02: The Sole-Wielders

Branches Of Sunshire

Chapter 2

The Sole-Wielders

The moon cast down into the basement apartment dungeon room. Ashley’s bouts of laughter reverberated off the stone walls as Nari tickled them with her feathered fan. The hazy purple glitter of ‘Ticklemore’ encumbered Ashley, twinkling under the moonlight.

Ashley: “HAHA AHAHAHAAHA SUNSHIRE! WE’RE FROM S-SUNSHIRE!”

They writhed against the chains and leather chair with tears streaming down their cheeks.

Nari: “Sunshire?!”

She repeated, swinging her violet eyes to them and snapping her fan shut. Ashley panted, catching their breath, nodding in confirmation.

Nari: “I never heard of such a place before! No such place exists! Now, tell me the truth!!”

She threatened, scrubbing her feathered fan across their feet again.

Ashley: “HAHAHA AHAHA EEEEEEEHEEH B-BUT IT’S REEEEEEEAL!!”

Their shoulders shook with laughter as they thrashed in their bonds.

Suddenly, the rusty door swung open as Madelyn merrily skipped into the room, humming a tune. Nari’s face twisted as she turned on her heel to face her, retracting her fan.

Nari: “What are you doing here?! I told you to watch Juniper!”

She huffed, placing her hands on her hips. Ashley panted, catching their breath, looking at Madelyn.

Madelyn: “I did!”

She shrugged. Nari clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes.

Nari: “Go back and watch her!”

She pointed at the door. Madelyn swung her gaze at Ashley as they twitched and giggled in their bonds.

Ashley: “H-Hellohohohohoho!”

They managed between shortened breaths. Madelyn smirked at Nari.

Madelyn: “Ooh, you used your kinky potion for some fun time, huh?”

She teased, nudging Nari with a cat-like grin.

Nari: “Kink?! It’s NOT a kink!”

She huffed and threw up her hands in indignation. Ashley giggled in the background as the potion kept tickling them.

Ashley: “HAHAHAHA AHYA HA AHAAHAHAHAHEHE!”

Madelyn: “Dude, your potion is literally called Ticklemore!”

She chuckled, holding up the half-empty potion bottle with a cursive font that read ‘Ticklemore.’

Nari: “I was merely gathering information, and I have some shocking revelations to share with you!”

She protested, snatching the bottle off her.

Madelyn: “Yeah, they’re sole-wielders! Juniper’s feet already told us that!”

She chuckled, flicking her gaze to Ashley. Ashley’s eyes grew large.

Ashley: “Wow! Hahaha. She could tell that from her feet, hahaha?!”

They gasped between laughter. Their laughter was weakening as the purple glitter slowly evaporated into the cool night air.

A sudden crash of glass cut through the air, followed by a sharp yelp. They both turned to see Nari backing towards the wall as if she had seen a ghost. The broken remnants of her potion surrounded her feet as the purple liquid seeped across the tiling and evaporated into the air.

Nari: “SOLE-WIELDERS?!”

Her voice rose to a shriek. Ashley knit their eyebrows, taken aback by her reaction.

Nari: “How is that possible?! They don’t LOOK like Sole-Wielders!”

She gestured wildly to Ashley. Ashley tilted their head.

Ashley: “Oh, that’s because our father isn’t a Sole-Wielder! Just our mother!”

They explained brightly. Madelyn recalled their family photo in that strange place, and their mother with her platinum hair, amber eyes, and that sun marking on her chest. So, that weird place in that photo must be Sunshire then? She realised.

Ashley: “Blake’s not a Sole-Wielder either; it’s just me!”

They added with a smile. Nari stepped back.

Madelyn: “Wait, Blake is a Commonfolk?”

Her eyebrows rose, and she turned back to Ashley.

Ashley: “Common folk?”

They tilted their head with a bewildered look on their face.

Madelyn: “It’s what we call people who don’t have Majique.”

She explained.

