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truly, it was a place of nostalgia

nostalgia

noun /nəˈstaljə/

a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations

One thing for sure, going back to the mansion was like entering a journey to watch a roll of nostalgia.

The mansion was the place I was born and raised at, after all. It was inevitable that I had all the memories growing up there. Before, my memories of living there were nothing but pleasant. Adventures. Stories. Learning. Deneb. Cygnus. Everything.

Indeed, my childhood was not always sugar and spice and everything nice. However, it is undeniable that those childhood memories can be dear in my heart.

For Vega, it was a magical experience. For me, it was a stroll down the memory lane. We experienced different things, but for sure, both of them were pleasant.

Upon arriving, we sneaked to my old bedroom through the window—the same way I left my house. I think Vega was wondering why the window was not locked. In fact, however, it was. I had been living here long enough to know how to unlock and lock the window without seeming like someone broke in.

One thing I did not expect was the lack of security. I thought that, with my disappearance, they would be wise enough to tighten the security around the house. Well, maybe it was because they went to the festival; God knows what.

Seeing my bedroom, untouched and unbothered, was so overwhelming I almost cried on the spot. Fortunately, before it happened, Vega asked warily, “Is the door locked?”

I expected the door to be locked, but I checked either way. Yes, the door was locked. I had some spare keys lying hidden in my room, so it was not a problem. “Do you need a key?” I asked.

Vega shook her head. “No, just making sure no one can come in.”

A bitter feeling surged within me. Well, I sure hope someone checks on me sometimes. “No one checks this room,” I said with a taste of discomfort at the tip of my tongue.

Vega looked out the window. “How are you so sure?” she asked, hugging herself uncomfortably. “Is this castle abandoned?”

Castle. She called that flimsy mansion a castle. How adorable. I stepped to my bed and sat down. Oh, a comfort I had not felt for so long—it was blissful. “People live here, but there are not many people. However, I am not sure why no one guards the place,” I explained in daze as I brushed my hand on the lightweight bedsheet.

Vega bounced towards me. “This is insane,” she stated, with her eyes glimmering in joy.

I chuckled, taking her hands in mine. “Right?” I said. Then, pointing at the bathroom door behind her, I said, “That’s a bathroom. Go wash yourself.”

Vega’s jaw dropped in a big awe. Her already sparkling eyes widened; her arms spread in surprise. “Oh, sure!” she jumped and rushed to the bathroom. Hearing the sound of water streaming down the faucet, I leaned back on my bed, supporting myself with my hands.

All I could do was recall the past.

The bed where I sat on, was once a bed for Deneb and I. It was our childhood bedroom, before we grew older and Deneb was put in a newer room.

My first memory was waking up in the middle of the night, on this bed, with Deneb sleeping next to me. I think I was five or so—I cannot recall exactly. I remember glancing around in our dark room, then I looked out to the window with the curtain left open. It was a night of full moon. The moon was bright and dazzling, surrounded by stars of different sizes and radiance. I remember being so enchanted that I had to wake Deneb up, telling her of the beautiful midnight sky. Her reaction was a similar enchantment. She begged me to let her see the sky clearly, so we sneaked out the bed—the floor was so cold, by the way, since we had not installed a carpet back then—and, holding hands, tiptoed towards the open window. We looked at the sky in bedazzlement.

It was one of her countable adventures.

I laid down on my bed, looking up to the ceiling. Closing my eyes enhanced my other senses. I could smell the dusty yet familiar scent of the room. I could feel the gentleness of the bed sheet against my fingertips. I could hear voices and sounds of the past.

My thoughts fell back to the present when the door to the bathroom was twisted open. The door unlocked and opened, and out came Vega, with steams from the bath behind her as though an ethereal Goddess emerging from heaven.

She was lovely, she was beauty. She was everything I could ask for.

“The bath is empty,” she announced the obvious, wiping her hair down as a drop of water trickled down at the end of her hair, down to her neck. She was wrapped in my old bathrobe, wrapping her figure perfectly as though hugging her safe.

I smiled and stood up. “I’ll take one,” I said, walking up to the bathroom—or, to her, since she stood unmoving in front of the door.

I stopped in front of her. She was flustered. I touched her damp and warm cheek, flushed in peach in embarrassment and the temperature of the bath. I ran my cold fingertips down her shoulder, letting the water trickle to the back of my hand.

“Now,” I leaned and whispered to her ears. “How am I supposed to get to the bath when you’re blocking the entrance?”

She jumped, and the color of peach flushed across her face. She immediately scooted away with awkward movement.

“Dry your hair, okay?” I said, as I stepped in to take a long bath.

The bathroom that I used to use for years felt too nostalgic. The luxury of a comfortable bathing was one thing I missed from living in the mansion—except, it was not enough reason to outweigh the desire to leave. I closed my eyes, enjoying the warmth that I had not experienced in months.

When I finished, Vega was looking through the wardrobe. I smirked, crossing my hands in front of my chest while watching her going through my collection of tailored dresses—as much as I was uncomfortable with dresses, they were required for formal events. “Do you want to try that?” I teased.

Vega, not noticing I was out of the bath, jumped as though I caught her stealing something red-handed. She cleared her throat and feigned composure. “These look like a lot of pain,” she shrugged in nonchalance, though in her tone were hopefulness and excitement. “I mean, they look good. however, I don’t want to wear them.”

I could insist for her to try on a piece, but she did not want to admit to her wants, so I played with her words. “Fair enough,” I agreed, walking towards our bags of supplies as I watched her expression dropped into disappointment. “Then, wear your clothes. You’re going to catch a cold standing there in a bathrobe.”

Tell you what, she was sulking! It was adorable, but she did it to herself, to be fair. “Don’t want to,” she pouted, crossing her arms and averting her face away. “Too much of a hassle! We’re just going to stay here, anyway.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Who says we’re here only to sleep?” I challenged. “Don’t you want to explore this place?”

Vega’s jaw dropped in disbelief. Perhaps, my idea was too wild for her to grasp. She might think I was insane. Yet, her expression turned into delight in no time and she accepted my idea with open arms. “You bet I want to!” she squealed, jumping to get her clean clothes.

“Wait,” I stopped her before she got into her worn out outfit. I rummaged through my closet, finding a simple dress that was rather casual and easy to wear. “Wear this,” I insisted, handing the dress over to her. It was a knee-length one-piece dress, with a V-line and plain skirt the color of mahogany. Darker colors were easier to blend with the dark, but darker red specifically was gorgeous on her. Furthermore, the sleeve was above elbow length, which was pretty comfortable and casual.

She was absolutely delighted when I gave her the dress. Her expression told me ‘finally,’ as she fit into the dress. As I expected, she was enchanting in a dress she never wore. My gaze softened, I approached her and placed my hands on her hips. “You look perfect,” I complimented, closing the distance between us as I leaned in. Our forehead touched, and I closed my eyes. “Very, very beautiful.”

“Thanks,” she chuckled, wrapping her arms around me. “Now, you, too, go get dressed so we can go.”

with beauty that would make anyone fall on their knees,

how grateful I was to have you in my arms

inside the cage.