Anginases

He stood there, looking at the institutional structure, the word "Anginas" written on it, giving the building its own name. Seeing it triggered many vivid images in his mind, solidifying the minute events he had gone through: from childhood to adulthood, living under those whitest golden hue walls. Students walked on the plain ground in front, gazing at him with uncertainty, observing someone unknown who had divulged himself inside the institutional boundaries, confiding only to students. Standing out due to the clothes he wore not aligning with the set-up dress code, surrounding feet giving space as he started to venture inside

Looking up, he now had a clearer view of the seven-floor structure: built from stones in an unknown era, each floor divided into different divisions. He reminisced about growing inside those stone walls, clearing one division after another, moving upward step by step, reaching the last second floor where divisions ended.

His gaze settled on an old figure, the figure's head shining, wrinkles near the eyes, yet adorning a charming smile, giving the appearance of a mighty scholar who had lived for ages. The figure wore only a single plain garment, wrapping around the body, covering only the nether and some upper portion.

On the last floor of Anginas, the figure looked at him as if waiting, indicating a gesture for Klaus to ascend before venturing inside, finally settling out of Klaus's sight.

He started his rested feet to move, coming closer to the middle part of the infrastructure. The first six floors are in reach to every individual by going inside, but the last floor that's always held a mystery for every Anginases. To reach it, one has to ascend the spiral stairs leading upward from outside the main structure directly to last floor: that's what a belief, when you could only it see from outside, looking same as the rest.

Every gaze slowly starts to settle on him as he moved closer, some stopping, looking at him. Amidst those, some knew about him, other whispered, asking for this particular individual identity. Putting his feet on first steps, then the second, then further; reaching first floor, he could see around the wires mesh covering these spiral stairs. He never stopped his ascent; he reaches the 2nd, then went further until reaching the 6th floor- the most the Anginases could see from the outside.

The stairs leading further aren't there. He stood there looking the last divisions, seeing Shirley settle in front, looking him with utter horror. Her thought process stops; as she couldn't even make any coherent thought to ask. He can also see most of the institute has come outside to see him.

He does remember the legends of the last floor; a division for the fevered ones by the deity – Ginas, and that's only when he started to venture more into the False world: the world created during Black time. If the things he is doing, if he had seen someone before; for him it would be a comical suicide attempt.

He never thought one day he could climb those stairs to reach here. While he was contemplating how to reach the last floor, from upward, the tapered shape object started to descend: Aligning to form the last course of leading stairs. Though it occupied most of the empty space, they are hanging without any support, defying the laws of gravity.

A long-standing mystery was solved for him: He took one step, putting his belief in Anginas, and started his ascent. As he left the tapered sectional hanging stairs, it moved upward, finally settling on the dome, aligning itself to form a half-puzzled piece.

After he left the last step, he saw the tapered section completing the puzzle, depicting a mural of a cat, which he couldn't see before, mostly shrouded in shadows.

It didn't meet his expectations like the other six floors he knew. There's only an open hall, and a single window is seen at the outermost corner. The floor consists of different murals. He differentially tried to grasps what all it meant.

He walks slowly, trying to imprint and decipher it, holding as much information as he can, remaining vigilant with each step. Finally, coming in front of the closed window, he mustered his strength and opened it.

Though the institute Anginas is big enough, the back always consists of the sea. The institute was built offshore, but what he sees through the window baffles him.

It is an entirely different world; he sees the sky with vibrant colors, consisting of nothing. A single embankment road leads from the window entrance straight to the deep, ending with a cage built of long wires: broad enough to cover a human child. Through the gaps, he sees a land in a cage filled with different greenery, high field grass, interspersed with some human-shaped figures—though not certain. The land is at a different level than the road. It seems where the sea should have been, now consists of this particular land. Whereas, where the seventh floor should have ended, there now lies a road, and on both sides, there are different huts aligned in a simple pattern.

At the last wooden hut, where the road has abruptly ended and wires extended from beneath, a door opened. A lone figure walks out of the wooden hut, barefoot. The saintly figure calmly walks along the long stretch of road, creating an illusion for Klaus; as though the surroundings are coming closer rather than the saintly figure leading the steps. The environment takes on a surreal look with each step; the surroundings becoming warmer, with some parts filled with fog that later disperses.

 The sky changes from a red hue to a mix of warmer colors, and the greenery inside the cage below sways.

 For Klaus, it was all magical; he was like a child who had shed his mature, refined charm body.

Klaus was mesmerized by everything; he couldn't grasp the saintly image in his vision, but it seemed to indicate that everything he could see is Him.

"I have never seen anything like this before," Klaus uttered, the only words he spoke since he saw the old figure. He said these words when the figure stood a few distances away from his position. Still inside the hall, viewing everything through the small opening.

"It's the real Anginas," the sound originated from where the saintly figure stood, tinkling in his ears. He still couldn't discern the saintly image.

Klaus stood there contemplating the words he had just heard, looking around, each sentence playing in his mind as he tried to comprehend more and more.

"Have you contacted the king?" The saintly figure asked, putting an end to the reverie Klaus was in. 

He composed a sentence before uttering, stimulating his tone for respect. "Yes, I have."

"Good." The world seemed to be smiling in his ear, refreshing his inner soul. The view he could see livened up. Still not able to comprehend the saintly image, but from his spiritual sense, he could discern that the saintly figure is currently smiling.

He mustered his strength again and asked in a reserved tone, "May I ask who you are?"

"Me?" The saintly figure chuckled, the sky turned with more vibrant colors, "I am…, I am only a doer! "

Though it seemed the words were repeated, he focused more on the last word he heard.

"Go and give this object to King Comus," saying this, the saintly figure turned and started walking on the only road this world consists of.

Klaus, seeing this, wanted to ask many things, but his rational mind let him remain devoid of any words. He saw with each step of the saintly figure who called himself a doer; the world he saw started to fade. Before long, it completely vanished from his view, and now there lay a closed window, never opened before.

Feeling something in his hands, he gazed downwards, seeing his hand spread open. An object: circular in shape, with one side bigger than the other. It looked colorless.

He looked upside down at this object, not finding anything particular indicating it a sacred object. But he still held it deeply, knowing the importance directly given to him by the saintly figure.

He kept his gaze on the closed window, seeing nothing changing, finally turning around to see more of this empty hall.

 He moved his right foot, and as soon as he lifted his foot from the ground, the murals on the floor started to mix, forming an illusion filling his vision. The entire room started to churn, revolving around, marking him as the center. Still holding the circular object, he started to fall.

He spread his one empty hand to grab anything to stop his fall. But the entire illusion started to make him lost.

Finally, he gains his lost vision back, looking upwards and seeing the last final piece of the tapered section fixing itself on the upper circular ceiling, forming a mural. The mural shows figures of cats interweaving with each other.

It all felt like a dream, one he never tried to imagine. Everything he currently feels is like a vivid dream; the world he sees through the window, he wants to go back, to cross that window which never let him enter. 

Finally, rationality started to conjure in his eyes. It was the second experience in his life that he felt was worth living for, the first one being when he entered the black sea to become an entrant.

He stood there contemplating everything, and finally, the noises from the surroundings reached his ears. He could discern a specific voice pulling him out of his deep slumber of unconsciousness. It was Shirley's voice.