My Lie, Your Ring, This Rose| Kamukoma

🥀 Chapter 21 🥀

Broken or mended? Broken. It stood solemnly and silently on the brink of a couple rocks. It was so eerily quiet that it seemed like time had stopped. No clocks moving, no seasons changing. Even the clouds had stopped moving. The wind smashed against the cracked roof, some bits of the roof falling off and scraping the walls on the side. The roof was as broken as the house. The abandoned house. It looked as if the house was a part of history and not the modern world today. The house shuddered on the hill, wishing that the sunlight would come sooner to warm up the hollow walls. The walls on the outside of the house were covered in dust. Layers and layers of dust that had now made the walls a chipped grey instead of the white it once was. The windows had clouded up and if you peered hard enough you could see the teared lace curtains. The door was slightly open, as if it were trying to invite people in, but failing. Inside, the house was infused with cobwebs. On each corner of the room was a cobweb, webbed to perfection. It seemed that the spiders had claimed the house while it was vacant. The floorboard's screws and nails were popping up- if anyone were to walk they would get pricked along the way. Two doors stood on either side in the entrance of the house. Although, the scraped paint and scratch marks on the doors didn't make it look any more pleasant. The door knob was shaped in a crystal but it also seemed to be wrecked, it having a crack in the middle. There was a staircase leading to the top of the house, a thin dull plum carpet draped along the stairs. There were a couple of strings sticking out of the carpet, the stitching on the outer bit of the carpet coming off. Upstairs there were just a couple more rooms. However, majority of the rooms were locked or jammed- making it impossible to go in. Despite all of the pulling and tugging on the doorknobs, each pull filled with more curiosity than the last, the doors wouldn't move. The house sighed in response to its ruined attire. This place really was broken. Mended. The house was once again looked after, despite these years of suffering. No more being left to be eaten alive by the bugs and wind. The crystal doorknobs being in perfect condition and the rooms behind the doors looking elegant with an old twist. The floorboards being smooth and keeping the house sturdily together. The dust on the walls had vanished with a simple blow and the white paint could be seen. The house looked so perfect, it was mended, even the spiders didn't want to wreck it. There was a big difference from being left to be broken and being mended. What I just worry about is being broken and not having anyone to mend me. Specifically, having a broken heart. The electric motor in the car giggled under my feet and then came to an abrupt stop. I bit my lip as the car stopped right in front of the castle. A castle worker, opened the door for me. His wings were unnaturally large and his eyes were a blinding neon yellow. He didn't look up at me again after a quick glance, nevertheless I still smiled at him while getting out of the car. The door shut behind me and Kirumi was standing there talking to Izuru. I tilted my head, my fluffy hair shifting. She was always there at the right time. Kirumi shifted her gaze from Izuru and onto me. Izuru tucked some black hair behind his ear and walked into the castle. A worker quickly walking next to him. The worker looked really timid, her purple hair swaying side to side. Although, her hair was uneven making different sides swaying more than the rest. She shakily handed Izuru a couple of papers and once he had taken them, she folded her arms. She was having a hard time keeping up with Izuru's pace as they both walked through the castle's doors. I wonder what her role here is. Celeste got out of the car next to me, she squinted her eyes at the castle doors. We weren't parked too far from the castle, just a few meters away.
"I hope that you enjoyed ring shopping. I had booked the whole store to make the experience more pleasant," Kirumi walked up to us. I nodded, even though I am still quite perplexed as to why Izuru bought the ring I had wanted. I shook my head, it's probably just because we have similar taste. A little laugh surrounded my head, my taste is trash though. So that can't be the reason as to why he chose the ring.
"It was...fine," Celeste murmured, while clenching her teeth together. I cleared my throat and tapped my shoe against the floor. A soft beat emitted from the tapping.
"I am glad you enjoyed yourself. However, the competition will be starting in an hour. You were gone for quite a while," Kirumi explained and giggled a little, she used her gloved hand to hide her laugh. "Perhaps Izuru thought that all of the rings were boring."
Celeste shuffled her feet on the floor and walked past us, completely ignoring the conversation. It was as if her ears were blocked and her eyes, too. She flicked some of her hair and fixed her little headdress before walking through the doors.
"Someone is in a bad mood. Maybe I should make some milk tea for her later. It says in her profile that she likes that," Kirumi put a finger on her chin and then shook her head.
"The competition is now?" I questioned her. Kirumi nodded and I ruffled my hair. I am going to have to trust my luck on this one.
"Do not worry, you have your talent on your side. Not to mention, Izuru has taken a liking to you."