Devil’s Music

Natalie led Geon Kim by the hand to the topmost floor of the castle. As they reached a long staircase that seemed endless from below, Geon looked quite surprised when they entered a black vortex on each floor and suddenly reached the top. His eyes wide, he looked around amusedly, and Natalie, smiling at his expression, emerged from the top floor's black vortex and said,

"You shouldn't go in here alone. Only those who bear the mark of Lord Amdusias can pass through. If you go alone, you might fall into a dimensional gap and end up somewhere unknown, so never go in alone."

Geon nodded slightly as he looked back at the black vortex from which he had emerged.

"It's fascinating, but I don't feel like entering alone, haha, and it's a dream anyway, so even if I fall into another dimension, I'll just wake up."

Natalie's smile vanished. She stopped walking and looked straight at Geon.

"Listen carefully, this is your dream. But the moment you enter there, you'll never wake up from this dream."

Geon, seeing the serious look on Natalie's face, nodded unwittingly.

"Yes... ah, I understand."

As Geon seemed to understand, Natalie's expression softened and she smiled, opening a dark brown door close to black. The room inside was very spacious. To Geon's concept of area, it easily seemed to surpass a hundred pyeong. The room, with both ceiling and floor made of black marble, had a solitary bed in the desolate center. Feeling a sense of incongruity at the sight of just one bed in an empty room, Geon followed Natalie inside. Standing in front of the bed, Natalie pointed to a thick pink rope hanging from the ceiling.

Geon touched the pink rope and asked,

"Ah... so this is the room I'll be staying in. Uh... where is the bathroom?"

"Ho ho, as I said, this is your dream. You won't need a bathroom."

"Ah... right, of course. I understand."

The room had no windows but didn't feel cramped due to its size. The air was fresh, and the room maintained an optimal temperature for living. Geon sat on the bed and Natalie asked,

"Is there anything you need before you sleep?"

After feeling the soft bed, Geon shook his head then seemed to remember something.

"Could you give me some manuscript paper and a pen? I'd like to practice before sleeping."

"Sure, I'll also prepare some coffee and snacks, just in case."

After Natalie left the room, Geon, now alone, sat on the bed recalling the day's events and then swung his legs onto the bed.

'Kiska knows me, so is it because it's a dream? It seemed like Amdusias knew about my life too.'

As Geon looked up at the high ceiling, a giant eye carved there seemed to stare back at him. Chills ran down his spine, and he shuddered, turning his gaze away.

'This dream is so bizarre! It's scary, damn it.'

Shortly after, Natalie returned with the requested items and placed them beside the bed.

"Then, have a good night. There's no fixed waking or mealtime here; just pull the rope whenever you wish."

"Ah.. I see, thank you."

"Then."

After Natalie left the room, Geon tried to sleep but sat up abruptly upon seeing the giant eye on the ceiling again. He got off the bed, scratched his head, and then picked up the manuscript paper and pen.

'I don't need to sleep even in a dream? Better do some more research.'

As Geon focused on writing the score, only the sound of the pen moving and his soft breathing filled the room, while the giant eye from the ceiling shifted slightly. Geon felt its gaze and looked up again, only to shrink back and focus more on his writing.

In the living room of Amdusias's castle.

The first time Geon met him, in the drawing-room, three men sat watching Geon's actions on a large multi-vision screen, chatting. Pyemon sipped the coffee he had prepared and inspected the multi-vision.

"Is this a new model? It looks better than the one in my castle?"

Amdusias, with a self-satisfied laugh, responded,

"After seeing this at Lord Gamagin's castle, I immediately got one. Humans make such fascinating things. We don't bother making these in our realm because there's no need, but I suppose human technology would surpass ours even if we competed."

While Pyemon continued to examine the multi-vision, Gamagin, only interested in Geon's focused demeanor, asked in a relaxed pose,

"What do you think? Can that boy merge the two emotions in eight days? If not, we'll have to bring him here

again, which could be burdensome. Other lords might notice."

Amdusias, watching Geon crouching on the bed and practicing writing music, said,

"Well, this boy is different from the others. It's natural he'd be different, given he has the wisdom of Lord Gamagin. He has terrifying comprehension and focus. Haven't you seen? He didn't move for three hours, deep in thought, after I left the room."

