II. 1243, Lapis Lazuli Castle, France

4

Megalithic structures have existed throughout Western Europe since ancient times. Stonehenge in Salisbury Plain, England, the Carnac Stones in Brittany, France, and countless other man made megalithic structures are scattered throughout the region. No one knows what ancient people created them or what they were used for. Some scholars believe they were devices to aid in astronomical observation. Others say they were the creations of sorcerers or demons. Some believe them to be ancient Celtic altars. What is clear is that no human being could have freely assembled a structure made of stones far larger than any person.

No one has ever been able to discover the truth about the megalithic structures. The landscape, lined with these strange creations, has remained unchanged since time immemorial.

In the province of Languedoc in southern France, there was an enormous cross made of stone. The cross lay on a hillside to the east of the fortified city of Carcassonne, which was destroyed in the Albigensian Crusade. The horizontal bar stretched 20 meters across, and the vertical bar reached 60 meters. The huge stone cross lay on the slope of the hill. From up close, it just looked like a series of megaliths, but from a distance, the shape of the cross could be made out as clearly as a pictograph. Unlike the Carnac Stones, it was a recent construction.

The Lourdes River flowed near the cross, and also located there lay Lapis Lazuli Castle. Lapis Lazuli Castle was a fortress surrounded by forests, hills, and high walls. (See figure) It played an important role as a relay station connecting other major forts, but its existence had largely been forgotten by the church and the House of Toulouse, who were more interested in the movements of the Capetian King of France. It was called “Lapis Lazuli” because of the bluish stones that made up the outer walls, which, especially on rainy days, made the entire castle look like a faintly glowing jewel

Lapis Lazuli Castle hadn't been damaged in any of the attacks of the Albigensian Crusaders. The crusaders were remorseless and indiscriminate. They destroyed everyone they encountered, Catholic and heretic alike. However, Lapis Lazuli Castle hadn't been attacked a single time, despite the conspicuous presence of the bizarre megalith cross. The crusaders were avoiding it. However, this wasn't a miracle brought about by the cross. The construction of the cross wasn't an act of faith.

Lapis Lazuli Castle was ruled by Count Geoffroy of the House of Toulouse. Geoffroy was a nobleman from Muret, a town near the Pyrenees.

After he'd received the castle, Geoffroy's wife had passed away. Ever since, he'd shut himself away in the castle in search of solitude, until eventually, he'd ordered his subjects to build the cross. It had taken three years to complete. Neither the church, nor the king, nor the House of Toulouse had told him to build the cross. They didn't even know about it. No one cared about Lapis Lazuli Castle. The castle lay at the end of the world. The forest surrounding the castle seemed to cut it off from everything else.

That winter was cold and rainy. Freezing rain continued to fall from a sky covered in gloomy gray clouds.

Marie stood in a room in Lapis Lazuli Castle, watching the rain.

She had been standing there for some time now. Her thin silk clothes offered no protection from the cold air. Her lips were stained a lilac color. But Marie had nowhere else to go. Even if she returned to her room, she'd only grow more depressed.

The room was so high up that she could see the edge of the huge cross through the window, barely protruding over the castle wall. The rain-slick surface of the rocks had a smooth, eerie sheen.

“It's awfully cold, isn't it?”

From behind Marie came the voice of Raine, a knight. Marie turned around and looked up at him. Raine wore a surcoat decorated with a cross and a seven pointed star. At his waist hung a fine dagger for self-defense. Marie tried to crawl into his coat to escape the cold, but he stopped her. Marie's mouth twitched.

“I can't?”

“You can't,” Raine said, looking into the dark room. “It is against the code of the Order.”

“Raine, you look pale. What is the matter?”

Marie looked at Raine. Raine took a step back and shook his head.

“'Tis nothing. Do not worry yourself, my lady.”

“Is it such a sin to merely be my friend?”

“That isn't it.”

“Then take my hand.”

“Don't embarrass me so. Come, let us return to your room.”

“No. I don't want to go back there.”

“Why not?”

“I'm afraid.”

“There is nothing to fear, my lady. We six knights shall always watch over you.”

Marie frowned and bit her lower lip, frustration filling her. She didn't like how stiff and stubborn Raine was, and she didn't like how hard she found it to communicate. Even if she said what was on her mind, she already knew what the response would be. “Don't worry, everything will be fine after a good night's sleep” – even though it wouldn't. Marie looked at the flickering candlelight. It wouldn't, because what she was really afraid of was an incomprehensible mystery rooted deep in her soul.