Ashley: “Oh, okay! Then yeah, Blake and our father are common folk!”

They declared.

Nari: “The mysterious warmth in the kitchen… The weird robe… That marking on your thumb… Sunshire…”

Her voice trailed off as she made the connections, backing towards the door.

Nari: “And you come here on the day of the Sole Solstice?!”

She added as it all dawned on her. Ashley’s eyes grew large.

Nari: “I need to get out of here!”

She shoved the door open and rushed out.

Ashley: “Why is she scared of me?!”

They bowed their head and frowned. Madelyn sauntered over to Ashley, leaning over to release them from their chains.

Madelyn: “I have NO idea! There’s nothing scary about you! You’re like a kitten!”

She teased as she petted their head. Ashley smiled a bit and rose to their feet, scooping up their cat and snuggling him back into their robe.

Madelyn: “Nari has always been a drama queen!”

She explained, shaking her head and laughing.

~

Ashley and Madelyn emerged from the dark basement into the grand entrance stairwell. Ashley sighed with relief to be out of the cold, dark room. The mansion was still and quiet, completely shrouded in nightfall. Ashley stumbled in the dark, unable to see the path ahead.

Ashley: “W-woah!”

They gasped as they stumbled over their feet.

Madelyn: “I got you!”

She rushed in, caught their fall, and cradled them in her arms.

Ashley: “O-oh, thank you!”

Catching their breath, they looked up at her in the dim moonlight, panting softly.

Ashley: “Wow, it’s so dark in here!”

They remarked, just barely making out the vague silhouettes of furniture.

Madelyn: “Yeah, it gets dark at night.”

She deadpanned with a laugh, helping them to their feet. Ashley chuckled.

Ashley: “Wait… how do people keep their house light at night if there are no Sole-Wielders?”

They pondered with curiosity.

Madelyn: “Umm, electricity, haha?”

She chuckled.

Ashley: “...Elec-tree-city?”

They repeated slowly, tilting their head. Madelyn giggled, amused by their response.

Madelyn: “Elec-tree-city, huh? I guess it IS like a giant tree with roots powering a city?”

She pondered the abstract metaphor, but Ashley’s bewildered tone revealed they were sincerely uninformed.

Madelyn: “Wait, you don’t have electricity in Sunshire?”

She gaped at them. Ashley shook their head in confirmation.

Ashley: “We don’t have whatever that is; we use our light-Majique!”

They explained, glancing down at their sun-tattooed thumbs under the dim moonlight.

Madelyn: “Well, we don’t have that, and we don’t have electricity in this house either!”

She clicked her tongue with disappointment.

Madelyn: “Nari won’t let us have common folk technology, because she wants to live it up like it’s 1887 CE!”

She laughed sardonically.

Madelyn: “That, and we can’t afford it, haha!”

She pouted, kicking her heels.

Ashley: “Don’t worry, I can help you!”

Ashley turned away from the moon's glow and raised their left hand, letting a warm orange light spool forth to summon their golden sunflower staff. With a gentle wave beneath the overhead chandelier, they cast a beam of brilliance upward. Madelyn watched in awe as the fixture flickered to life and brightened, bathing the grand entrance stairwell in cosy, welcoming light.

Ashley: “There you go! Nice and bright!”

They spread their arms with a cheerful smile.

Madelyn: “Wow… It’s beautiful!”

She admired the orange hues shining around them.

Madelyn: “Can you light up my room?!”

She tugged on their arm and led them to the staircase.

Ashley: “You have your own room?!”

They gasped and followed her up the creaking staircase.

Madelyn: “Of course! We all have our own rooms!”

She declared, sliding her hands along the banister.

Ashley: “What do you need your own room for?!”

They tilted their head. Madelyn turned to gape at them.

Madelyn: “Umm, sleeping, haha?!”

She laughed and led them towards the stained-glass balcony doors, with two rooms on either side.

Ashley: “OH! Like a dreaming chamber?!”

They exclaimed. Madelyn turned to them, laughing.

