A Crystal Steeped In Darkness

Three

Three
           
                                                  A New Home
            
                      When morning came I looked over at the strange book and all the memories from last night came rushing back: the mysterious note, the Blackburrow Manor, my mother's letter and my Grimoire. Everything that happened yesterday night. As I readied myself for our move into Blackburrow I went upstairs to wake everyone up. The twins were the hardest as they were very stubborn early in the morning. " Vara, why do we have to wake up this early?" Liam asked, rubbing his eyes sleepily. So I reminded him about the move into Blackburrow. He nodded solemnly " Ok I remember now." He said. Within an hour we had packed up and said goodbye to the home we've known for so long and started heading towards a new beginning.

It was almost exactly as I remembered it from yesterday but there was an apparent change as the house didn't smell as bad as it did before and the clutter I could have sworn I saw before was gone. " Welcome back young master Vara, and hello little ones." Edwin said in greeting, nodding in Jonah's direction. Jonah just grunted like usual. So where do we put our things?" I gestured towards our bags which were surprisingly numerous. " Right this way." He replied as he started walking towards the steps that led towards the second floor.

      

       We followed him as he led us towards three different rooms: two for me and Jonah and one for the twins to share. As soon as I stepped across the threshold, carved writing in green appeared before me. I stood in shock as the room transformed before my eyes. The floor completely changed into green lushes grass and from the grass thick wooden roots began to shape itself into a bed frame and a soft jade mattress with bright flowers patterned all over. The walls changed as well, it's once plain texture morphed into more thick tree roots and above and a soft glowing light from millions of fireflies appeared casting its warm luminescent light. I stood still frozen from what I just witnessed. As if to answer my unspoken questions Edwin said: "This room responds to essence. It appears your essence is tailored to nature itself." Curious, I peaked my head into Jonah's room and much to my shock It was completely pitch black. " Jonah? I can't see, where are you ?" I sputtered, stumbling into something hard. Then I heard a snap of fingers and the darknesses subsided subtly.

         Once the darknesses had slowly dissipated what I saw was the total opposite of my room. Where lush grass was replaced by hard black obsidian tiles. His walls were covered in dark shadows as if it wasn't solid. Jonah himself was sitting on a king sized bed covered in gray sheets. Its frame was a deep dark metal I couldn't recognize. Jonah looked at me and for the first time since I've known him he smiled a small grim smile, his gray eyes shining. That's when I noticed a black and gray book similar to my grimoire but different. Jonah noticed my glance and told me how when he first stepped in the room it changed and how his grimoire appeared. Edwin appeared behind me carrying an envelope similar to the one mom made except it was black with a white sigil stamped on it. " Here's the letter that came with your new grimoire." Wait isn't that the sigil of one of the Deity worshippers. I thought to myself as Jonah ripped open the envelope. I could see his eyes dart back and forth on the page absorbing every word. "Jonah, what does it say?" I ask, my curiosity getting the better of me. He just turned away on his bed "Could I have some time to myself please." I nodded and turned to leave along with Edwin. As we were halfway through the door I noticed his shoulders shaking and could hear a muffled sob escape his lips.