♠️ Exceptis Centrum ♠️ ✔︎

Chapter 6

Stepping back to look up at his work, Alfred tapped the marker he was holding against his bottom lip and stared intensely at his work.

“Alright, lets figure this out,” he murmured to himself.

After the fourth visit to that other place, Arthur’s Garden he decided to name it, Alfred decided to try and figure out why he was constantly and randomly going there against his will. The first step of any investigation was to take note of every piece of information he had and he did just that. In his office he erected a whiteboard and scribbled on everything he knew so far.

The first thing he recorded were the dates and rough timings he went to the garden. The first one happened in his sleep right after the tree ceremony, the second just as he was about to take a nap the day after, the third when he was dealing with difficult staff and the fourth was when he was at the spa. So far nothing connected these things, they were just random times throughout the day, though so far it looked like he was going there once a day.

“So will I end up there today?” he thought out loud as the spa trip was yesterday. He’d have to wait and see.

The second thing he recorded was everything he knew about Arthur’s Garden, including Arthur himself. He was a stubborn man with thick eyebrows who lived by himself and maintained a beautiful garden that was surrounded by a large stone wall. Arthur didn’t seem to know why Alfred was showing up either, always acting surprised whenever he appeared. He knew things about magic and supernatural things, had a few talents...

“...and has a good singing voice,” recalled Alfred as he wrote that down.

Alfred couldn’t touch anything or anyone in that place and although Arthur could see and hear him, it turns out that no one else there could. That rude man from his last visit seemed to lash out at anything that upset him, and he didn’t even make eye contact with him even when Alfred was making a fool out of him. So why just Arthur and no one else?

“Made him laugh at least,” chuckled Alfred as he made some more notes. “He looked ridiculous.”

There still other things that made no sense to him. Who was that grouchy man who appeared in his last visit? What was his relationship with Arthur, and why did he take some of his hair? Where was that place? A tower maybe? Some house with a very high wall? Why was he constantly going there at random?

The other thing he took note of was that whilst he was over at Arthur’s Garden, time didn’t seem to move here at the palace. He could be gone for over an hour and only a second would pass here, he had witnesses who claim that he never went anywhere, so what was up with that?

One thing he did know that it wasn’t a dream or an illusion. He may not be able to fully interact in that place but it was as real as the tip of his nose. All he had to do now was figure out why he was going there, who was sending him there, and where exactly was it?

Looking at all the notes he took Alfred sighed as none of them connected. The only pattern he could see was that so far he had been going once a day for the past four days. Maybe today he’d end up there but the question was when?

Someone knocked at his door and he looked up to see Yao letting himself in. “I trust the spa has helped you relax?” he asked, “because we got a busy day today and you better play your part.”

“I know, I know,” mumbled Alfred as he placed the marker down and walked over to his desk.

As Yao approached he noticed the white board and was curious as well as surprised. “What’s all this?”

“I’m trying to figure out why I go to this other place all the time,” answered Alfred nonchalantly.

Yao groaned in disbelief. “I thought the trip to the spa was supposed to get this off your mind.”