50
By: Aviantei
Act I: 50 Minutes/Abandonment
Scene IV: "You always that exhausted after storming the castle?"
Rhea opened her eyes, trying to sit up. She felt refreshed, which was definitely wrong considering she and Roxas had raided the castle the previous night. That meant she had slept past her alarm, which she hadn't heard go off. Roxas had a spare key to her dorm room, and would wake her up if she did sleep in, and that hadn't happened either. And no matter how late they stayed up in the castle, Roxas always seemed full of energy.
So where was he?
Blinking, Rhea tried to see through the darkness. "Actually, where am I?" she muttered.
"The Fifty Minute Room," Madam's voice said. The room sprang back into light, completely blazing white, and the woman was at the bedside. Rhea jumped, pulling the blankets closer to her, everything registering. She exhaled, tempted to just sink back into the mattress and sleep until she felt better.
Maybe if she slept long enough, she could convince herself she wasn't alone.
"I can escort you to get changed before you eat," Madam continued. "Preparations for your own room have also been completed, so I could take you there whenever you like, Dear." The woman smiled, and Rhea looked around the room.
Wherever Axel was, he wasn't there. And Rhea wasn't about to sit around in such a bleak looking room all by herself.
Rhea nodded her approval, and Madam gestured for the girl to follow. Now that her eyes weren't threatening to fall shut and stay that way at any given moment, they were protesting at just how bland everything was. She couldn't see any light bulbs, but whatever was illuminating the place could use a dimmer.
"If you don't mind me asking, is there a reason the décor's so blinding?" Rhea asked. She tried to keep any tones of criticism out of her voice, but it was hard. She glanced at Madam's face. The woman's expression was completely neutral, not particularly seeming pleased or insulted by the question.
"I'm sorry about that. You see, not only was your room unprepared, but our comfort databases were not set to include any new data. The Fifty-Minute Room is set up to analyze and tend to the needs of our guests in every way possible. Now that our system is ready, and that you're awake, it will begin to analyze your reactions and preferences. In an hour, any place you encounter in the Fifty-Minute Room will then automatically adjust in your perception to your comfort."
Databases, huh? "So it's technology and not magic?"
Madam smiled, the faintest trace of mirth across her otherwise imperceptible expression. "It's technology enhanced by magic. We find this works best in accomplishing our goals." Rhea didn't even have the passing thought before Madam continued, "There are a number of times in life where people need a refuge, Dear. My husband and I know that better than anyone. We were fortunate enough to be able to provide that for others, so we couldn't pass up the opportunity."
With that bit of personal information and the trust that came with it, Rhea didn't have the heart to press further.
"You're too kind, Dear. Now, feel free to choose any clothes you like. If you wish to retrieve your clothes from yesterday, I can provide them again."
They had entered the laundry room from before. Sure enough, Rhea spotted her hoodie hanging close to the back changing room and dashed towards it. The rest of her clothes were folded beneath it, and she changed. A bath would be in order soon, but she couldn't deny the rumble for food in her stomach.
"Ready to go," she announced, fully dressed again. Once more, the clothes held the warmth of a fresh dryer tumble, increasing the comfort she got from Roxas's gift.
Roxas…
Madam gave Rhea a moment before stepping into the hallway. Unlike the castle, the layout in the Fifty Minute Room seemed much simpler, though it was more of a commune than a single room. Rhea couldn't complain much if what Axel said about the place was true, plus boarding seemed free. If anything, she needed to focus on finding the red-haired boy and figuring out just what the hell he knew about what was going on.
She was in luck, her target sitting at a table, an empty plate in front of him. He had changed from his dark hoodie, but you couldn't mistake that hair of his. There were a few other people, sharp bursts of color striking out against the white tables and walls, but Rhea didn't pay any mind to them. Madam gave a reminder to eat and directed Rhea to the order window in the back before stepping off. Keeping her eyes on Axel, she complied.
"Good morning," Sir's voice sang, ducking his head through the window, a plate already waiting in front of them. Waffles with strawberries. Rhea hadn't thought much about what she wanted for breakfast, but seeing it she knew this was it without question. "We do aim to please, after all. Don't worry about any request being far too extravagant. We can provide without a doubt."
"Thank you," Rhea said, too stunned to come up with anything else. The exact way the Fifty Minute Room read her thoughts bordered between creepy and impressive. Ducking her head to Sir in appreciation, Rhea went to corner Axel before he ran away.
She didn't need to worry, the redheaded boy toying with a butter knife between his fingers. Rhea passed up the other empty seats and claimed the side of the table across from him. "Ah, so you're awake," he said. "You were completely passed out when I got up. You always that exhausted after storming the castle?"
Rhea felt the blush on her cheeks and ducked her head. Her stamina was way less than what was necessary for the castle, and Roxas's kindness had been the reason he brought her along. She had gone to the castle in an attempt to run away, and he had asked for her help, even brought her to school with him. A year had passed, and Rhea had grown comfortable with the arrangement.