Marie was the only daughter of Count Geoffroy. Ever since Geoffroy's strange behavior had begun, Marie's own mental health had grown unstable. For three years now, she had been constantly told “everything will be fine after a good night's sleep.” Nothing had changed. Before she knew it, the chill of the rainy season had come once again.

“I must tell you something.”

“What is it?”

“It's about my mother's death. Ever since her passing, my father has lost his mind. No, it's okay, you needn't deny it. He has truly gone mad. At first, I thought it was merely sorrow to have lost the woman he loved. But perhaps it was something else.”

“My lady, what are you saying?”

Raine's voice was low.

“At the top of the east tower, there is a dimly lit room, a small one with no windows. My mother disappeared from that room. I witnessed her myself. She melted away into the wall, leaving only her footprints.”

“Lady Marie...”

“Wait. Still your tongue. I know my words are strange. But I cannot explain it any other way. My mother was absorbed by the walls. I'm certain I saw it. Three years ago, on a rainy night, I saw her pass into the wall.”

“Is this true?”

“It is.”

“Very well. I shall hear your story. But 'tis deathly cold here, so let us to the dining hall. There shouldn't be anyone else there at this hour.”

Raine led her down the stairs to the dining hall. The hall, the second largest room in the castle, was empty, leaving it almost too spacious. Raine used a flint to light the candelabra. Marie sat in her chair, looking sideways at Raine. They could no longer hear the rain.

It was Raine who started the conversation.

“You saw a vision in the east tower, did you not?”

“No, it was not a vision. It was my mother.”

“They are the same thing.”

“They aren't.”

“...Please, explain what you saw in detail.”

“It was a rainy night, and I slept in my room as I would on any other. But a strange noise awoke me. I was shrouded in darkness, so I assumed it to still be the middle of the night. Though now I am not certain I was correct. Whatever the case, it was black as pitch and I was all alone. I was frightened, but I left the room to investigate the noise.”

“You are quite brave, my lady.”

“Yes, I do possess great courage,” Marie said smugly, puffing out her chest. “The sound had come from the east tower. I walked down the corridor towards the tower. It wasn't far from my room, so I thought to check quickly and then be on my way.”

“You should have called one of us.”

“Yes, I should have. But I didn't want to bother anyone if the noise had just been my imagination. So I went to the tower alone. The first and second floors of the tower were both empty. There were round tables for meetings, murals, longswords, and other such things. The third floor was also empty, but the stairs leading to the fourth floor reflected a faint light. I froze where I stood. Right before my eyes, my father and mother walked side by side into the room on the fourth floor. I heard the door shut. I climbed the stairs, endeavoring to remain silent. The light from the candle leaked to my feet. The wooden door was slightly ajar. I hesitated for a moment, but made up my mind. Slowly, I put my face to the gap in the door, determined to witness for myself what lay inside.”

“And what did you see?”

“My father and mother, who were supposed to be in the room, were gone.”

“They had vanished?”

“Yes. There was no one in the room. Before, you called it a vision. It was indeed as though I had been shown a vision. A very strange vision. My father and mother, who should have gone into the room, were nowhere to be seen. But the truly terrifying thing was what happened next. I heard the sound of a strong wind. The wooden cup which had been placed next to the candlestick fell to the floor. The dark red wine contained within spilled out. It looked like a bloodstain. The wine was quickly covering the floor. I watched it spread. Eventually, the movement subsided and the surface of the wine settled. Suddenly, footprints appeared, as though someone had stepped in the liquid, even though I couldn't see anyone. One footprint, then another, then another. It was as if an invisible person was walking through the wine spilled on the floor. The footprints eventually moved in front of the wall. Then, they stopped. I'd watched an invisible person disappear into the wall. I didn't scream. I didn't feel any fear. I merely watched, caught in the grasp of some strange feeling. I had a hunch that the owner of the footprints was my mother, who had disappeared from this world. She was no longer visible, but she had left behind her footprints and disappeared into the wall.”

“That's impossible,” said Raine, opening his hands. “How can footprints appear on their own, much less disappear into a wall?”

“What was it I saw, then? Was it all a dream?”

