VOICES FROM THE BASEMENT

The entire cabin became even more quieter, as the door gradually and slowly began to swing inward, leaving only a wake of squeaking and creaky noise from the rusty hinges before finally opened wide. Revealing that there was no one in the room, except for the rotatable leather armchair, a polished oak office table with few books, hand lens, a journal, a golden pen and a spinning map on it. There were shelves filled with books at the north and west wall of the study room.

As a kid then, Leon can still remember how his grandfather took his study room seriously, it had always been a kind of a solitary place for him. He can lock himself up for a whole day, somtimes even for days without supplies. The study room seems well arranged and tidy, as if someone had been using the study, he even felt probably Imazz must have clean up the room in just a short notice, but Leon waved that thought off.

Leon walks over to the table, glancing at every books on it, but the journal got his attention the most. The cover of the journal was made from a purple velvet material making it outstanding from every other books on the table. He picks it up and open it only to find the pages blank. There were nothing written on them.

Leon flips through the journal again, this time page by page trying to be sure, but still no written words_ all blank. Why would grandfather keep a blank journal for all these years. He could bet on it that this is not the first time he had seen the purple journal. He was distracted by the voices he heard earlier, but this time it seems to be coming from beneath the floor of the study.

Leon knelt down and placed his right ear on the wooden floor, the voices became a bit louder and clearer to him. It sounded as if they were calling out his name. For a while he was very much bewildered, and was thinking if there could be a secret basement below the study room. He concluded that the only way for him to find out, is to search the whole wooden floor carefully.

He didn't search long to find a wooden floor slab covered with a carpet, just beside the rotatable armchair. Leon rolled the carpet aside and pulls the slab open. He squats and peeps into the basement, but couldn't get a clear picture of how it looks down there. He need a light to locate the ladder, and he believes it will be suspended somewhere close to the opening. After reaching out his phone from the pocket of his jean pant, he puts on the flash light and saw were the ladder was suspended and also saw that there is a bulb and a switch on the wall. He pulls the ladder closer and puts the hooks in its proper hole and began to climb down the basement.

He almost slipped when he dropped his fourth step climbing down but was able to hold on strongly to the ladder, that didn't stop his phone falling from his hand and lands on the floor before switching off. Putting the entire place back into near darkness. Leon gradually climbs down to the bottom. He tries to find his phone on the floor but couldn't see anything, he decided that the best option for him is to locate the switch and put on the light.

Leon stretch out his hand in other to touch the wall and almost stumbled on something he thinks should be a small wooden box. He changed direction, taking very little and careful steps at a time like a blinded man. Finally he felt the wall and also the cables, tracing it all the way up and then flipping the light switch on.

The entire place became lighted and Leon could see every details in the basement. He picked up his phone and saw that it wasn't really broken and puts it back into his pocket.

The basement contains few cardboard boxes and a large round red carpet on the floor and a wardrobe placed at the east wing of the basement.

He began hearing the voices again, but this time it was coming from the small wooden box that almost caused him to stumble. Leon could not control the urge to open the wooden box, the voices seems to be hypnotizing him. He reached for the wooden box and prepares to opens it, hoping to see what caused the voices he heard calling out his name. As soon as Leon opened the box, it vanished from his hand.

A bright light appeared inside the wardrobe, and Drendi, a Gnome walks out of the wardrobe dusting himself and complaining. Leon at first really thought he was dreaming, but stopped when Drendi walked up to him and asked him to help dust his back. He quickly helped with dusting his back, which was a little bit stained with dirt's.

Am I late? I am late? I don't think I am. Were are the others? He asked Leon,

Drendi kept searching around as if expecting someone or something. Leon was now in a state of astonishment on how little he looks and how on earth did he manage to come out from the wardrobe. Leon couldn't help but ask him who he was.

Please who are you and what are you doing inside my grandfather's wardrobe? Leon finally asked.

Oh! Oh! I thought you know! My name is Drendi, my last name, Rendi ! And I am a Gnome! The wardrobe is not really far from home! It is my magical pleasure to meet you, last son of Adini.

If not that Leon is seeing Gnome with his two eyes, he will comfortably doubt the story, if it were told by someone eles. He only reads it on fantasy books and movies, but never expected to see one in Muskvile.

Well, I don't know how to put up rhymes like you just did. My name is Leon Adini, which I believe you already knew. Are you also expecting someone? Leon asked Drendi.

Didn't you get the message master Leon? What have you been doing? We don't really have much time.

Another bright light appeared inside the wardrobe. Kryntel, an Elve from Oglaxia came out from the beam of light before it fades out.