Madelyn: “A what?!”

She pressed them.

Ashley: “The room in the house where everyone sleeps and enters the dream realm together!”

Madelyn gaped, bewildered and fascinated. Dream realm? She wondered.

Madelyn: “Well, here’s my dreaming chamber!”

She approached the mahogany door on the right with a curtain of tiny flowers and vines draping over it. Ashley’s pupils dilated like a cat's, and they pawed at the flower vines.

Ashley: “Ooooh!”

Stella reached out a paw from their robe and joined in.

Madelyn: “Hehe, you’re funny!”

She giggled with amusement.

Madelyn twisted the brass doorknob with googly eyes and pushed the door open. A sweet floral scent greeted them as they entered. Ashley cast a light from their staff, illuminating a room resembling a colourful daydream. Their light seeped into the small chandelier at the centre of the room and onto a string of fairy lights across the canopy bed by the bay window. Purple drapes hung from the bedposts, with floral bedding, matching cushions, and an orange cat plush with dopey eyes. Large floral curtains hung from the windows behind the bed.

An arched doorway framed with intricate details opened to a walk-in wardrobe, brimming with natural, earth-toned garments that felt like a vibrant garden. Between the hearth and the bed stood a purple folding screen; nearby, the fireplace’s wooden mantel was littered with a lively assortment of gleaming knick-knacks. At the heart of the room, a circular rug with a mystical design tied the space together over the wooden floorboards.

Ashley: “O-Oh wow… Did you paint this?!”

In awe of the hand-painted forest mural lining the purple walls, they felt as though they had stepped right into a cartoon woodland. Cascading across the upper walls, painted Wisteria petals appeared to flutter gently in the wind, while a scattering of hand-painted mushrooms grounded the base. Nestled in a corner, a cheerful painted sun beamed back at them, complete with a goofy smiley face and a pair of sunglasses stuck onto it.

Madelyn: “Yep, I sure did!”

She smiled, proudly tracing her hand across the painted wall.

Ashley: “Wow, your dreaming chamber is so whimsical! I bet you have beautiful dreams!”

They remarked, marvelling at the room.

Madelyn: “I really do!”

She flopped down onto her bed.

Ashey: “How long have you been living here?”

They asked, turning back to face her.

Madelyn: “Hmm, I dunno… maybe a few years now?”

She gave a light shrug as she sat up at the edge of the bed.

Ashley: “Do your parents live here, too?”

They asked. Madelyn flung forward with a loud laugh.

Madelyn: “GOD NO!”

She laughed bitterly, shaking her head. Ashley was taken aback by her response to that question.

Madelyn: “It’s just me, Juniper and Nari!”

She flicked her gaze to Ashley, and a grin spread across her face.

Madelyn: “But it looks like we got some new roomies now!”

She nodded to them.

Ashley: “Roomies?”

They chuckled, tilting their head in confusion.

Madelyn: “You know, like people who live together!”

She explained, clasping her hands as if demonstrating forces coming together as one.

Ashley: “OH! Everyone lives together as one in Sunshire!”

Their cerulean eyes lit up with sudden understanding.

Ashley: “Everyone is happy and at peace…”

They sighed softly, longing to be back home.

Madelyn: “Then why is your brother so grumpy?”

She asked with a laugh. Ashley paused and shifted as they pondered that question.

Before Madelyn could ask more, a faint, rhythmic drumming seeped across the hallway from another room.

Ashley: “What’s that sound?!”

They raised an eyebrow and turned toward the noise. Madelyn paused to listen as the drumming grew louder and a grin spread across her face.

Madelyn: “...Let’s find out!”

She playfully tugged Ashley’s arm, leading them out of the room, drawing out a giggle.

~

Madelyn led them back into the hallway, where the sound grew louder and more distinct.

Madelyn: “Bongo drums?!”