“No, I'm not sure of that. Your mother, Count Geoffroy's late wife, disappeared, leaving behind only a few hairs and some blood. The hair and blood were found in her bedroom, but the body itself was never found. Even now, it's still missing. If she disappeared into a wall, as you say, then it only makes sense that her body remains undiscovered.”

“That isn't all,” Marie said, her expression growing serious. “My father, who should have disappeared in that room with her, emerged from it afterwards.”

“Count Geoffroy did?”

“Yes. After I saw the footprints, I hurried away from the door and made to go downstairs. I had suddenly grown afraid and wished to return to my room. But then, I noticed the candlelight flickering, and I turned around to see someone inside the room. I rushed down the stairs and hid underneath the round table on the second floor. After a time, my father came down the stairs. I stayed under that table, making myself as small as I could, terrified that he would notice my presence. He didn't. After he left, I exited the tower and returned to my room. When I awoke the next morning, it all seemed to have been an illusion, but my mother was really gone. After that day, my father went insane. And so did I.”

“You didn't. You're alright, Lady Marie. You're alright, and you always will be.”

“Because I have the 'Order of Marie's White Shield'?”

“Yes. We six knights are yours and yours alone.”

“You're just an illegitimate private force created by my mad father. If things like this are allowed, it will be the downfall of the knighthood.”

“Please don't speak like that. It's fine if it's in front of me, but don't talk like that in front of the other knights. We'd all risk our lives to protect you.”

Marie stopped talking.

“Let's return to your story. The problem is what happened in that tower.”

“Have you ever heard of any sinister happenings in the east tower?”

“No, not a one. I've never heard of people disappearing or passing through walls, in the east tower or anywhere else.”

“But I've seen it with my own eyes. The footprints appeared one by one and disappeared into the wall.”

“Didn't you merely have a dream while you lay asleep?”

“Hey, Raine. You don't believe me, do you?”

“No, I do trust you. But I am struggling to make a decision. No, in truth, I am skeptical of the phenomenon of humans who can disappear into walls.”

“Why is that?”

Marie pouted, feeling annoyed.

“Even if his wife disappeared from the room in the tower, how did Count Geoffroy manage to return without incident?”

“Eh?”

“Suppose that some mysterious phenomenon did cause two people to disappear from the fourth floor of the east tower. But of the two people who were supposed to have disappeared, only Count Geoffroy reemerged from the room, seeming calm and unworried. How is it that the Lord was able to remain so calm after being caught up in an inexplicable event? It is simple. The mysterious events witnessed by Lady Marie were not a mystery to Count Geoffroy.”

“What are you saying?”

“I am saying that Count Geoffroy knows something about your mother's disappearance.”

“Raine!” Marie cried in astonishment. “You gravely insult my father.”

“I understand that pointedly, Lady Marie. Will you give me a moment to think?”

“How long?”

“Not so long that you can't stand to wait.”

“Okay, then. Just a moment.”

Marie spread her hands out slightly.

As Raine stood deep in thought, Marie played with the blue gemstone at her chest. She held the jewel's surface to the light of the candle, and the reflected light shone throughout the room. In what little light was cast, she could see a scratched iron pot, a vase that held no flowers, and a broken chair. They looked pale, almost illusory.

Raine looked up.

“Let us investigate the east tower.”

“Investigate it?”

“Count Geoffroy has business in the next town over tomorrow, so he shall be leaving the castle. He shall be escorted by a force of knights, so the castle shall be less inhabited during his absence. This marks a grand opportunity. If possible, I would like our investigation to remain a secret to everyone. Now, we shall head to the east tower and drape pieces of cloth over every window to serve as markers. Of course, the color of the cloth does not matter.”

“What are we playing?”

“'Tis no game, my lady. It's an experiment.”

5

As planned, Geoffroy left the castle soon after sunrise. The only ones who remained at the castle were a few knights, the six members of the Order of Marie's White Shield, and a few cooks and scullery maids.

Though Marie was still unsure of why, she borrowed a few cloth covers from the dining hall and brought them to Raine. Raine was waiting for her on the ground floor of the east tower. Two other members of the Order of Marie's White Shield stood beside him. Annaud was a timid man despite his great height, while Flanders was honest and loyal to a fault. They both bowed to Marie as soon as she walked in. Marie imitated them and bowed back. They hurriedly bowed again.