"Yesterday was emotionally exhausting," she corrected. Getting up to the thirtieth floors hadn't been tiring with the path Axel had cleared for them. Getting thrown out by Roxas did more damage than any Heartless or Nobody could inflict. "But I'm rested, so I have questions. You agreed to answer them last night."
She couldn't say she was better, because she wasn't.
Axel nodded, dropping the butter knife into the rest of his silverware with a clatter. Rhea picked up her own fork and took slow bites of fruit and waffle in an attempt to stop her stomach from revolting. "What I was up to and what I was doing, right? Which one of those questions do you want answered first?"
Rhea frowned. What an anal guy. They were pretty much the same thing, but she had been the one to ask in her half asleep state. "You were looking for Roxas," she settled on. And had mistaken her for him to boot. "I tried asking him about you, but he wouldn't answer me. So how do you know each other?"
Axel's eyes flashed with hurt before he reset his expression. "Going right for the tough ones, huh?" he attempted to joke, but even Rhea could hear the catch in his voice. "Well, I used to do what you did. Roxas and I would raid the castle together, trying to get to the top."
Rhea reached for the plain glass Sir had provided on her tray and took a drink to hide her grimace. Cool milk burst over her taste buds. The idea of someone else in her place dragged icicles down her spine. Roxas had replaced Axel with Rhea, and would replace her with someone else. "What happened?"
"We encountered powerful magic on the forty-fifth floor." Rhea couldn't even imagine the challenge of five floors higher, let alone more than ten. Then again, from what she had seen, Axel was a far more competent fighter than she could be. Reaching that high would be easy when paired with Roxas. "It was aimed at me, but Roxas took the brunt of it. I don't know what all it did, but he doesn't recognize me anymore. No matter what, he thinks I'm someone else."
Silence held over the room, even with the other guests. No one else in the room had sat close enough to each other to talk, and guilt surged at Rhea's heart for making Axel speak about a sensitive topic in such an open space. "Should we…um…move somewhere else?"
"Nah, it's fine," Axel drawled, sadness still coloring even his dismissive words. "You need to eat, plus no one else can hear anyway. It's part of the privacy magic on this place. The only way you can disturb someone else is by getting in their face."
Rhea nodded. Sometimes it was just better to accept the rules of magic than question it too hard. While she could afford that luxury to the Fifty Minute Room, Axel couldn't afford that to the spell that had affected Roxas's memories.
At least with that, though, there's a chance of undoing it. I just opened my big mouth a bit too much. No counter spell's gonna fix Roxas hating me. The memory of getting thrown from the car threated tears with a sting in Rhea's eyes. She shoved a forkful of waffle into her mouth to create a pause in the conversation.
When she felt like she could talk without sobbing, Rhea redirected the conversation. "So why did you come back, then?" Axel looked to the ceiling in thought. For Rhea, it was just pure white, but to his comfort algorithm, maybe it was more interesting. "I fought with Roxas in the castle for almost a year, but we've never run into each other before."
"That's 'cause I needed time to sort myself out." Axel tapped a finger to his temple. "I'll admit, it took me longer than it should have, but I finally realized that sitting around and sulking wasn't going to get me anywhere. So I thought I'd take a shot and see Roxas again." He shrugged with a grimace. "It didn't go well, as you saw, but I'm not giving up yet."
Rhea stared down at her half-eaten plate, wishing for that kind of resolve. She felt like nothing more than giving up. No matter what, it seemed she was meant to be abandoned. Sticking to her guns would have done better, but Roxas had been so kind and open—he had saved her, and she thought that meant things would end differently.
Clearly not.
When she looked back up, Axel frowned. "So what I'm trying to say is take your time. Roxas can make it far in the castle, but making it to the top on his own is difficult. You don't have to rush." He gestured to Rhea. "Focus on yourself for a bit. You'll feel better."
"And what, I'm just supposed to sulk around for a year like you?" Rhea snapped before she could think otherwise. "I'm not going to waste my time on being alone and miserable." If that were the choice, Rhea would rather get hurt over and over again. "Just because you were too much of a coward to get Roxas back doesn't mean I'm going to be."
Axel stood, his height towering over Rhea. She didn't balk and glared right back, grinding her fork into the breakfast plate. Rhea had poked at a sore spot and she knew it. Beyond depression, a sharp anger jabbed at her common sense, ready to pick a fight, even if she would lose.
"That's the thing," Axel said, fake joviality sticking to his words like haphazardly applied glue, "it doesn't have to be a year. Figure out what it is you need and get yourself back together before Roxas forgets you, too. Got it memorized?" And he picked up his tray and dropped it off in a dish box Rhea hadn't even noticed before sulking out of the room.
Rhea ground waffles between her teeth, but it wasn't enough to take off the edge.
