xuebingcode

Chapter 1

Announcer: Come one, come all! The time has come for the curtains to rise on this bewildering, bemusing, bizarre show!

‘Tis the one day of the year where wizards make the most merry, the night of Walpurgis!

Tonight we present to you a play of laughter and jests, dedicated to this very special festival.

Don’t take your eyes away from the stage, it’s The Lying Pierrot!

???: (...Ah. The curtains are rising. This is it, the final stage.)

(Crumble down. Break to pieces. Take this entire garden with you.)

(...Just you wait, Iris. Tonight it all ends by my hands.)

Now, let the tragedy begin.

Invited by Chloe and Rustica, we were at the flea market.

Chloe: This cup is cute. It’s a bit on the small side, but I like the grip.

Akira: Oh, that is nice! Maybe I’ll get a new cup too. 

Rustica: How about this one, Master Sage? From the handle to its face are beautiful drawings etched upon it. Truly an item of refinement.

Akira: Hmmm, it is a pretty design, but…it’s missing the bottom of the cup.

Rustica: Unique indeed. Its only flaw is that it makes it hard to drink!

Chloe: Talk about a big gaping flaw…

On my shoulder sat snugly was Saccy as we made our way through the crowds. 

From junk to antiques, anything was sold. It was like treasure hunting to browse through an assortment of items and pick up one that you fancied. 

Booth Owner: Come, come! There’s aplenty wares here in stock, begging for your attention! There may be imperfections, but I'm willing to haggle!

Akira: Oh…

Rustica: Master Sage, is there something that interests you?

Akira: I just thought this thing was cute.

Among the items lined up in the small booth were charcoal stained portraits and broken flower vases. 

Inbetween them sat a worn out tin doll.

Chloe: Aw, what a lovable face! It’s even got some clown clothes on. 

Booth Owner: That’s a good eye you got, young mister! This here’s a strange little doll, y’see. It occasionally sings!

Akira: It sings? Even though it’s a doll?

Chloe: Is it a magic item? 

Booth Owner: I dunno. That’s why it’s an oddity. 

But I will tell ya, it’s got a lovely voice. ‘Cept it only sings when it wants too.

???: …La la la…

Out of nowhere, a voice suddenly sang. 

Vest Wearing Boy: “Let us meet on Walpurgis Night”

Curly Haired Boy: “The night where wizards make the most merry  A tale of laughter that will be our little secret”

The voices belonged to a pair of little boys who were passing by.

Their childlike voices sang a strange melody of high and low pitches. 

Although it was the first time I’ve ever heard of it, Rustica listened closely as if it was a childhood song. 

Rustica: What a nice melody…it does not leave your head once you hear it. Did you kids come up with it?

Vest Wearing Boy: Nope! It’s from the “Garden of Delusions”.

Curly Haired Boy: That’s the name of the theatre troupe near the town beside us! They sing that song there. 

Chloe: That’s…

Booth Owner: Hey runts, don’t you go telling my customers any weird stuff.

Go somewhere like that and you’ll turn crazy. Y’know, there’s been some creepy rumours about them recently.

Akira: Like what?

Booth Owner: I dunno the specifics, but a certain performance they’ve been throwing there makes your head all loopy. 

Well, not like the place hasn’t always been weird. They got all sorts of performances you wouldn’t see anywhere else in the country, for good reason. 

Rustica: Is that so. It sounds like a place where we can watch very thrilling shows.

Booth Owner: Probably. Anyways, these rumours haven’t been here long. Just about started when that Great Calamity visited last. 

That darned moon has been making the bizarre get even more bizarre. 

Chloe & Akira: …

Hearing that, we all looked at each other.

Booth Owner: By the way, will you folks be buying that doll? Yes? No?

Akira: Ah, uhm…

Rustica: It is an interesting doll. I’m very intrigued by what song it will sing. 

Sacrificium: …

Akira: (If it’s got the OK from Rustica and Saccy, I guess it’s not dangerous…)

Chloe: Then…why not, let’s buy it!

Booth Owner: Thank ya kindly!

That night…we lined up the goods we bought at the flea market on the dining table, and were having ourselves a relaxing teatime. 

Chloe: Mmmm, what a nice smell!

Akira: Such a soothing and sweet scent. It makes me calm down. 

Rustica: I’m glad you like it. It’s going to be perfect for winding down after a long day.

Lennox: Mm, you could fall asleep to this. Thanks for showing it to us too. 

Mitile: Yeah, I feel all warm now! These teacups are also so stylish, and…

Where his eyes moved to, we all followed to the centre of the table…

There sat the clown clothed tin doll, with its head tilted the same as before. 

Mitile peered at the doll through the steam of the teacups beside it.

Mitile: The booth owner said this little doll can sing, right? I wonder if that’s true. 

Rustica: I wonder too. This little one sings whenever it wants, so when it feels up for it I’m sure it will let us hear. 

Chloe: Even we hum a tune when we feel like it. Singing when you want to sing is the best! 

Lennox: I agree. Perhaps it’s just feeling a bit pressured by our expectations.

Mitile: Me too! Back home, whenever there’s a large gathering we just start making music ‘cuz we feel like it!

Lennox: Yeah. At that birthday party we went to recently, Rutile’s humming influenced everybody, and suddenly the plate and glass clinking turned into a whole chorus.

Mitile: And you sang too, Mr. Leno! When everyone’s voices came together, and you joined in, the harmony made was so nice!