“That's enough of that,” Raine said calmly. “I've asked Annaud and Flanders to accompany us and lend some small assistance. Worry not, they are trusted comrades, and I can vouch for their loyalty.”

“So, what are we doing with the cloth?”

“If memory serves, there are ventilation windows and balistrariae in the walls of the tower. All we must do for now is cover them all with cloth. Then, Annaud, Flanders, if you would – Lady Marie, you and I shall investigate the walls of the fourth floor.”

Annaud and Flanders took the cloths and ran up the stairs. Raine made his way up the stairs as well, and Marie followed. At that hour, the sun should have been at its highest point, but the inside of the tower was covered in darkness. Perhaps the position of the balistrariae or the structure of the stairs blocked the sunlight. Unable to see her own feet, Marie almost tripped several times. Each time, Raine turned back and asked if she was alright. Marie told him to shut up. Raine did as he was told and kept his back to her and his mouth closed until they arrived at the fourth floor.

When he reached the top of the stairs, he found a door just beyond the narrow landing. An iron ring handle hung from a door panel that appeared to be made from pieces of old wood hammered together at random. Raine took the handle and opened the door. The door opened quietly. An oddly cold air seeped through the doorway. Marie hugged at shoulders. She felt as though she had experienced this before, but her memory was too hazy to recall.

Inside the room was pitch black. There were no windows and no source of light.

“Where is the candle?” Raine muttered to himself as he turned his head. “There it is.”

Raine deftly lit the candle using a flint. Orange light slowly spread through the room.

Marie hid behind Raine as she looked around. In a small, circular room, an old, decaying wooden table lay forgotten. The cup she'd seen was gone.

“That's the wall.”

Raine put his hand on the wall to his right. It looked like an ordinary stone wall.

“The owner of the invisible footprints disappeared there.”

“Well, as you'd expect, there are no footprints here now.”

Raine bent down and examined the floor. He trailed his fingertips about his feet and remained silent for a moment, as though lost in thought.

“What do you think?”

“I don't see any traces. But this isn't a difficult problem. Lady Marie, I'm going to go back to the second floor and get a jug of water, so please wait here. I shall return in a moment.”

“Ah, wait!”

Raine passed her and went alone down the stairs. Suddenly, everything was quiet, and Marie felt herself erupt in gooseflesh. “Raine...” she whispered, but of course there was no answer. Soon enough, Raine returned, jug in hand. Marie brought her hands to her chest and leaned closer to Raine.

“Do you enjoy seeing me frightened?”

“Not at all. Lady Marie, please observe.”

Raine picked up the candlestick and held it at an angle, deliberately spilling melted wax onto the floor. Before it had time to harden, he stepped on the molten wax. A thin layer of wax was now on the floor. Raine walked towards the wall. Once he'd arrived in front of it, he tilted the jug and splashed water all over the floor.

“KYA! What are you doing!?”

“It's the footprints.”

Raine pointed at the floor.

A puddle of water was now spreading on the floor, and one or two footprints were carved into it. Marie remembered that rainy night. No one was there to make them, but there were footprints in the spilled wine. It was a perfect reenactment of what she'd seen that night.

“The footprints were made of wax.”

“What do you mean?”

“Wax has the property of repelling water. Let's say you stepped in wax then walked through it, just as I did. In that case, the wax left on the sole of your shoe would have left footprints. At a glance, they'd be difficult to perceive, but when water is spilled on the floor, they become more visible due to the liquid being repelled. The invisible person's footprints were actually footprints left in wax.”

“What, so it was just wax? How ridiculous,” Marie said indignantly. “But where did my father and mother disappear to? It is a fact that they vanished.”

“The person who left the wax trail was likely Count Geoffroy. He probably spilled the wax and accidentally stepped in it, causing the strange phenomenon you witnessed. Then, where did Count Geoffroy disappear to afterwards? And why did the cup of wine fall over on its own?”

“I don't know.”

“I shall give you an explanation that is easy to understand,” Raine said seriously. “Annaud and Flanders should be finished by now. Lady Marie, let us return to the first floor.”

Raine left the room again. Marie, not wanting to be left behind, screamed and ran after him.

When she arrived at the first floor, Annaud and Flanders were already waiting for her, and looked like they had been for some time. They turned to Raine and told him they were finished. Raine nodded.

“Then we'll be going outside now.”

