Chapter 3

~~~

Maria opened her eyes and found herself at the beginning of a hallway that led to many many rooms and more hallways.

Stuffing the piece of paper in her pocket, she walked up to the closed room. As she took a small glance inside, she noticed that the room was more like a cubicle with green walls.

The room had lots of cabinets and shelves. The shelves were filled with books and books, ones that she hadn't ever seen in her life before.

The occupants of the room looked very odd and out of place though.

There was a desk in the room and behind it, there was some kind of smoke. In front of the desk, there was some kind of being with square horns and a spring-like tail, hair so long and mangled like it hadn't been brushed in a couple of years, and clothes that looked way out of style.

Somehow, magically, a file floated up in front of the smoke thing and started flipping itself.

Maria took a small breath and walked across the room to the next one.

It was just as weird as the last, except that it had blue walls. There was a smoke-like being behind the desk, but this time the person or thing standing in front of the desk had grey wings and round-looking horns instead.

Heaving a sigh, Maria just walked straight without stopping.

After a couple of minutes of walking around aimlessly, she bumped into someone.

The person had black horns and red wings, but the thing that shocked her the most was the third eye located at their forehead.

Muttering a small apology, she ran off without looking back.

Coming to a stop a little distance away, she took a couple of breaths and tried to calm down her racing heart.

<Hello.> Someone said in front of her.

"Eeep!" she shrieked and stepped back in alarm.

<Sorry, did I scare you?> The person asked with a sweet tone.

"No, I'm just a little jumpy, you're ok," Maria said as she took a couple of breaths to calm herself.

<Sorry, I just wanted to ask something.> they said.

"Sure, what is it?" Maria asked as she straightened up.

<Do you know where I can find room 124?> they asked.

"Umm, I'm not quite sure either," Maria said.

She took out the piece of paper from her pocket and looked at it again. The only thing she understood on the paper was the number 122.

"Well I guess we can just go together since our rooms seem to be a small bit apart," Maria said with a small smile.

They both walked for a small bit then stopped at the same time.

"Maybe we should stop wandering?" Maria stated with a blank look.

<Maybe.> they answered.

Maria stepped up to the closest room and looked up. sure enough, there was a number plate above the door. The number was 64.

"Hm, I didn't know we had been walking for so long but meh," Maria mumbled under her breath as she held her chin. She started walking again and the being followed.

~~~

"Hey, I never got your name," Maria said as they passed by number 98.

<I'm Ember. You?> Ember asked as she looked up at the room number and moved forward.

"Maria. So, where are you from, Ember?" Maria asked as they kept walking.

<Oh, just the great planet of Motraber. You?> Ember asked.

"Umm, Earth. By the way which galaxy is Motraber from again?" Maria asked as she stuffed her hands in her pockets and tried to keep a straight face.

<Oh, it's from, ugh, I forgot the name again.> Ember said and gave her head a small knock.

"That's alright, anyway, we should keep an eye out, we're close," Maria said as she pointed up at the number plate of the door they just passed.

<Hmm.> Ember hummed in response.

"Odd, how did we get to 114 so fast..." Maria said as she looked up at the number plate of the door she just passed.

<I think this side only contains the even numbers,> Ember said pointing up at the number plate of room 116. <Look, we're already at 116 and we just passed 114.>

"Hmm," Maria hummed in agreement.

A couple of seconds later Maria stopped in front of the door to 122.

She waved to Ember who went to the next room and stepped inside.

Stepping inside, Maria came face to face with a white mist standing in front of one of the cupboards.

They both stood and stared at each other for a couple of seconds then Maria walked up to it and handed it the piece of paper.

The white mist gave the piece of paper a small glance and then gestured for her to go sit in the seat.

Maria sat in the seat as the Mist put some things in the cupboard and then went behind the table.

He stood and read the strange language then sat down in his seat.

He sat in his seat as he contemplated what was written on the small piece of paper then looked up at Maria with a sigh.

"So? Have you thought it over?" there was a voice in front of her.

She looked to her right and left with a confused look on her face.

"Have you thought the process through?" the mist-like being asked again.

"What process?" Maria asked with a confused expression as she tilted her head a bit to the side.

"Didn't he explain it to you?" the mist-like being asked.

"I was only told that I was on the verge of death then I was given a small piece of paper with weird words and a room number and then I ended up here," Maria said as she eyed the mist-like with confusion written all over her face.

"Oh, this is going to be so exhausting," The mist-like being said with a small sigh as he stood up and took a book out of the cupboard behind the table. "Thankfully, I have it recorded."

He set the book down in front of Maria and sat down in his chair again. He told her to read it and then took a page and a quill out of his drawer and started writing.