Akira: I’ve never really heard Lennox sing…but you do have a handsome voice, so you must be good!

Lennox: Really?

Chloe: Rutile told me about it too! “Mr. Leno sings super well!” and such. 

Rustica: A song with a voice as deep as yours would be most charming to hear indeed. May I request a song?

Lennox: Uhm, here?

Chloe & Rustica: Yes!

Lennox: Hmm…you did treat us to this delicious tea. Then, as my thanks. 

He shifted his cup away, took a deep breath, and started singing.

I let out a breath at his singing voice, that sounded as if he were talking to me gently, and coaxing me to sleep surrounded by the quiet night. 

Faust: You’re pretty good.

Lennox: Ah…Lord Faust. 

Nero: I was wondering who that voice belonged to. So it was you, Mister Shepherd. 

Rustica: Hello, looks like we have more friends to join us. Lennox, your voice echoed the same way a high quality instrument would. It was so soothing to hear. 

Mitile: Heehee, right! 

Akira: Yes! I feel calm all over!

Chloe: Yeah, yeah! I almost swooned! 

Lennox: Haha, thank you. Compliment me that much and I’ll get embarrassed. 

Nero: You guys’re having a little tea party yeah? Have these, they’re fruits I didn’t end up using. 

Mitile: Yay! Thank you, Mister Nero.

Faust: …Hm? …This doll…

Owen: Someone doesn’t belong here.

Chloe, Mitile, & Nero: !?

Akira: Owen!?

Owen, who had suddenly appeared, stretched his arm out to Nero and his plate of cut fruits.

He plopped them into his mouth one by one as he sat down in a chair.

Akira: By that ‘someone’, did you mean this doll…?

Owen: I can sense something strange coming from it. You guys were having tea with this thing and didn’t notice? Birdbrains.

Also, why even bother serving a doll tea? I’ll be taking his. 

Chloe: W-Well, Rustica said he didn’t sense anything weird from it.

Rustica: Yes. Though the stranger’s presence on it does add a mysterious flair to it. 

This doll must’ve been treasured by its previous owner. 

Chloe: So you DID notice something! Wait, erm, if you put it like that it doesn’t sound like it’s a bad thing…

Faust: I don’t sense any malevolence, so it doesn’t seem to be dangerous…

But it may house its previous owner’s will or energy. Old items tend to have that.  

Lennox: The booth owner did say it was an odd doll. To think it’d be more than that.

Rustica: It sings whenever it feels like it. Nero, Faust, why don’t you try singing to it in encouragement?

Faust & Nero: No thanks.

Owen: …

Chloe: …Owen, are you interested in the doll’s singing too?

Owen: No. I just came here for some night time snacking. Nero, make something for me.

Nero: I still have the cookies I baked this afternoon…

Owen: That won’t fill me. Make something on the side too.

Nero: Uhh, yessir. 

Faust: Well, I’ll be returning to my room. Don’t stay up too late now. 

Rustica: My, it’s already this late. We were having such a blast that we missed the time.

Chloe: We sure did. I guess that’s a wrap for tonight.

Lennox: Mm, see you tomorrow. Master Sage, I’ll escort you to your room.

Mitile: I’ll come too!

Akira: Thanks, you two. Goodnight everyone.

Thanks to the tea Rustica poured for me, I felt sleepy as soon I hit my bed.

I pet Saccy who was nestled by my pillow, and closed my eyes…and after a while…

Akira: (Huh…?)

Before me was a room I never saw before. 

It seemed to be a dusty and dimly lit storage room. In this blurry scenery I heard two voices talking.

Black Haired Girl: …And then, the crowd went wild! Tonight went great as well.

Gosh, I wish that were me…what do I do to sing as strong and captivating like that?

Male With Long Bangs: …

Their backs were to me so I couldn’t catch their faces, but the young man writing in his book was being talked to passionately by the girl.

Aside from the occasional “hmms” of acknowledgements he made, he barely talked. 

Akira: (...I wonder why...I feel like I’ve seen this before.)

Even though I shouldn’t remember this place, something drew me to it in a familiar way. The same way that felt like I was reminiscing on a memory, but someone else’s.

Black Haired Girl: Shoot, it’s already this late! I gotta go rest, or I’ll be late for tomorrow’s prep!

Well then, nighty night!

She waved her hand goodbye and ran off. The young man finally looked upwards, in the direction the girl ran off from. 

Male With Long Bangs: …, …

In the silent storage room the young man was muttering something to himself, and it eventually turned from humming into a song. 

Male With Long Bangs: La la la…

Akira: (Wait, this song…)

Collecting my memory of where I heard it before, I recognized it as the song the children were singing at the flea market. 

Akira: (It’s a strange melody, but still a nice song…)

Male With Long Bangs: …Hey, you.

Can you hear this song? Can you hear me?

If you can…my…wish…

Akira: (Eh…? Is he talking to me…?)

Male With Long Bangs: …Please, that girl,...

That distinct voice grew further and further away, as did the blurry scenery.

Like I had reached the end of the film reel, it all turned to black.

As if I was unearthing myself, I slowly woke up.

Akira: (What was that dream…?)

???: La la la~

In my drowsiness, I heard a voice sing. It was the same song as the one from my dream.

Owen: Wakey wakey Master Sage. Did you have a nice dream?

Akira: Owen?