Marie and the others exited the tower, walked through the corridor, and passed the knights' barracks. They passed the dining hall and walked down a winding corridor. Then they opened a heavy door and emerged into the courtyard that lay within the castle walls. Standing in the glare of the sunlight made Marie dizzy. The short weeds under her feet were still wet with the morning dew. Raine, who was leading the way, turned and looked up at the east tower, but he couldn't see it in the shadow of the castle wall.

Marie and the others arrived at the castle's huge gate. The gatekeeper, who looked bored out of his mind, asked them if they were going out. “Only for a moment,” Raine replied. The gatekeeper entered the passage within the wall and opened the gate slightly.

“Hey, where are we going?”

“We're going to observe the east tower from the outside.”

Once she was outside the castle walls, Marie was struck by what a vivid green the hills were. The blowing wind made them into verdant waves. At the edge of the waves she saw a series of trees bereft of leaves. From her viewpoint at the top of the hill looking down, the whole world looked like a miniature garden. A cold wind blew. Gray clouds moved across the sky. For a few moments, the hill was covered in the shadow of a cloud.

Marie and her companions made their way along the base of the wall, which was made from piled up stones. The wall was rough and sturdy. Marie thought that it wouldn't fall even if the enemy brought ten trebuchets. When she touched its rugged surface, it felt damp and slimy. From up close, the stone walls didn't look that blue. Looking overhead, through a gap in the crenels, she saw a sentry walking along the walkway atop the wall.

Suddenly, the huge cross appeared. The cross was lying on a hill, so that from the side it looked like a simple flat stone table. However, even for a table, it was enormous. The lower end of the cross extended almost to the river, and the upper end was so far away that it protruded out of the shadows of the clouds. Only the cross's upper end was shining in the sunlight. The cross was almost as thick as Marie was tall. The stone was polished smooth and felt much better to the touch than the walls. Perhaps from last night's rain, it was even smoother now due to being wet.

“What is this cross? Is it a defensive wall?”

Annaud was muttering to himself. Flanders joined him in tilting his head.

“Isn't it modeled after Cross Spring to the west?”

“I see. As expected of you, Lady Marie.”

“What's Cross Spring?”

“You mean you don't know? ...What am I talking about? This is you, Annaud. It's just a spell of forgetfulness, as usual. You're a forgetful man, after all,” Flanders said with a sneer. “Cross Spring is another name for Lake Sète, in the forest to the west. Lake Sète is almost directly connected to the sea, and the Lourdes River flows from Lake Sète. ...Come to think of it, there's an interesting story about that lake. Apparently, Cross Spring moves.”

“A moving lake?”

“That's right. They say the lake moves, as though it were a living thing. It seems there's no mention of this lake in any ancient map or book. Long ago, a pilgrim wrote in his diary that this lake existed, but it wasn't as large as it is now, and wasn't in the shape of a cross. Its location was also different from where it is now. It's said the lake only recently took on its current appearance. It's almost as though the lake has been slowly growing over the years.”

“Flanders, you certainly do know a lot about things that don't matter.”

“Oh, no, not at all, you needn't flatter me so. I am honored, Lady Marie.”

“That wasn't a compliment. But I wonder if the lake really does move. Just because there's a piece of writing describing a moving lake doesn't mean it actually existed, right?”

“How perceptive,” Raine said. “What Flanders saw may have been maps and books from the past, but they needn't have been accurate records of the world. There may be books from the past that contain records of the past, but pretend to be telling the present, and vice versa. Stories and folklore transcend time. In the written world, it is easy to move a lake. All you have to do is make a false statement.”

“So does that mean Cross Spring was there from the beginning and never moved?”

“I don't know. I am not a witness to history.”

“Well, that's fine. Enough about moving lakes. What I want to know is why my father made such a large stone cross imitating Cross Spring.”

“I don't think it's possible to definitively say it was modeled after Cross Spring. It's possible that Count Geoffroy, being a devout Cathar, merely wanted to build a grand sun cross. Or maybe he was just forcing his soldiers to perform pointless labor to indulge in his lust for power.”

“Raine,” Flanders hurriedly interrupted, “That would be a great insult to Count Geoffroy.”

“It's all right, Flanders,” Marie said, closing her eyes. “It isn't really an insult at this point, is it?”

“Yes.”

Raine started walking again. Annaud and Flanders both went pale, as if they now realized they were involved in something serious. Marie pushed passed them and followed Raine.

