Duchy of Emerveille

Lightless day +17

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My new power was revealed to me by chance the other day.

It appeared as I was attempting to save my life. I'd been rolled over by the flying monsters. I didn't see the huge chasm since I was rushing without checking where I was putting my feet.

I couldn't afford to fall.

I pedaled through the air, failed to hold on to the edge of the abyss, and then teleported away after noticing that I had transformed into mist.

This helped me avoid sinking into the melancholy of yet another defeat, as well as the pain of the claws, which my body would have embraced once more.

I continued running in the opposite direction after this fantastic discovery, expecting to find the shadow of the guard, as my friend Lucas would say, because I was already far away from my attackers.

I tried to teleport huge distances in an unprecedented impulse to get closer to the light I had seen on the horizon.

I slipped and passed unobserved amid the passers-by who were racing home rubbing their gloved hands, changing my state, turning into a frost, for now I could shift into a fog generating frost deposits.

The street lighting sprinkled the streets with a sensuous light and warm air in the darkened metropolis.

My condition did not prevent me from recognizing the city's lavish adornment perfectly.

Despite the lack of light, the city of Ombrehill was a stunning sight. The sky, which had been silver sprinkled with pink and turquoise before, now was turned blue with gray and dark purple flecks.

After my mother's departure, the cheerful town of Lighthill was changed into Ombrehill. After a sidereal revolution, the residents of the happy city of Arum's light found that the two luxes had become two opposites, and the light had vanished.

Ombrehill was the name given to the city of Lighthill. And the perpetrator had yet to be apprehended.

Copper blocks covered the streets of Ombrehill instead of the granite pavement I was used to in Paris.

Diaphanous fabrics in gleaming hues hung from storefront windows and draped the doorways.

I'd just noticed that each store had a flag hanging display, with a particular hue dominating. Saffron, on the other hand, was the predominate hue in the castle's décor, making it the royal color.

One store in particular stood out among the others that I had viewed. When I peeked through the glass, I noticed shelves of battered volumes lining the central corridor. Architecture, history, the art of combat, weapons, and jewels are all covered in these books. The walls were covered in entire collections, which climbed the stairs to the top floors.

The open spaces on the walls were adorned with drawings and paintings. Their depictions, as well as the materials used to create the illustrations, were as unique as the books themselves. Mechanisms, antique clock cogs, and three-dimensional schematics.

I was intrigued by the book store, whose titles were printed in characters I had never seen before, but I didn't have time to look around.

When my elbow sank and passed on the other side after accidentally touching the transparent surface that had allowed me to see all these delights, I looked away.

I'd just realized that my mist had dissipated, that my state had changed without my knowledge of what had caused it.

What I was hearing took me by surprise.

The singing of an instrument I couldn't place managed to divert my attention. I went inside and up to the second floor, listening intently.

I pulled back the curtain to reveal a strange gadget that resembled a gramophone.

I screamed when something landed on my left shoulder.

"Is it you, Kronpriz? Here? In Lighthill?"

I sprang back a few feet in terror.

His square features suggested that he was a male, yet his voice was sharper as a result of the effect of amazement. His build and clothing made him appear to be one as well.

"The door," I said it with the intention of apologizing.

"There isn't a door for such a location."

I had my eyes crossed.

Crossing my eyes is a rare occurrence in my life.

"Only three people are allowed to access this room. Empereiz, Kronprinz, and... you must be the Kronprinz if you're here." He murmured, his gaze falling on me.

The man moved away from the machine-gramophone, opened a closed cabinet, and pulled out a little pedestal, which he placed next to it.

A faint fog rolled in as soon as he set the base down, followed by bright, silver, and saffron particles. A form appeared as the fog dissipated.

"Kronpriz, it's you. Take a look at it."

I'm not sure whether it was just my imagination, but the fog had taken on the shape of a hologram, depicting a man in a dark suit with a saffron flag across his jacket.

"I'm not sure how it qualifies me for the Kronpriz, as you claim."

"The Lyndhurst never makes a mistake."

"What is this location?" As I looked around the room, I added.

"Emerville's last stronghold. The one spot where Arum's old magic coexists with modern technology. And you are proof of it. This place is merely a window presenting literature obsolete by the evolution of our civilization to passers-by, residents of this gloomy and dark town, and tourists. This location signifies the start for you. The spells of your ancestors will always protect you here, and if you know how to ask the correct questions at the appropriate moment, you will find the answers to your queries. And if the solution is within you, but you haven't found it or forgotten it, you won't get an answer."

"Can you tell me what my duty is?" I enquired. My gaze drawn to the strange equipment that caused the hazy person to materialize.

There was no action.

There was no response.

There was no reaction.

"Lyndhurst isn't a fortune teller. Yes, your answers are here. You'll find them within these walls, but you'll have to put forth some effort to find them."

He took a resolute step away before unexpectedly stopping after lowering the curtain with his right hand.

"Kronprinz, you are the last born, the successor of the Duchy of Emerveille, the armed arm of your family," he continued as he twisted his head halfway around. "You could be a potential heir to the kingdom, but you couldn't claim it until you'd completed your duties. Your birth was foretold a thousand years ago, making you the Duchy's peacekeeper and ruthless killer. Leave your tender heart at behind. You wouldn't be able to survive here. If you don't finish what you're supposed to do here, you won't be able to return to your old human homeland. Stuart, you're the Glaive of the Duchy of Emerveille. Emerveille is your family, and she must be your greatest love. My son, this is your fate. You will never be disappointed if you aim for nothing more."

My heart sunk as he vanished beneath the heavy curtain that rapidly dropped.