent stare on her almost intimidating. It almost feels like he is going to pounce on her. Then he says, "You're right. I think what counts also is what is left unsaid – after all, mysteries can be enjoyable too."

To drown in Dietrich's sense of 'mystery' is to buy in further into his guise. There's an insincerity in his words, as if Dietrich has taken Emilia's suggestion to add up further into his own pride. Emilia can't help frowning with this. But she says no further.

~

They enter one of the courtyards, where vines have overgrown the pillars and empty fountain. Once you could sit down on the benches and watch the water bloom from the knight's trousers. Now tourists sit down to scratch their worn knees and snack on Sauvage Love, the chocolate bar.

And a lingering mist, faint but still visible, and you can feel the dew condense upon yourself, your cheeks and hands. It gives a faerytale feel.

And while Dietrich checks the descriptions provided on the stands, Emilia is checking upclose the worn stone of the fountain – the etched, faded runes around the knight. Though Death may hold rein over your Lives, your Nobility and Goodness will persevere throughoutEternity. She looks up at the once-urinating knight, holding on to his crotch.His sword parked aside him, he is having a victory leak after an exhausting battle. Emilia lets a smile show on her lips from the amusement.

"Emilia! Dietrich!" It is Johan, running down here. "You guys gotta check this out!"

"What is it?" Dietrich goes.

"It's amazing! You won't believe it!"

~

Emilia and Dietrich find themselves sprinting with Johan's pace, down the streets and inside chambers until they reach what looks like a large gazebo at the edge – it overlooks the vast vista of Anor Londo's cityscape. There's a long lineup of people along red ropes, waiting to enter, while another line has people walking out chatting amongst themselves.

Johan is squealing. "You.. get to visit the main castle!" he exclaims to the two. "Isn't that sweet?"

"How long is the waitup?" Dietrich asks, and as if in answer the entire lineup starts shuffling inside, and before they know it they step onto a large circular pedestal, bunched together. Their stomachs churn as the pedestal spins around as it swiftly descends down to the bottom level, and they climb down a freight of stairs spiralling below the elevator, until they come to the walkway outdoors.

"That was the original elevator," a tourist says to another. "Shows how much ingenuity they had back then."

Ahead is the castle, with elaborate spires at the top and windows of frosted glass.

What gets Emilia is the cliffs behind the buildings, the cliffs where all the trees are and where they came from before. It seems like a mile away, even though it hasn't felt like she'd walked far. Not only that, but the black depths to which one can fall into if you get pushed overboard the walkway.

Not only that – a very faint sort of buzzing somewhere in her body, like that phantom pain she felt before.

Everyone clambers up a set of stairs into the first gates, where the giant doorway of the castle is open, guarded by two giant suits of ornate armours, too big for normal people to wear – they are statues, oui?

Inside, it is like a cathedral's solemn atmosphere, as everyone's murmurs echo in the giant hall, lit only by scattered sunlight from the orifice above.

"Gather round, people, gather round!" A tour guide's amplified voice booms amidst the people. "I welcome you to the castle! Please, stay close as I take you around the available rooms the castle has."

"What is that over there?" Emilia asks, pointing to the large doorwayup ahead – covered perfectly by what looks like mist. Just looking at it makes her fuzzing worse.

"That's an inaccessible area," the tour guide goes. "I will be showing you why in due time."

~

They journey up another flight of stairs to a second floor, where the tour guide leads them from room to room. One room has a long table with utensils and chairs, with a lit fireplace giving it a nice ambiance. Another room beside it is a lavish bedroom; it must have been where one of the royal highnesses have slept, cupboards and all. Emilia feels like landing on the quilt bed, but "no touchie."

The bedroom leads into an antechamber where stairs climb up to outside, on one of the roofs. A romantic night could be spent here, watching the stars while the kingdom sleeps. (You just need to bring chairs.)

The most interesting thing though is the misty doorway back in the main hall, which a few intrigued tourists stare at. Around it are a few windows into a room, but they're too high up to properly see inside beside the ceiling.

"Now, the impenetrable barrier!" the guide says. "I know what every one of you must be asking: what secrets lie beyond the barrier? Why haven't we gotten past yet? I'll share with you a little story – one of the researchers used suction cups to crawl up to the windows like Spider-Man, ja. He took some photos and shared it with the rest of the excavation team. From what we can tell, it is a very opulant room, much like this one, with the sun lighting beautifully through the frosted windows. But it appears to be all but empty, except for doorways that lead to places unknown.."

The guide's voice fades away for Emilia; the strange sensation is bursting inside of her now, like a searing heartburn. She doubles down onto her knees, clutching at her chest, a pained groan escaping from her throat.

Johan hurries to her side, and carries her away from the crowd to a more private corner – Dietrich following them a few seconds later.

"Emilia!" Johan goes – he is really panicked.

"It.. hurts.." she strains out, her eyes growing unfocused with the spreading pain. "Johan.. call an ambulance.. please.." Her mouth quivers. "Please..!"

"I'll get the ambulance, do not worry," Dietrich says, with his phone already out for the calling.

"Where does it hurt?" Johan asks.

"It's my chest," Emilia half-whispers, letting Johan part her arms and lift away her jacket for a closer look. Wait, what is he doing? "No, no," she says, "take me to the washrooms first." You can see Johan's cheeks flush with a sort of embarassment, as the other people are staring at him, wondering what must be going on between the two.

The tour guide is strutting over. "Excuse me, is everything alright?"

Johan and Dietrich pause momentarily; this needs to be handled with some tact. Dietrich says, "Our friend is having some chest pain. It could be an ongoing heart attack – we need some space."

