Seven Devils and a Rose

The Magic of the Aurora Light - Chapter 2

It was nearly five by the time I got back to St. James Manor, which was also Mom’s base for her writer’s retreat business. The estate sat back and hidden from the main road. The elegant building itself was securely tucked amongst the many tall trees, wildflowers, and flora and fauna that were unique to this island.

To say the place was mysterious and magical was an understatement. I was never the type to believe in supernatural things, but from the moment I had first stepped foot onto the estate a couple days ago, I had felt something different about this place, as though there was some sort of magical energy coursing through the earth, which made a connection with me.

I strolled along the gentle curve of the driveway toward the stately building while my eyes feasted on my surroundings. Bright, colorful wildflowers grew amongst the thick groves of pine, maple, and cherry blossom trees that adorned the house, a charming two-story building that had stood for over four hundred years, with its thick, dark-gray stone walls and many glass windows. It was a picture-perfect setting that’d make any photographer eager to take a snapshot.

When I came to the courtyard at the main entrance of the house a few moments later, I saw Mom loitering about with a basket of fresh vegetables in her arms. She must have been busy picking them while I was away for my beauty treatment.

“Mom!” I called out to her.

Slender and beautiful, Elizabeth Nakamura turned and smiled brightly at me, her blue eyes twinkling, as per usual. As I came close, she said, “Oh, you’re more Alfie than ever.”

Her pun on words, eh? How cute.

I turned my head this way and that as if I were a model and asked cheekily, “You like it? I look like a boy elf now.”

She laughed. “You’re going to make your father’s heart swell with joy.”

“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?” I asked.

She nodded as we both entered the house into the foyer. “Just as long as he stops short of making you wear one of those elf costumes, then that’s fine.”

I chuckled. “I don’t mind wearing them, though. I like cosplay.”

After I closed the door behind me, we walked along the hallway toward the back and then headed over to the kitchen. There, Mom placed the basket of fresh vegetables on the countertop and proceeded to make dinner for the guests, as well as for us. I decided I’d be her kitchen hand again today, which I could tell pleased her as I knew she had missed me and wanted to spend as much time as possible with me during my short stay.

It wasn’t long before Anna and Margaret turned up, two St. James natives in their mid-forties Mom had hired to help with running the business.

“What have you got planned for the guests tonight, Elizabeth?” Anna asked enthusiastically, checking out the neatly chopped vegetables in the various bowls.

“And you’ve got your little kitchen helper with you again, I see,” Margaret said in amusement, looking at me. “You had your hair cut, sweetie?”

“Today,” I said.

“Looks good on you.”

“Thanks,” I said, grinning.

It wasn’t long until dinner was ready, and the four of us started setting up the tables for the five guests we currently had on the premises. They were all writers here on their special retreat to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life and just relax, let their imaginations run wild, and get some words written for their next books.

Once the guests were nearly done with their evening meal and were now on to their delicious dessert, it was our turn to chill and have our dinner.

I had just finished setting up the table when my dad, Touma Nakamura, turned up. I noted that once again, his dark hair was a mess, and his glasses were haphazardly sitting on the tip of his nose, threatening to fall off if he wasn’t careful.

Without a word, he pulled me into his arms and chuckled. “Alfie, you’re so cute with that haircut. You look just like an elf character in the book I’m working on.”

I chuckled as I kissed him on the cheek. “Don’t make it sound so weird, Dad.”

He pulled back and frowned as he looked at me. “How is that weird? You and you alone have inspired me to write some of my best books since the day you came to us all those years ago in your angelic form.” Then he c****d his head to one side. “But now you look more like a son than a daughter.”

I laughed. I couldn’t help myself. “Then I can be your son until my hair grows long again.”

He thought about this for a moment and then nodded in agreement. “From today onward, I have a son named Alfie Yuki Akari Nakamura. Perfect. Just perfect.”

Behind him, I noted Mom looking heavenward while Anna and Margaret were chuckling. As for the guests at the other end of the room, I had no doubt they must have found Dad rather an oddball, though an entertaining sort nonetheless, especially with his intelligence and creativity.