She laughed, and they followed the trail of rhythmic beats until they reached the door adjacent to Madelyn’s, across the balcony walkway. Madelyn brushed the draping autumn leaves aside and tapped her knuckles against the door with a rhythmic knock. Juniper’s voice replied from the other side of the door.

Juniper: “Come in!”

Madelyn shoved the door open, and they were greeted by a lingering haze of herbal musk wrapped in Nag Champa incense. Ashley cast their light from their staff, brightening up the room. The light revealed a room with pastel floral wallpaper and warm autumn hues. A canopy bed resembling tree branches, with sage-green curtains and autumn leaves draped over the beams, was covered with a psychedelic mushroom bedspread. A large psychedelic tapestry hung from the wall behind the bed. Pottery and clay mushrooms were scattered around the room, along with macramé plants hanging from the ceiling. A cream-colored rustic fireplace sat beside the bed. A round, ornate wicker rug with mandala patterns lay on the wooden floorboards at the centre of the room.

Juniper sat in her wicker swing chair by the bay window, tapping her bongo drums and pouring tea from a ceramic teapot. Bound to the swing chair across from her in daisy-chain restraints, Blake looked miserable and annoyed. Juniper turned to greet them with a warm smile.

Ashley: “Blake?! Oh no, he doesn’t look happy!”

They gasped and rushed over, tugging at his daisy chains.

Blake: “Ashley?! There you are! What are you doing with THAT?! Put it away!”

He scolded them, staring at their staff. Ashley knit their eyebrows.

Blake: “Release me NOW and stay away from Ashley!”

He snapped at the women, writhing in his ridiculous restraints as his chair shook violently from the ceiling.

Madelyn: “Hahaha, what are you doing, Juniper?!”

She laughed at the absurdity of the scene.

Juniper: “We’re having a tea party!”

She gestured to the teapot in her hand.

Madelyn: “I don’t think he wants to party, Junes!”

She summoned her staff, pointing it at his daisy chains, and with a waft of air, they snapped and fell to the wooden floorboards.

Blake immediately shot up from his seat, panting with fury. The chair swung with the momentum of his hard shove and smacked against the wall.

Blake: “YOU! Don't you ever do that again!”

He marched over to the women, glaring at them with red, hot fury.

Juniper: “OH NO! Don’t burn us!”

She gasped and recoiled, backing out of the room. Blake slowly dropped his shoulders, and his hard features numbed.

Madelyn: “It’s alright, Junes; he’s a Commonfolk!”

She joined her on the landing and reassured her. Juniper gave her a dubious look.

Ashley: “W-what?! Sole-Wielders don’t cast fire!”

They protested, stepping beside Blake and waving their arms as if to clear the air. Both women shifted their glances toward them.

Ashley: “Sole-Wielders cast light and warmth!”

They clarified, pointing up at the lit chandelier hanging above the staircase landing. Juniper paused when the light dawned on her like a literal lightbulb moment above her head.

Juniper: “Oh wow! You made the rooms light up, Ashley?!”

She gasped and clapped her hands. Madelyn laughed at how she had only just noticed it.

Madelyn: “I know, right? Isn’t it great?! Now we don’t need electricity!”

She beamed at Ashley, admiring them and the lights. Blake drew an exasperated breath and pulled Ashley aside, out of earshot of the women.

Blake: “I told you NOT to do that!”

He hissed under his breath.

Ashley: “Why not?!”

They protested, looking hurt and confused.

Suddenly, the chandelier above them flickered and dimmed, fading back to moonlit darkness.

Ashley: “Huh? What happened?!”

They gasped and turned to see Nari ascending the stairs, dissolving the light into the shadows with her staff.

Nari: “We don't need electricity, and we don't need Sole-Wielders!”

She glared at Blake and Ashley.

Madelyn: “Aww, we never get to do anything fun!”

Her shoulders slumped with a pout.

Nari: “We have the moon to guide us at night!”

She huffed, gesturing to the moon, casting light through the windows.

Madelyn: “The moon sucks!”

She folded her arms across her chest. Nari swung her glare to her.