Pyemon, still looking at the multi-vision, remarked,

"He's always like that. Even in the practice room, he suddenly zones out and thinks for hours."

Amdusias chuckled at Pyemon's comment.

"Lord Gamagin, the first ability you bestowed upon that child wasn't merely beauty, right?"

Gamagin nodded.

"Indeed, it was a gift of beauty and wisdom. That’s why the child excelled in studies effortlessly, and his linguistic skills were exceptional. Hmm... So, you mean to say that with my wisdom, along with your eyes and Pyemon’s voice, the music he creates gains a deeper understanding?"

"Yes, that’s correct, sir. After sharing a conversation, I feel that he is different from the fool playing the violin outside."

Amdusias chuckled, tapping his forehead with his index finger.

"He is intelligent, very intelligent."

"Good, give it your best."

"Yes, leave it to me, sir."

Geon did not leave his room for two days. Occasionally, Natalie, who was concerned that he wasn’t calling out to her, visited, but Geon, sitting on the bed focused on the music scores, was so engrossed that he didn't even notice Natalie coming and going. On the second night, as he sat on the bed, he fell asleep. Amdusias appeared in Geon’s room. He looked down at Geon, who had been concentrating without distraction for two days, and shook his head as if fed up.

"Such concentration is hard to find in a human child."

Amdusias picked up the music scorebook on Geon’s bed and flipped through it. The scorebook was filled with notes of various colors haphazardly written. Seeing over a hundred pages densely packed with notes, Amdusias’s eyes widened as he reached the last page.

"Two days? He accomplished this in just two days?"

The last page held a note bordered in black on red.

"Love and Sorrow. A sad love..."

Amdusias’s expression changed. He crossed his arms and looked down at Geon, pacing beside him for a while in deep thought. It took about an hour before he left the room. Standing in the dark corridor, he spoke softly.

"Natalie."

From the darkness of the corridor, Natalie’s pale face appeared beside Amdusias, and he said,

"Bring him to the room of paintings as soon as he wakes up."

Natalie slightly bowed her knee, and Amdusias vanished from the spot.

How many hours had passed? Geon, unaware that he had fallen asleep, slowly opened his eyes. Rubbing his eyes as he saw a giant eyeball still watching him from the ceiling, he startled at the sight of someone standing beside his bed.

"Did I startle you? I’m sorry."

Hearing Natalie’s gentle voice, Geon shook his head with a smile.

"No, it’s okay."

Natalie, carrying a big tray with washing water, draped a towel over her arm and said,

"Amdusias is calling for you. You should wash up quickly and come down."

"Ah, yes."

After washing his face quickly with the toiletries Natalie offered, he followed her down to the castle. Arriving in front of the room of paintings, Natalie turned to look up at Geon and said,

"Go in."

Leaving only those words, Natalie disappeared. Staring at the spot where Natalie had vanished, Geon opened the door, and inside the room of paintings, unlike the day before, a large dining table was set. Amdusias, sitting alone at a table that could easily seat ten, looked up at Geon as he approached.

"Ah, you’re awake?"

As Geon hesitated, not knowing where to sit, the chair opposite Amdusias slid out by itself. Surprised, Geon saw the chair and Amdusias laughed.

"Sit down."

Geon, initially scared, reminded himself it was just a dream and sat down. The table was laden with more food than two could eat. Looking at the table set before him, Geon saw other places were also set and asked,

"Are there more people coming?"

Amdusias smiled slightly and nodded.

"Yes, they will be here soon. We’ll have breakfast together in a bit."

"Who are they? The only people I’ve seen here are you and Natalie."

"Um... how should I put it? They know you better than I do."

"Me? Who are they..."

As Geon looked at Amdusias, who just smiled and closed his mouth, the sound of the door opening was heard. Turning his head, Geon saw two men entering. Amdusias stood up and bowed politely.

"Have you awoken?"

In Geon’s view, an expressionless dark-haired handsome man and a smiling blonde boy entered. As Geon awkwardly stood up, the blonde boy raised his hand with a laugh.

"Hi? Stay seated. To think the day we'd share a meal has come, haha."

>

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