The halls feel endless, as if walking in an infinite loop of doors and candlelight. The only counter to that idea is slender windows peering out into the courtyard. Sunlight pours in with dancing dust particles.
He opens doors sporadically, the majority leading to empty bedrooms with a single bed. Others occasionally enter into a large bathroom with five sinks and multiple holes. Holes refer to what appear to be toilets.
-Have I peed since coming to his world?
Thinking of peeing immediately gives him the need to.
The bathroom is well-kept and shiny. A large, oval mirror is positioned above a row of sinks, reflecting the entire room. Sirius approaches the hole.
Maybe hole is not the best term; the toilet is more along the lines of a funnel. Or a glorified latrine.
Polished stone is sunken into an upside-down cone, funneling down into an abyss. The material looks like it will be excruciatingly cold to sit on. One cannot see the bottom of the drain or any water.
-What am I even looking at?
Sirius concludes his business without flushing, due to the fact that there was no handle to flush. The sink he uses functions as a normal sink would, and it drains into a smaller dark hole. He dries his hands on a neatly folded towel and folds it again afterward.
He continues through the two-directional maze, the repetition of which is getting tiresome. Not a soul crosses his vision, and not a sound plays, besides his own footsteps and the wind gently rattling the windows.
Eventually, the hall ends with a mirror.
A staircase leads up to his right. But his eyes tend to his reflection.
It's his first time seeing himself since coming to this world. He had subconsciously ignored himself in the bathroom mirror, a habit of which he picked up back on Earth.
He looks well. Healthy.
The sight brings up an unpleasant recollection. Only once in the hospital had he seen his reflection. The memory still stands vividly.
Engravings of asphalt marked his entire body and face. His eyes were bloodshot and bruised, hair damaged in a mangled mess. His limbs were swamped with casts and tubes, but still, he appeared thin.
Now, standing in front of this mirror, he looks the best he ever has.
His skin is smooth and scarless. His body is intact, and even his posture has improved compared to before. His eyes are still slightly bloodshot, but much less than before.
Before the accident, his body was lean and well-defined. Now even more so. Awkwardly, he flexes his arms in the mirror. Korlin was right, my arms are veiny.
But the main thing that grabs his focus is his hair. He had been growing it out for the better part of an Earthen year. Even before the incident, it was damaged with split ends, tangled, and dry. Likely due to excessive hot showers.
Now his hair looks smooth. It feels smooth. Before, even brushing was a pain; he hardly even did it. But now even his tangles have untethered...
In fact, his dark, umber hair seems to have grown longer. I could probably put it in a ponytail...
The idea excites him. As a child, his hair was always cut short without exception. Only recently had he let it grow out.
Leaving his bangs intact, Sirius runs his hands through the strands near the back of his head. He creates a makeshift hair tie with his fingers and tests out the look.
...It's strange. It's foreign to him. But he likes it.
A smile threatens to form...
...
But...
Something isn't right.
His father.
-"You need a haircut."
The boy's hands fall from his hair.
Sirius's father has always cared excessively for appearances, he himself bearing short, spiky hair and a constantly shaved face. He also has a bulky chest and arms. The only hindrance to this obsession... being his gut.
Whenever Sirius's hair had grown too long, it would get buzzed. "Long hair isn't for men," he'd say. This carried on throughout middle school, but once in high school, the buzzing ended. Instead, he was taken to an actual barber to get a hairstyle akin to his father's.
After each haircut, he would always look pleased... Like the failure had been shaved off.
This is what you should look like.
Sirius has never cared about his outward appearance. So even he doesn't know why he's let it grow so much.
-Do I want this?
...
-I don't know.
...
His amber eyes diverge from himself.
-I don't even like looking at you.
...
Walking up the steps takes a lifetime. The steps spiral unnecessarily to the second floor.
This hallway is much wider. Pathways branch out from the main one into a much more diverse set of rooms.
A room of baths and hot tubs, a room covered with plants, one with a large meeting table, one filled to the brim with bizarre clothing... The first floor must be solely for guest rooms, or at least the side he explored is. Much larger bedrooms exist on this floor, filled with desks, bookshelves, nightstands, and lavish beds.
He hasn't spotted a library or anything resembling a study. Though the bathrooms on this floor are much nicer as well. They were already nice on the first floor, but the ones on this floor are borderline divine. Unfortunately, the toilets are still just funnels.
Sirius turns a corner and spots his companion at the end of the hall.
Korlin. He is spying on something around another corner.