Nari: “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.”

She hissed at her.

Nari: “It’s time for the Sole-Wielders to leave!”

She pointed her staff down the stairs toward the front door. Juniper and Madelyn exchanged a glance.

Blake: “I am NOT a Sole-Wielder!”

He fired back, throwing his arms up in frustration.

Blake: “And it’s time for YOU to leave!”

He pointed at the three women. Ashley pursed their lips, while Madelyn blinked mutely at him.

Madelyn: “Are you for real?!”

She laughed at his absurd statement.

Nari scoffed and erupted into bitter laughter that echoed off the walls.

Nari: “You kick us out? Don’t make me laugh. WE are bound to this land — legally and Majiquely.”

She tightened her grip on her staff. Beside her, Juniper nodded.

Juniper: “That’s right, my parents bound it to me, and I bound it to Nari and Madelyn, too!”

She smiled and waved.

Ashley: “Legal?”

They tilted their head with uncertainty. Blake looked just as perplexed.

Blake: “Our father owned this place. We're his children, so it's bound to us!”

He protested, stepping forward. Ashley nodded beside him.

Nari: “Yes, and he abandoned it for twenty-five years!”

She declared with a flippant flick of her hand.

Nari: “Or rather, he was kidnapped by Sole-Wielders!”

She shrugged. Ashley knitted their eyebrows.

Ashley: “Sole-Wielders wouldn’t do that!”

They countered defensively.

Nari: “Whatever the case, it is you who should leave. Run along now, and go back to Sunshire!”

She waved her hand dismissively, as if shooing away stray cats.

Blake: “NO! That’s NOT going to happen!”

His voice rose above them, and he stomped the floorboards indignantly, silencing the room.

Blake: “We are not leaving, and we are NOT going back to Sunshire!”

He stood in front of Ashley defensively, keeping their distance from the stairs. Ashley’s bottom lip trembled.

Nari: “Why not?!”

She gaped at them suspiciously. Madelyn stepped forward.

Madelyn: “Why can’t you go back home?”

She queried sympathetically in a soft tone with a flicker of understanding. Blake looked away from Ashley and drew a long breath as his harsh features slowly melted.

Blake: “Because…”

His tone softened, and his shoulders dropped.

Blake: “There’s nothing to go back to…”

He finally said in a low voice. Ashley embraced themself, huddling into their cat. Madelyn focused her gaze on them and placed her hand on Ashley’s shoulder.

Madelyn: “What happened?”

She asked softly, and they all went silent, turning to Ashley and Blake.

Ashley: “There was a fire…”

They said in a small voice. Blake bowed his head, staring at the floorboards. Nari froze.

Madelyn: “A fire?!”

Her eyes grew large. Ashley pursed their lips and nodded.

Nari: “I thought Sole-Wielders don’t cast fire?”

She echoed Ashley’s words with sharp scepticism.

Ashley: “We don’t! It wasn’t a Sole-Wielder!”

They shook their heads vigorously, their eyes wide with fear.

Juniper: “Then what started the fire?”

She slowly tilted her head in confusion. Ashley paused, thinking about the fire.

Ashley: “...We don’t know. We just woke up, and everything was burning…”

Their soft voice cracked, and they buried their face in their hands as their shoulders trembled. Blake pursed his lips, unable to meet anyone’s gaze, while the room fell silent. The sharpness drained from Nari’s face, and she turned hollow.

Juniper: “Well, you have a home here with us now!”

She spread her arms out with a warm smile. Madelyn stood beside her, nodding eagerly.

Madelyn: “Yeah, we can be roomies!”

She exclaimed excitedly. Ashley's eyes widened.

Ashley: “Oh my stars!”

They brightened and beamed.

Blake: "Absolutely NOT!”

He barked, stepping between them and Ashley, cutting short their excitement.

Nari: “NO! We're not having Sole-Wielders here!”

She raised her hand defensively and shook her head wildly. Madelyn and Juniper turned to her.