Once we had our dinner, Dad joined the guests, who could no longer hold themselves back from begging him for writing tips. After all, they chose this retreat mainly because the advertisement poster had Dad’s name on it, a prolific and famous fantasy writer and manga artist with millions of followers around the world, and his wife was running the place. They wanted the opportunity to ask him for guidance on how to improve on their own written material.

Everyone, including me, sat around the living area with hot drinks in our hands while we listened to Dad telling us of his many trials and tribulations before finally reaching the road to success as a writer. Now and again, Mom’s name would pop up, since she held a special place in his life, not only in being his wife, but as his number one fan and supporter as well. Every writer needs their number one fan and supporter, he’d emphasize, and his was Mom.

They had met many years ago during a Comiket Convention in Tokyo when Mom had been an exchange student in Japan. Dad had been an unknown fantasy manga artist and writer at the time, selling his doujin, or self-published work, here and there and at the biannual convention to make some money. Mom had told me it was love at first sight when she first picked up Dad’s manga and made eye contact with him. Once Dad, with his broken English, had asked her out, everything else was history, and they had been together ever since.

When Dad finally finished his tale of love and success, which I had heard several times, I finally brought up the subject that still intrigued me to no end.

“Dad, what do you think about another realm? Does it really exist? If so, is it even possible for people from Earth to be transported there? I’m asking because today I was reading an article about it in a magazine, about an elderly couple who visited a castle in Europe and got transported to another realm or something.”

The moment that topic came up, the guests were captivated and avidly turned their undivided attention once again to Dad, eager to hear his thoughts on the subject.

Dad said, “Well, Alfie, one can’t simply rule something out just because it seems impossible in reality and scientifically. For all we know, there might be another realm or dimension right here on Earth, with people living amongst us. Or there might be doors that can lead us to another world. Who knows? As for me… Well, I won’t be ruling the possibility out.” He chuckled. “Anything is possible, Alfie, if you put your imagination and creativity to it.”

Mom said from the other side of the room, “He speaks just like a true fantasy author. His mind is always up in the clouds with ideas.”

The guests laughed, and Dad winked at me.

One of the guests asked, “What about you, Alfie? What do you think about the existence of this other realm?”

I shrugged, my cheeks turning hot because I was suddenly the center of the guests’ attention.

I said, “I think it’d be great if another realm really does exist. It’d be wonderful because we get to visit it, right? I’m sure it’d be completely different from Earth, where cultures, languages, and ways of living are concerned. I wouldn’t mind visiting the realm and enjoying the place, especially the sights, the people, and the food.”

Another guest said, “You sound like an adventurer, Alfie.”

“Maybe I do have this adventurous side in me. Wonder who I got it from…” I turned to Dad, who once again winked at me.

Even though the man seemed to be an introvert and indoor type, Dad actually had an adventurous spirit. I remembered that by the time I had turned sixteen, we had been traveling all over the world, from Africa to Europe to Asia to the Middle East, and even around all of North and some parts of South America. Mom had told me it had been Dad’s idea, as he wanted his family to experience life to the fullest.

It was about ten that night when the guests started to retire to their rooms, and I was about to set off as well when Dad said, “I thought you might want to be the first to try out the bathhouse. It’s done.”

My eyes brightened suddenly.

When I had arrived two days ago, Dad had enthusiastically shown me the bathhouse, which was a charming little building that was separate from the main house and located to the north of the estate, nearer to the mountain. The reason Dad had been so excited was this one could be converted into a hot spring, the type he was so fond of, which was popular in Japan. He had told me he and a couple of guys had been working on it for over half a year now, to install some sort of mechanics that would turn the place into a hot pool like those in an onsen.

“Really? Today?” I asked, not able to hide my excitement.

He nodded, grinning. “Why don’t you try it out? I was just checking it and turning it on before dinner. It works like a charm.”

“Then I’ll be the first to take a dip,” I said, giggling in delight. I gave Dad a peck on the cheek and then turned on my heel to leave. 

As I was going up the stairs to get my things, Mom said, “Don’t forget to take a flashlight. It’s dark out there.”

I replied over my shoulder, “Okay.”