The boy senses Sirius's footsteps and his head whips over to him. Korlin cautiously approaches, creeping like he's in a stealth section of a video game.
"Sirius!"
Korlin's hushed yell is followed by sporadic eye movements. Is someone watching him-?
"What's up? You alright?"
Korlin scooches in close and whispers in Sirius's ear.
"Do you know what a loli is?"
...
...
"...A loli? Like... a really short girl?"
"Yes! Sort of..." Something along the lines of regret makes up his expression. Interesting. "I think I just saw one over there."
The two peer around the aforementioned corner. And lo and behold...
A girl of small stature stands on the tips of her toes, watering an overgrown plant twice her size.
Messy, golden hair stretches down to her lower back, the ends fading into a pale yellow. Unruly bangs hang over her slightly-larger-than-average forehead (you could probably play a game of tic-tac-toe on it). She carries long, dark eyelashes that encircle her fuchsia eyes.
"She's as tall as my knee..."
Korlin's outspoken remark makes her eye twitch. She remains composed and continues watering the draping growth.
"It's like a midget had a child with an even shorter midget."
"What...?" Sirius can't believe what he's hearing.
"I feel like I could punt her across an entire football field."
"???"
The girl's grip on the watering can is getting more and more unsteady.
"I bet she can fit in my pocket."
"Why are these your thoughts?"
Water is splashing all over the walls.
"I bet if she lays on the floor she can slide under doors-"
"WHO EVEN ARE YOU PEOPLE?!?"
The short girl's watering can barrels into Korlin's forehead, sending him flying backwards into the wall. He slides down into a seated position, revealing a fissure in the wall behind him. Sirius barely dodges the assault, only to witness the gash in the boy's skin. A faint trail of smoke emits from the can.
"Ow..." the boy struggles to say, appearing as if he's passed out.
The small girl marches forward, her eyes burning a brighter pigment.
Sirius slaps Korlin repeatedly across the face to snap him out of it. Miraculously, it works, and the boy blinks erratically. Sirius swiftly helps him to his feet.
"I'm sorry about him," Sirius tries to defuse. "He doesn't know how to talk to women. Or anyone for that matter."
Korlin remains dizzy, a thin stream of blood running down his nose.
"Yeah, I can tell..." She stops directly in front of Korlin. Her eye level reaches to his lower chest. She's a whole head shorter than him.
The boy shakes his head and comes to. He obliviously looks around to the sides before realizing he needs to peer down to see her.
Korlin snorts at the fact.
This time, the boy is backhanded into the wall.
"Ow..."
His cheek is faintly singed with the imprint of her hand.
"Dude, she's not even that short."
The girl glares briefly at Sirius.
"Sorry, sorry..." Korlin stands himself up with the assistance of the cracked wall. "I might have gone too far."
"..."
The girl sneers at the boy with the full intent to whack him again.
Both the girl and Korlin's eyes lock. Up close, her eyes blaze in beautiful heterochromia, like bleeding dyes of pink and white.
Within less than three seconds, the boy's expression morphs into one of awe.
Her expression softens as a result. Mostly due to confusion.
Up close, the girl's childlike features appear much more mature. Her large eyes blaze with a radiant flame. Her nose is short and her lips soft. Even her once intimidating forehead is tame. While lacking in the height department, her fiery beauty more than makes up for it.
She's very pretty, adorable even.
The boy produces a face that perfectly encapsulates the phrase "lovestruck." Her face in his eyes is nothing short of flawless. If this isn't the face of someone in love, there is none.
Without hesitation, his thoughts pour out from his lips.
"You might be the cutest girl I've ever seen."
...
...
Everyone takes a moment to process what he has said.
Once processed, the girl's cheeks burn a bright red. She is taken completely off guard. Her mouth tries to form words but fails miserably. Her hands tremble, likely with the urge to smack the boy into the wall.
"Wha- Why- Wh-Who even..."
"Wait."
...
The boy's expression completely shifts, folding into a fully serious one. No joking, no ulterior motives, just pure and utter business.
"...What-"
"How old are you?"
...
...
Sirius presses his fingers into his eyelids and rubs them.
"You were doing so well... I mean, not really, but still..."
"What? It's a valid question!" Korlin tries to defend himself. "Look, man, I'm not catching a case-"
"Twenty-four," the girl butts in.
"Twenty-four..." Korlin enters deep thought. He tries to compute that age in Earth terms but is unable. "...Sirius?"
"That's like eighteen in Earth terms. I'll teach you age conversions later."