"A heart attack!?" The tour guide stomps his foot in exclamation. "Call an ambulance please!"

"We just did," Dietrich goes. "They're coming right now."

"Oh, okay," the guide says, wiping his brow. "That's good. You need some room, ja?"

Emilia looks the guide in the eye and nods.

"Let me help you to the nearest washroom then," the guide says.

~

The nearest washroom happens to be just underneath the staircases, and it's also for the handicapped with the changing tables. While Johan takes Emilia inside, Dietrich decides to wait outside and click text messages, so it is just the two of them in there. Someone seeing Emilia and Johan entering might imagine they're there for an intensely sensual makeout session – it's good to be able to clear up misunderstandings.

Inside, Johan flicks the light switch open and lays her down against the wall. Emilia shoves away her own jacket onto the floor. Her breaths are panicky, as her vision begins to black out for a second. It's like a giant hand writhing, trying to stretch her out from within.

"Em! Stay with me!" Johan goes.

She never got to tell him how cute his voice sounds sometimes. He is nudging up her sweater to reveal her naked belly-button; it feels a bit ticklish, and it makes her tingly inside.

And halfway up, he pauses. "Oh my--" Johan goes.

What?

"What the.." Johan's staring at something, and Emilia nudges her head down. It's hard to see at first. But it is there, just above her belly-button – a deranged, red scar that seems to be arching higher up to her chest.

"Do you mind if I can pull your sweater off?" Johan asks – a petite shyness in his eyes that he would be seeing his friend in a new, intimate light. Suddenly, Emilia almost forgets about the chest pain as the tingling inside her grows. Her cheeks flush and she nods, and with her arms all the way up, Johan gently pulls away her sweater and shirt, leaving her exposed with only her black bra over her breasts.

Her breaths are shaky as her heart flutters, beating and beating with the sort of excitement you would get from running after a long while. She has this urge for Johan to touch her, an urge she did not realise could happen between her and him. And what must Johan be feeling about her? Like this, in this washroom?

He is quite close to her, and she feels his warm breaths over her – that glimmer in his eyes.

But then, to break the silence, this comes out of his mouth: "What happened to you Emilia? That scar there.." (Damnit. She almost frowns.)

She glances down at herself, and sees that the scar extends up to her neckline. It's a perfect circle, with the circumference going just around her breasts – as if something had made the scar with a fine blade, rather than being an accidental hard scrape. It wasn't there when she'd gotten dressed this morning.

"I don't know.." Emilia says. Her hand reaches at her chest, over the spot where it was horribly aching.

Then a vague flash enters her mind. A fog that had been clouding her is lifting, as if an earlier dream has come back, and she remembers the water pitcher under the flourescent light. She remembers how the water tasted, icy sweet, with its invisible flavour.

And then she realises, upon drinking it, she had taken an irrevocable step into darkness. The ice she would eventually become.

"I have something to tell you Johan," Emilia goes. "Last night, I remember going out for a drink, and something weird happened. The water tasted.. it tasted icy, and then my arm began to freeze. It turned into ice. I ran back upstairs, and I saw that I was still at bed, shaking, and you were seeing me like that."

Johan is taking it in, trying to find what to make of it at first.

"I don't remember.. what happened after that," she goes.

"I think you must have been dreaming," Johan finally says. "You were dreaming when I found you having a kind of seizure. You couldn't have actually gone downstairs.."

"It's a dream?" she asks.

"It must have been," he goes, pausing for a bit. "But I don't think it's an ordinary dream – it must have something to do with your chest pain, that scar over your body.."

"How do you know?" Emilia says. "I mean, I've never been like this before I came here. I was perfectly alright then."

"I'm just guessing right now," Johan says. "I'm not really sure. But whatever this is.. I don't think it's the ordinary flu. It could be something different." He lets out a smile.

The possibility that what she's having could be something utterly new, she finds tantalizing for some reason. But also a little frightening.

(it hurts!)

Then Emilia's aching begins to surge once more. She doubles over, clutching at her chest, and a gasp escapes from her lungs. "Oh god!" she exclaims, and then she reaches for Johan almost out of reflex, holding him by his wrist. "Hold onto me-- I-- I can't-- it hurts so bad.." She is hyperventilating, her breathing in rapid pants, and all Johan can do is squeeze her hand as much as he can, maybe hoping it could help take away some of her pain.

His eyes though linger on her scar, and he grows horrified. "Your scar's moving!" Emilia's afraid to have a glance, but she does, and she sees the scar – it is a writhing snake.The sight makes her tummy ill.

"Why aren't the medics coming..?" Johan mumbles. Then he glances at the sink. "Emilia, would some water help?"

She can only nod.

"Cold water or hot?" he asks.

There's two types of constant pain; the cold pain, and the hot pain. Hot pain is the stinging, inflammatory kind of pain, like bruises and gashes, that need to be cooled down with ice. Cold pain is when you have something like stomach pains, akin to the aching numbness after being under freezing weather. "Ho-- hot water!" she pants out.

So Johan yanks paper towels from the dispenser and turns on the water tab, waiting a moment for the running water to go hot. He soaks the towers under the water and then hurries over to Emilia, the steaming water dripping onto the floor.

"Let's hope this helps!" he goes, and presses the towels over her chest.

It's like feeling scorching fire over the numbness, and yet the fire doesn't burn, it soothes and drowns away that numbness – a beautiful relief. All the water trickles down Emilia's abdomen onto her pants and the floor. It feels good. She holds Johan's hands there.

He can feel her heartbeats through the paper.

It's wonderful.

And so, she closes her eyes, absorbing herself in this moment. She realises it smells like cherries, the air.