Madelyn: “Seriously?! How could you be so cold, Nari?! They lost their home, and this is the only place they’ve got left!”

She pleaded beseechingly.

Nari: “Yeah, and we could lose our home now, too! They want us gone! I don’t trust them!”

She pinned her icy-cold gaze on Ashley and Blake.

Blake: “We don’t trust you either, and you want us gone, too!”

He stepped forward, meeting her gaze head-on. Ashley's head spun with the tension of conflict in the air. Nari’s hostility unnerved them, but they were endeared by Madelyn and Juniper’s welcoming energy.

Ashley: “Well, I trust them, and I want them here, too!”

They countered, smiling at Madelyn and Juniper.

Blake: “WHAT?! How could you trust them?! They tortured us!”

He gaped at Ashley.

Ashley: “Tickling isn't torture, Blake!”

They exclaimed.

Blake: “It is to me.”

He groaned, folding his arms across his chest.

Ashley: “Laughter is the best medicine for the soul!”

They placed their hands delicately to their heart.

Ashley: “And… I really needed that.”

Their voice dropped to a murmur. Blake paused, and his expression softened when he thought of everything they had endured that day.

Juniper: “I trust them, too!”

She chimed in, smiling at Ashley and Blake. Blake gave her a dubious look.

Nari: “You trust everyone, Juniper. That's the problem.”

She huffed and rolled her eyes.

Madelyn: “Aww, come on! How could you not trust someone who looks like a cat and spreads light and warmth?! Can we keep them… and their brother?”

She pleaded, petting Ashley’s head like a cat. Ashley purred and tilted their head, glancing up at Nari with their big doe eyes.

Blake: “We are NOT pets!”

He hissed and grabbed Ashley’s arm, pulling them away from her.

Blake: “And we are not sharing our home with you!”

He argued, pointing at the three women. Ashley stared up at him and pouted.

Ashley: “That’s not the Sunshire way, Blake! As the sunlight beams through the windows, so too shall you welcome others to bask in your light with you!”

They pleaded with him. Blake twisted his mouth and heaved a sigh.

Blake: “We can’t coexist with outsiders! You know this!”

He folded his arms across his chest.

Blake: “It’s not ‘The Sunshire way’.”

He repeated sardonically, in air quotes. Nari laughed and shook her head.

Nari: “Well, we can’t coexist with you. It’s not the ‘real world’ way.”

She scoffed.

Juniper: “They have a right to be here as much as we do, and we have a right to be here as much as they do!”

She declared, drawing all their eyes to her.

Juniper: “We are all connected like the roots of a tree, so we should all live together as one!”

She spread her arms out, brushing her bare feet against the floor as if she were grounding herself and them all to the mansion itself.

Ashley: “Wow, that's beautiful!”

They beamed and clasped their hands together.

Madelyn: “Well, it’s two against one. Sorry, Nari, but Ashley and their grumpy brother are staying!”

She shrugged. Blake glared at her, and Ashley smiled. Nari stiffened; a sharp sting flickered across her face as her gaze darted from Madelyn to Juniper, who stood by the intruders across the room.

Nari: “This isn't over...”

She hissed, flicking her gaze to Ashley and Blake with a cold stare. Without another word, she turned on her heel and retreated down the stairs, her heels echoing into the grand entrance below. Silence settled as they watched her slink back into her basement apartment.

Juniper: “Oh dear!”

She cupped her mouth. Ashley shifted uncomfortably, exhaling with relief as she left. As soon as she was out of sight, they summoned their staff, casting light up into the chandelier, illuminating the staircase landing again. Blake frowned at Ashley.

Ashley: “Why is her energy so negative towards us?”

They knitted their eyebrows, looking to Madelyn and Juniper for answers.

Madelyn: “I have NO idea what her deal is! I hate it when she gets like this!”

She pouted and kicked her foot against the rug. Ashley tilted their head.

Juniper: “Hmm… this feels different somehow.”