In front of her lay the east tower. The tower was connected to the castle wall but was still a direct part of the castle. If the tower were to be destroyed from the outside, it would allow direct entry to the space within the castle walls. It was a fatal weakness. And yet, Count Geoffroy had personally ordered the tower's construction. No one understood why.

The left end of the megalith cross approached the tower, but there was still some space between them. Marie looked up at the stone tower. White cloths were swaying from the open windows. They were the same cloths she'd prepared.

“How does it look?”

Raine walked slowly as he looked up at the tower. He checked each window and balistraria. Beside him, Flanders tilted his head. Following his gaze, Marie looked up at the tower. There was a window by the edge of the roof. But there was no cloth on that window.

“That's strange,” said Annaud. “I tied cloths to every window, but there's a window up there with no cloth. And in the first place, I don't remember there being any windows that high up.”

“Was it blown away by the wind?”

“No, I weighed them down to prevent that.”

“Then what is that window without a cloth at the top?”

“That window shouldn't exist.”

The tower was topped by a gently curved spire. The window was discreetly placed in the middle of the curve. As Annaud said, it was a window that shouldn't have existed. Looking up from the ground, it was impossible to see what was going on inside.

“Isn't that window above the fourth floor?”

“Judging from the height, I'd say it's on the four-and-a-halfth floor. By the way, Lady Marie, do you remember the question of why the cup of wine fell down?”

“Yes. Ordinarily, a cup wouldn't fall over on its own.” Marie realized the answer as she spoke. “Is it possible that there's a secret window on the fourth floor of the tower? And a strong wind coming through that window knocked over the cup?”

“It's possible. The cloth experiment we just performed was done to find the secret window. There is a window in that room that no one knows about. It was wind blowing through that window that knocked over the cup the night Lady Marie witnessed the incident. Since no one was visible in the room, we must assume that some invisible force acted on the cup. Lady Marie also said that she heard the sound of a strong wind. Yes, without doubt, there is a secret window there. Do you remember where Count Geoffroy's footsteps led? The wall. The footprints disappeared into the wall.”

“Let's go back to the tower room and investigate it again!”

Marie ran off. As she passed through the gate, the gatekeeper said something to her, but she couldn't quite make out what. Once she was inside the castle, it was pitch dark for a spell, and she was struck blind. By the time her eyes adjusted, the three knights running after her had managed to catch up. Out of breath, she climbed the stairs of the east tower. She threw open the door to the fourth floor.

“I wonder how we can get past that wall...”

Marie stood in front of the door with her arms folded.

“Lady Marie, there is a slight indentation in the stone there. I recommend we place a hand on it and pull.”

Raine immediately did so. At first there was nothing, but suddenly, a rough sound like the grinding of a millstone rang out as the entire wall shifted inwards. Raine stepped forward and pulled the wall. Slowly, the wall swung open like a door, with its hinge on the right. Once the gap was wide enough for a person to pass through, the movement stopped. Raine looked through the gap. The light of outdoors was illuminating his feet.

“There's a small staircase here,” he said.

Marie also looked into the gap. The stairs curved upwards at a rather steep angle. Raine went up first. Marie followed him. Annaud and Flanders didn't enter, for there wasn't enough space to accommodate them. The staircase was short and small; each step was barely wide enough for their feet. Moreover, after only a few steps, they stopped. There was nothing at the end but a small window. There was no door, just a hole in the wall. Looking out the window, they saw the slope of the roof and the stone cross.

“What is this?”

“I don't know.”

“Is this it?”

“It looks that way.”

“Isn't there anything else?”

“Anything?”

“Such as my mother's bones, for instance.”

“Don't tell me you actually thought there was a dead body hidden up here.”

“I did. But there's just a window.”

“If it was hidden, there must be a reason why.”

With a start, Marie went back down the stairs and into the room.

“How was it, Lady Marie?”

“It was quite exciting.”

Marie said that, but she sounded bored to tears.

6

At night, Marie was stopped by Geoffroy in front of the great hall. Marie took a step back, then turned to face her father. Geoffroy looked pale, perhaps fatigued from his journey.

“Marie. Have you ever wondered why you were born?”

“...Father?”

“Have you?”

“No.”

“Very well,” said Geoffroy, stroking his beard. “The moon is beautiful tonight. Observe it carefully.”