Rhea made it up the first hill before she stopped running. Her lungs begged for air. Behind her, the town with no name sat nestled between rolls of land. A few lights were on across the buildings, dim pinpricks against the darkness. Above head, the constant full moon peaked out behind hazy clouds, backlighting the castle above her.
The castle had appeared one day when Rhea was a child. It was far back enough in her memory that she couldn't remember the details. Since then, the people of the town had become accustomed to it, and, after the first handful of explorers had failed to return, didn't approach it. The castle served as a common ghost story, but not even reckless teenagers would approach it on a dare.
Which was why Rhea was headed there.
She was tired, very tired.
She didn't want to be found.
What's the point when everyone's just going to throw me away anyways…?
The town with no name was small and had limited resources. Rhea had been lucky enough to be born into a family with a home and some stability, so she had lived a comfortable life in comparison to others. She had thought that walking around town would build enough energy to make it to the castle, but that had been proven wrong.
One hill in, and there were still several to go. Rhea wanted to rest, but even in a world of constant night, the people would awake in time. The hill she stood on rested to close to town, within foraging distance and in line of sight. She needed to move further in before her parents realized she was gone.
Don't stop. Don't give in.
Rhea pushed forward several more hills up, each elevating higher than the last. Her legs burned, but Rhea kept walking, soon making it to the final hill that the castle rested on. Stopping there would be safe, but Rhea started the climb anyway. After coming so far, she didn't want to stop. The path winded around the base of the castle hill, spinning her view in circles as she tried not to look down.
Making it to the top, Rhea fell over, close to the edge. The smell of soil accompanied her attempts to reclaim air. She could make out her town, a faint blur of yellow nestled between rolling hills of shadow. No other towns rested in the distance, an isolated world. The castle stood as the only other marker of civilization, and no one seemed to live inside.
Rhea rolled onto her back, looking up at the structure. It stood just as impressive as it looked from the town, several spires and buildings interconnected, orange light flickering behind its windows. Unlike the town, with its small magic-run electricity hub, no artificial lights hung in this place.
Whatever the danger that had prevented the return of the townsfolk, it wasn't on the path there. The trouble had to be inside.
So that's where I'm going.
Rhea didn't know what to expect, but she didn't care. Once she could stand without her legs trembling, Rhea moved closer to the castle. Lit torches flanked both sides of the wooden door, flames sending jumping light down on the stairs to the entrance. Rhea took one step at a time, pausing when she reached the door.
This was the chance to turn back. And she wanted to. She wanted to go back home, apologize to her family for worrying them, talk to her friends and fix things. She wanted to stay in the town with no name and live a happy life, like everyone else.
"I can't…" Her voice cracked. "I can't go back. Not when…"
Not when her "friends" were going to leave her behind again.
Just like always.
Rhea struggled as she pushed open the door, her shoes catching traction on the floor with each step. Once inside, she found an empty hall, more lit torches lining the walls. The place looked empty enough. Maybe it was as empty as everyone had guessed.
Maybe they don't want guests and you're about to find out why no one ever comes back.
Fear and disgust fought a battle in her stomach, but the refusal to go home won. Rhea went to push the castle door back into place, and it closed much easier than it opened. Just to check, she tugged on the handle, and it opened a crack before Rhea let it close into place again. She could get out if necessary. It made stepping forward easier.
The walls swirled in on each other, building a blocky maze. Rhea wandered, stumbling upon a set of stairs before meeting any people. Coming from a town where the tallest buildings were three stories high, she had no sense of how big the building was from the outside. Rhea gripped the handrail and used it as support for her failing heart and legs.
Maybe I'll just be stuck wandering in a maze forever, she considered. Maybe I'll find everyone who came here before and got lost, living in a new community. Maybe it'll be better, and we'll stay here forever. With so few people, we'll have to rely on each other.
I won't get left behind again, then.
The thoughts soothed Rhea's concerns as she stepped into the entrance to the second floor. For some reason, the stairs only connected the two floors. More stairwells must've rested further in. It was an inefficient design for such a large building, but Rhea didn't care. She would keep exploring this castle, or she would collapse trying. Those things could only happen if she stepped forward.
And so she did. Until she rounded a corner and small black creature with bulging yellow eyes charged at her, slamming into Rhea's stomach and sending her head cracking against the stone castle wall.
[Avi's Semi-Tired Notes]
I feel ya, Rhea, last week was rough for me, too. I just don't have a magical time-defying alternate dimension to go rest in. I'd say you got the better deal here.
A fantastically huge thank you to Savage Kill for the review on last chapter! I know it's been some time, but I'm glad to see you still have enthusiasm for the story. I'm not giving in yet, so I hope you're ready for what all's to come!
This time, we finally poke at what happened with Roxas and Axel, plus take a look back at Rhea's first expedition into the Castle. There's more to both of these tales, but whether or not they'll talk about it is anybody's guess.
Next Scene: "For you, that's the value you place on fifty minutes."
Please look forward to it!
-Avi
[09.04.2017]