Chapter Four

Plot Holes

Calian

I laid on a bed so luxurious and comfy that I was certain none of this could be real. First off, there can’t possibly be a bed this relaxing. I was nearly ready to KO for the night the moment I placed my head on the featherdown pillow. Secondly, I wasn’t entirely convinced that this world isn’t all in my head. For all I knew, I could be concussed at the bottom of the lake in Wanderers’ Woods as my dying brain drums up hallucinations on the last thing I was thinking about just before I suffocate from drowning.

I audibly sighed, releasing all the tension in my shoulders as I stared at the spackled ceiling. Each little textured peak reminded me of the mountain symbols Mom would draw on her homemade maps. I shut my eyes tightly, preventing the sting of tears that threatened to fall.

This isn’t a dream… I finally decided. If it was, you’d be here…

“Shit…” I whispered. “What am I to do now?”

I suppose I should try to come up with some way to get back to Oakheart, or at a minimum, the lake I emerged from. How the hell am I supposed to do that though when I’m not even sure how the hell I got here in the first place!?

I sighed, dragging my hands down my face roughly in frustration. But rather than stopping at my chin, my fingers trickled down over to my neck. I rubbed it gingerly, recalling the heat from Nova’s hovering fingertips. I could feel the blood rush to my head as I remembered my hand sliding towards her, just daring to touch her despite the consequences.

Suddenly, I was parched.

I gulped, clearing my throat as I sat up swiftly. No longer able to pretend that I was going to sleep, I snagged my glasses from the nightstand and stretched. Bailey left me a pair of tan cotton trousers and a much too big white dress shirt for pajamas. While I was appreciative of the clothes, I couldn’t shake the distinct feeling that I was swimming in them like a child wearing his father’s shirt. Where did Nova even get these from? I wondered, not recalling any men close enough to leave clothing in her manor from my story.

Barefoot, I made my way down the stairs in search of a drink. All the lights that were on before were out, leaving only slivers of moonlight as my guide. I made sure to walk carefully so as not to crash into any indiscriminate shadows that popped up around me. They were all most likely pieces of furniture or statuary. At least, that’s what I hoped they were when I didn’t notice any of the shadows following me.

After several minutes and a hard slam into a doorframe, I finally made it to the kitchen. I slid my hand along the wall by the door until I finally felt a button. I pressed it, and the lights in the kitchen appeared. As I stared up at the simple fixture, I felt like there was something off about the light. It wasn’t quite electricity. I noticed it upstairs as well, but truthfully, I didn’t give it much thought. Maybe it’s because my mind has been awhirl with so many new things today. I mean, it’s not every day a man gets transported to the world of his story after being sucked into a lake in woods his dead mother told him to go to, right?

Just the thought left me breathless enough that I almost didn’t notice the surprisingly rustic feel of the kitchen. There was so much opulence in the previous rooms that the kitchen being rather simple in design made it feel as if I was in a different home entirely.

I passed by a white-legged square table in the middle of the room as I went over to the fridge. It resembled a wooden icebox, but it was adorned with gold hinges and silver etchings. Well, there’s the opulence. I smirked, before further examining the four doors on it. One door that nearly took up the entire left half of the appliance. Two doors half the size on the right side, and a rectangular door that stretched from left to right on the top. When I opened the top part where the ice should have been, there was just more food and drink. However, engraved in the back of the wall was some type of blue stone. I was going to touch it, but the closer I got, the colder the space around the smooth stone became.

I hesitated. Why don’t I know what this is? Puzzled by yet another plot hole, so to speak, I walked over the large white farmhouse sink. I turned one of the silver knobs, quickly finding which one was the cold water. Letting it run for a moment, I managed to snag a glass from one of the surrounding cabinets.

I chuckled after taking a sip. “Yeah… water shouldn’t taste this good.”

Do I even know anything about this place? I wondered, finding so much new in a story I should know by heart.

To my left, I heard the shuffle of feet, and when I turned to look, I realized there was a swinging door on the opposite side of which I entered. It was swaying back and forth. Could Bailey have been watching me?

I approached, poking my head out into a small dark corridor. Must be the servants’ quarters. I surmised, but before I thought about going down the incredibly dark hall, I changed my mind. Tomorrow’s another day after all. I can explore properly when I can actually see more than a few inches in front of me. Besides, even these minor curiosities I’ve come across this evening have only proven that I don’t know as much about Gravitas Manor as I thought. Better to be safe than sorry.

And with that, I cleaned the dish I used and scampered on my way. However, as I finally made it back up the stairs, there was a distant light coming out of the hall to my left. I thought of just ignoring it, but for some reason, I was drawn to it. Cautiously, I headed towards the light until I came upon an open doorway.

I tilted beside the wall until I could see inside the room. It was a study, complete with wall-to-wall shelves of books, various flower vases and busts on their own individual pillars against the wall of windows, some sort of paper or large scrolls rolled up and splayed across a rather generously surfaced desk, and sitting in the red armchair behind it was Nova.

She looked… bored. Her chin was in the palm of her left hand as her silver locks cascaded over that same shoulder. She was hunched over, flipping through a book. One could almost say she seemed relaxed. Unlike her earlier fierce expression, her features now appeared softer, more fragile.

Nova was mesmerizing. She really was exactly how I always imagined. It made the decision to return back to my room that much harder.

I shifted, causing the floorboards beneath me to creak. I grimaced at them, and when I looked back up, Nova’s dark eyes pierced through me. Her brow was raised, surprised, and maybe a little annoyed, but to my surprise, she did not send me away.

Instead, her commanding voice said, “Mr. Calian, was it?” I nodded wordlessly as she continued. “Is gaping at women in secret a habit I should watch out for?”

Her gaze narrowed as I stepped into the room and approached. Seeing her desk up close only made me realize that the rolled-up papers were maps, and in front of Nova, was an account book—perhaps even the log for the manor’s finances.

“I’m sorry if I disturbed you. I just…” I paused, fully registering her inquiry. “Not that I’m a pervert or anything!” I shook my head fiercely.

Wow… you are sooooooo smooth, Cal. I mentally banged my head against the wall.

“I just find you… captivating.” I confessed, blushing.

Her eyes scanned me from head-to-toe before she scoffed. “You’re a strange one, Mr. Calian.” She finally said, but I couldn’t help but notice the slight red tinge of her ear.