“Yes, father.”

Geoffroy disappeared into the great hall. Marie sighed. “The moon is beautiful tonight” was an outright lie. It was raining. To Marie, it seemed that Geoffroy was off living in his own private world. He must have been in his other world, watching some other moon. Marie felt a sudden chill and returned to her room. She curled up in her bed for a while. Various past events ran through her mind. Her mother, disappearing into the wall. The huge stone cross and the moving Cross Spring. The experiment with the cloth and the secret window. Unconsciously, Marie had started gripping the necklace at her chest tightly. She didn't know when she'd started, but Marie had developed a habit of gripping the gemstone on her chest when she felt anxious. She believed that if she did, evil things would avoid her. She heard the sound of the rain. Where was the moon? Was it beyond this night rain? Marie slowly sat up and looked around. In this dark room, the desk and paintings she usually saw blended in with the darkness and became invisible.

Marie got off the bed. She slowly walked over and stood in front of the door. She felt as if something was calling to her. She opened the door.

On the floor in front of her was a large iron helmet.

It was a grand helmet fit for a warrior, with a flat surface which covered the entire face like a mask. Two holes, one right next to the other, seemed to be looking up at Marie. A cross shape was engraved on the face. Marie stood staring at the helmet for a while. Fearfully, she reached out and poked it with her toe. The helmet rolled to the side with a clanging like a heavy bell. The sound was so loud and unexpected that Marie almost jumped. The inside of the helmet was empty.

Marie carefully looked around, then picked up the helmet. It was a bit too heavy to lift with one hand, so she used both. She approached the candle in the corridor, which had been left on, and looked inside the helmet. Raine's name was engraved on a spot that would have been right over the neck.

Marie had a terrible feeling.

She ran out of the corridor and down to the basement. She staggered down the unlit stairs. The helmet was heavy against her chest. But she couldn't let it go. She remembered something, turned back and returned to the corridor, grabbed the candle, then went back down to the basement. Without the candle, it would be too dark to walk. She dashed into a room to the right of the basement.

This was where the knights kept their equipment. Dozens of wooden figures floated in the candle's blurred light. They were lined up in orderly rows, as if to greet her. The wooden mannequins were dressed in the knights' armor, and were arranged in rows to store and organize them. They were simple wooden figures, too crude to be called sculptures, but too human-like to be called mere blocks of wood. They silently wore the heavy helms, chain armor and quilted underarmor under their surcoats, held wide shields, and wore thick leather boots. However, only one of them was different from the others.

This one had no head.

A white shield lay next to the headless figure. A black cloak had been placed next to the shield. Marie used the light to search for the mannequin's head. It was nowhere to be found. Fearfully, she moved the cloak. There was still nothing.

The false knight's head had been taken away, and the helmet it had worn was now in Marie's possession. She picked up the cloak and looked for a name. Raine's name was embroidered on the edge of the cloth.

Marie looked at the heads of the other mannequins. Their faces had no eyes or noses and were perfectly flat. Of all the wooden parts that made up the mannequins, the heads were the smallest.

Marie put the helmet on the floor and leaned against the damp wall, enduring the ominous feeling that rose within her. It was less of a premonition and more of a certainty. A headless figure.

As she stood thinking, Marie felt dizzy. She felt so dizzy she could hardly stand. She held her head and focused on her breathing, and eventually, the wave receded.

Leaving the helmet behind, Marie returned to her room and crawled back into bed. As soon as she curled up, she fell asleep.

The next day, six headless knights were found on the banks of Cross Spring, upstream of Lourdes River, far west of Lapis Lazuli Castle. They were discovered by a farmer who lived in the area. The farmer spent a whole day traveling to the castle to report what he'd found. A knight was dispatched and spent another day traveling on horseback to journey to the scene and identify the six bodies.

A report was made to the castle that the Order of Marie's White Shield had been annihilated. Geoffroy received the report himself.

No one had left the castle. That much was clear from the gatekeeper's testimony, and from the fact that there were no footprints on the ground, which had been made muddy by the rain. No horses had been taken from the stables, either.

The real problem was that, even though the knights' bodies had been found at Cross Spring, which was a full day's journey from the castle on horseback, all six of the victims had been seen alive in the meeting room at midnight, half a day before they were found dead by the farmer.

They could only assume that their corpses had flown to Cross Spring.