Instantly upon hearing those words, the boy's eyes widen as if an angel is descending before him. It's as if the grace of a celestial being is washing over his mortal body. Pure bliss covers every pore of his skin.
"Yes... Thank you... Thank you, gods above..." A single tear rolls down his cheek, cementing his victory. He can truly die happy. "Wait, that means you're older than me..."
...
He enters an even deeper bliss.
The girl and Sirius watch on.
"What is he doing?" she asks.
"I have no idea."
"How old are you guys?"
"Twenty-three, believe it or not. He's a little... mentally deranged though."
"I can hear you!" Korlin chops Sirius on the foot. "Anyways, I apologize... I just haven't felt this way before."
"Right..." the girl nods her head reluctantly. "And what about the whole calling me short thing?"
"...Huh? Well, you are really short, but personally, I think it only adds to your charms-"
Her palm drives itself into his forehead, and the boy is smacked down the hallway into a different wall. Her brute strength is no laughing matter.
"Is he always like this?" she sighs.
"Yes. Yes, he is," Sirius nods his head. "But, he means well. I don't think he was joking about the compliments."
"Hmm..."
⧗⧖⧗⧖⧗
Sirius departs from the short girl without catching her name. She simply stated she had plants to tend to and left.
Sirius now carries Korlin, who has two handprints on his face, over his shoulder.
"She's so cute..." the boy mumbles.
"Don't start obsessing over her, please. You'll scare her off."
"Who do you think I am?"
"A guy who almost fainted because of a loli."
"I should have never taught you that word..."
Sirius bends down and plants the boy on his own feet. They continue searching the mansion together.
"Is all you care about looks?" Sirius asks. "I mean, she smacked you across the hall just for calling her short."
"And I savored every bit of it."
"...Are you into that?"
"I will neither confirm nor deny... Seriously though, why is everyone here so hot? Everyone I have seen in this world is absolutely beautiful for no reason. Apart from Gary."
"Hm..." Sirius's thoughts drift toward Aureole.
"I mean, dude, she was probably thee most attractive person I've ever seen. She surpasses main heroine status. Don't you think so?"
"She was cute..."
"I know..." A hint of his blissful state returns. "But don't get any ideas, she's mine."
They share a short chuckle.
"Calling her 'yours' is a bit of a stretch. But fine by me, besides, I've already seen the prettiest..."
Further down the hall, a girl exits a nearby door, stepping into the open hallway.
She wears deep, braided, purple hair that, if any darker, would be black. She wears an oversized sweater that only covers one of her shoulders. Her gorgeous, violet eyes shine like amethyst.
Holding a timeworn book in her slender arms, she shifts her attention to the two boys. The deadpan expression she wears wavers.
Amber and amethyst meet once more.
-Isn't that...
Before a single word is spoken, she steps right back inside of the room she just left. The door shuts carefully, hardly making a noise.
The interaction leaves them speechless.
But only for a moment.
"Oh my god?!?" Korlin's mouth is gaping. "She was gorgeous! What the hell?!"
"She was..."
"I swear if the master is also hot, I'm going to flip out."
"..."
"You good?" Korlin asks, nudging him in the arm.
"Yeah, but I think I've met her before."
"Really? Where?"
"At the bookstore, when I got our journals. I helped her grab a book and then..." Sirius's tone sours.
"...Then?"
"...She hurt my feelings."
"..."
"..."
"Wha-"
"Anyways, let's go find the old guy."
Sirius is already halfway down the hall.
"Alright," the boy sighs. "Let's get him to teach us magic!"
They wander the maze of windows and walls. Korlin glides his hands against the wallpaper, admiring every detail of it. The boy's footsteps echo through the empty halls as he runs down them.
Occasionally, the boy sniffs the carpet. And occasionally, he'll lick the walls.
Eventually, the halls loop back into the foyer.
Climbing up from the bottom of the main stairwell is Wilphrey. His hazel eyes soften at the sight of the boys.
"Ah, there you are. I was just beginning my search for the two of you."
"Oh, right," Sirius feels the need to be very polite to the man. To not disrespect. And to be... a perfect person in front of him. "You're going to show us to our rooms, right?"
"That will have to wait, I'm afraid."
"MAGIC TRAINING?!?" Korlin almost falls over the railing.
"Nay, that will also have to wait."
"What's up then?" Sirius pats a sulking Korlin on the back. Sirius gives the man a bright smile.
The man's kind features stiffen into fret.
"The lord has arrived. He wishes for a meeting with the house."