She pondered, stroking her chin.

Blake: “She’s not the only one displeased with this! I don’t want you here either!”

He huffed and folded his arms, staring at Juniper and Madelyn. Ashley sighed.

Juniper: “Well, at least you have something in common.”

She smiled dumbly. Blake rolled his eyes.

Ashley surveyed the landing, curious about the doors around them.

Ashley: “Did our father have his own dreaming chamber here?”

They asked. Madelyn and Juniper turned to each other.

Juniper: “Dreaming chamber? I like that.”

She smiled and chuckled.

Madelyn: “If he did, it would have been the master bedroom over there...”

She gestured to the door beside the spiralling attic staircase and stared at it. Juniper paused to stare at the room with her.

Blake: “Okay, let’s get some rest, Ashley.”

He sauntered over towards the door. Ashley nodded and yawned.

Juniper: “Oh… you want to go in there?!”

Her cheerful demeanour completely dropped.

Madelyn: “Uhh… I dunno about that.”

She laughed and waved her hands. Blake and Ashley both turned back to face them.

Blake: “Why not?!”

He folded his arms across his chest.

Madelyn: “Because it’s HELLA haunted!”

She exclaimed, spreading her arms for emphasis.

Ashley: “Haunted?! What do you mean haunted?!”

They stammered, goosebumps prickling their skin.

Juniper: “I can’t be in that room… it hurts my feet and lowers my vibrations.”

She shuddered and stepped back defensively. Madelyn turned to her, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Ashley’s eyebrows rose as they noticed her drastic shift in demeanour.

Blake: “A place you can’t enter, huh? Even better.”

He smirked and looked to the door, reaching for the brass doorknob.

Ashley: “But Blake, it’s haunted!”

They pleaded with him, tugging on his sleeve.

Blake: “They’re just trying to scare us and keep us out of there!”

He turned to Ashley and waved his hand dismissively.

Blake: “Haunted things aren’t real, Ashley!”

His fingers met with a chill in the brass doorknob. Ashley summoned their staff and braced themself as he twisted the doorknob. Juniper drew back into the hall, standing close by Madelyn.

The door creaked open, and a draft of cold air and stagnant dust washed over them, heavy with the stillness of an unsealed tomb. The room was dark, with a sliver of moonlight streaming through the great arch windows. The night sky resembled a landscape painting with a blanket of stars and silhouettes of pine trees backing the property and the neighbouring houses. Next door, the white weatherboard house stood in stark contrast to the grand Victorian manor.

Blake stepped into the room, his footsteps echoing across the wooden floorboards and through the emptiness. He craned his neck around to Ashley, who anxiously clung to the doorframe like a cat to a tree.

Blake: “See? There’s nothing wrong with this room! My feet and ‘vibrations’ are fine!”

He scoffed, rolling his eyes at Juniper and Madelyn. He turned back to Ashley and extended his hand.

Blake: “Trust me, Ashley! You will be fine!”

He assumed them, gesturing for them to come in. From the landing, the women watched nervously. Ashley swallowed hard and hesitated, then slowly lowered their foot onto the floorboards, bracing for pain, but with a sigh of relief, they were met with only a cool touch of old wood.

Ashley: “You were right, Blake!”

They looked up at him, smiling.

Blake: “Of course I’m right.”

He said smoothly. Behind them, in the landing, Juniper and Madelyn exchanged an uneasy look.

Ashley summoned their staff and directed a warm beam of light up into the chandelier above them. The chandelier's lights flickered and brightened, revealing a large and empty room with dust-covered furniture.

A grand four-post canopy bed towered in the centre, facing the great arch windows. The bed was draped in red velvet curtains and old bedsheets, with a cluster of pillows and cushions leaned up against the carved wooden headboard.

Next to the bed, tucked in the corner of the room, sat a rustic fireplace with a wooden mantel, covered in dust. An antique clock sat on the mantel, remaining frozen at three o'clock. Between the bed and the fireplace, a door led out to a private balcony.

By the windows, next to the bed, sat a vintage ruby-red cabriole sofa. A tall chest of wooden drawers sat in the corner; dust layered the surface, obscuring the old photos and ornaments. On the other side of the room was an ornate archway, leading into an ensuite.

Blake turned to Juniper and Madelyn, lingering at the doorway.

Blake: “I can see why you wanted to keep us out of this chamber!”

He marvelled at the large ornate room, taking in its hidden luxury.

Ashley: “Yeah…”

Their voice trailed off as something caught their eye, sitting on top of the dresser. Blake followed Ashley’s glance down to a wooden-framed portrait. It featured a worn photo of a dignified middle-aged couple with porcelain-rose skin, deep red hair, and blue eyes, dressed in 1970s attire with warm, earthy hues.

Juniper: “Oh, those are my parents.”

She said softly from the doorway and smiled sadly. Ashley and Blake looked up at her.

Ashley: “Where are they?”

They asked with pure curiosity.

Juniper: “They have returned to the earth.”

She replied in a gentle whisper. Madelyn placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. Ashley gave her a sympathetic look. Blake went dead silent beside them and stared down at the portrait as a heavy shadow passed over his features.

Ashley: “Oh! I’m sorry!”

They murmured, knitting their eyebrows.

Ashley: “Why aren't you living in their dreaming chambers then?”

They asked with genuine curiosity.

Juniper: “Because, like, I told you… it’s haunted.”

Her voice dropped to a low whisper.

Ashley: “Oh! Is it their spirits?”

They leaned in slightly. Juniper hesitated, slowly shaking her head as a lingering chill settled over her.

Juniper: “No, It’s not their energy…”

Suddenly, the light above them flickered, plunging the room back into darkness. Juniper and Madelyn recoiled with a gasp.

Ashley: “Huh…”

They stepped back, craning their neck toward the darkened chandelier above them. Ashley raised their hand to summon their staff, but nothing appeared.

Ashley: “...Uh-oh.”

Blake drew a sharp and tense breath.

Blake: “THIS is why I told you NOT to use your Majique!”

He huffed, throwing his arms up in frustration.

Blake: “Now you’re completely burned out!”

He shifted his stance between Ashley and the two women in the doorway.

Ashley: “That's ok, I can recharge when the sun comes up again in the morning!”

They explained, calmly waving their hands. Blake shook his head.

Blake: “That’s not the point!”

He swung his untrusting gaze to Madelyn and Juniper standing by the doorway.

Blake: “Okay, show’s over now! Be gone!”

He marched to the door, grabbed the doorknob, and pulled it shut with a hard thud, sealing Madelyn and Juniper out on the landing.

Blake drew a long breath and turned back to Ashley under the moonlight.

Blake: “Get some rest.”

He instructed, pacing through the dark.

Blake: “You take the bed, and I’ll take the sofa.”

He stated, using the pale moonbeam to guide his way to the sofa. Ashley nodded and felt their way through the dark to the bed.

Ashley: “...I could have sworn I had more Majique stored up.”

They pondered aloud as they climbed into the bed and nestled into the old silk bedsheets.

Ashley: “You don’t suppose it was… the haunted dreaming chamber?”

They nervously pulled the covers up to their chin and glanced around the shadowy room. Across from them, Blake rested his head on the cushion on the sofa and scoffed.

Blake: “No, Branch! There’s no such thing!”

He turned over to face them in the bed across the dark room.

Blake: “You were just being irresponsible! You need to be more careful! We’re in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people!”

He warned them sternly. Ashley recoiled at his harsh tone.

Ashley: “It’s not that unfamiliar. Our father’s energy resides in these walls! He lived here, too!”

They smiled up at the moonlit ceiling, pondering his life within this house.

Ashley: “And he will return here with mother soon enough!”

Blake went completely quiet.

Blake: “Yeah.”

He rolled over on the sofa, turned his back to them, and stared silently out the window.