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Continued…

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The Passing Ceremony. 

Was that what this all was? 

I saw workers slowly pouring odd coloured sand into the various water vessels. Some would take flaming flower stems and swirl them in slow circles in the air. Many of them were whispering and repeating phrases to themselves. It was the complete image of an occult ritual I imagined was involved in the Hidden Arts. And they were about to perform all of this on… 

In the center floor, Belle and Sir Barber waltzed. She was too focused in following his lead to notice all that was happening around them – or rather, she didn’t know what they were truly doing. 

The other dancers kept up the box perimeter around Belle and Sir Barber. Was that part of the ceremony? They weren’t in the very center like Belle and Barber. 

Was this actually happening? They had the wrong person. I thought the manager knew I didn’t want the ‘special wine’. Even Barber and Hannah were aware that I was with Belle, my ex-wife, not Julie. This had to be a mistake. Unless this was all some sort of practice for when the actual Julietta did come. 

I didn’t know. The seriousness of everybody, from all the focused chanting, to Lady Hannah’s warning, to the strange displays of fire, water, and earth. All of it was far too serious to be just practice. I had to make sure. 

I stepped in closer to talk with Barber. He would surely explain if they were just practicing the ceremony with Belle or not. And if not, he would surely understand if I told them they had the wrong person. 

My way forward was blocked. A large figure stepped in front of me. When i shifted to the side to pass, a hand rose to block my way. 

“I cannot let you through.” It was Johin. 

“I just want to have a quick word with Barber” I explained. 

All the man did was shake his head. 

“I need to know that everything is going to be okay with Belle.” I tried to sound reasonable. “This is all just a practice performance, right?” As I tried to move through his side again, the man drew a sword. I didn’t even notice he was armed. 

“Are you all performing the ceremony?” I saw everybody still continuing their motions, Belle still blindy dancing with Sir Barber. “You have the wrong person. Belle is my ex-wife. We’re not supposed to do the passing ceremony on her!” As I tried to step again, Johin raised his sword to my face. 

“It is too dangerous for you to get involved” he spoke. 

“You guys have the wrong person for the ceremony! That is my ex-wife, not the Julietta.” 

“We have been given the signal to proceed with the ceremony. Outsiders cannot intrude.” 

“The signal by who? I told them that she was not the Julietta.” 

“Bon Jean’s orders.” 

Bon Jean? Jean? The manager? I specifically told him not to get the special wine. This was a complete mistake. 

I saw Lady Hannah then appear next to the water fountain in the middle of the floor. She was chanting something I couldn’t hear. The music and the chanting of everybody else was growing louder. I had to stop this. 

Again, I tried to step past Johin. But his blade stunted my movement. 

“Back!” Johin moved his sword closer to my face, prodding me to step back. 

They truly were doing the ceremony. 

The synchronization and intensity of everything grew behind him. The music, the dancing, the burning, the pouring, the chanting. The madness! 

Belle seemed hypnotized into the dance. Couldn’t she tell something was wrong? 

“You have the wrong person. We must stop the ceremony!” I tried to peer behind Johin, unsure if it was too late. 

Johin just gave me his deep stare. 

“Belle is not who we’re supposed to do the passing ceremony on. That is my ex-wife. Look at her, you mad man! She is innocent.” 

His eyes never strayed from me. He had a soldier’s focus. The sword was no simple prop in his hands. But I couldn’t let them take Belle. 

“Belle!” I yelled out. She couldn’t hear me. Johin still fencing me off. “Are you going to hurt me? Just for trying to save an innocent woman?” 

“I was ordered to stop you when you do try to intrude.” 

“But you have the wrong person!” 

“Bon Jean said you would say that!” 

He said what? 

No. I saw Belle waltzing passionately in Sir Barber’s arms. Why? 

“Belle!” I screamed again. No reaction. She was entranced. I had to stop this. But Johin. 

Would he really strike me? I could sense it would be dangerous to test his mettle and try to pass him. But how sharp was he at his old age? I needed to assess the danger. This blade was too close to my face. 

I smacked the sword aside, then stepped back in case he reposed a strike. Instead, his whole body jerked in a sudden shock. An electric shock? He lost all form, almost losing his footing. The curse! Just like when the others touched me. 

I made past Johin. It was too late for him once I moved in. He didn’t seem to want to enter the encirclement of ceremoners. 

I rushed past the others, dodging through candle lamps, chanters, and dancers. 

Barber’s eyes widen. 

“No, son!” he froze. 

“You have the wrong person!” I grabbed Belle’s arm and pulled her away. This woke her up in fright. 

“Dallas?” she eased at the sight of me. 

Barber didn’t put up a fight as I pulled Belle along. He was just an old man after all. 

Dallis… 

I heard Julie’s voice again. 

My love. Her call was distraught. This ceremony was for her. Was it somehow working? 

Just as I was about to bring me and Belle past the other dancers, cold steel appeared before my chest. A sword. I almost walked right into it. It was the manager behind the sword. The other dancers and chanters finally woke at his appearance. 

“Continue!” he called out to everybody. “Keep focused!” The dancing and chanting then continued. The ceremony was kept on. The manager was keeping the target in the center. 

I smacked at the manager’s sword, but the sword flowed with the swipe and instantly redirected back to me. The curse didn’t bother the manager. His stance unbroken. 

“Don’t move, Dallas!” the manager stepped forward, forcing me back. 

“You have the wrong person” I cried. “This is Belle. My ex-wife. Not Ju…” 

“Fool!” I heard Sir Barber curse from behind. 

“What is going on, Dallas?” Belle then noticed all the strange activity around us. “What is happening?” she panicked. I clutched her hand tighter. 

“You must listen to me, Dallas!” the manager ordered. “Quickly hand her back to Barber!” 

“What? No!” I spat. 

“Please, Dallas!” the manager’s face was… sincere? 

“She’s not the Julietta!” I told. “I denied the signal! Why are we doing the ceremony?” 

“You must listen to me, Dallas!” 

“She’s not the Julietta!” 

“Listen!” 

“Dallas” Belle squeezed my arm. The yelling was unsettling her. 

“I looked into your files, Dallas” the manager called out. “I know this won’t make sense, but you have to listen.” 

“This isn’t Julie” I contested. “This is Belle. She is innocent.” 

“Dallas.” The manager spoke. “Remember that story about the attack on your vehicle during the Tykliss war. It actually happened. You were gravely injured in an attack. You were left in a coma.” 

“What?” 

“The stories you said Julie told you. They’re all true.” 

The stories… Julie told… all true… 

“I did a thorough check on your history, Dallas” the manager continued. “You suffered serious injuries to the head during the Tykliss War. You were in a long coma. Reports noted you’d have major problems with memory. You have memory loss, Dallas.” 

Memory loss? 

“What does that matter?” I argued. “Let us go.” I tried to step forward, but the manager raised his sword higher to my neck. 

“What is happening, Dallas?” Belle huddled at my arm. I squeezed her hand tighter for reassurance. 

“Please listen, Dallas” the manager wouldn’t continue until I met his eyes. “When I looked further into your history, there were very specific details.” 

I kept my eyes with his. This was going to be important. I knew. 

“You were said to have a well-known romance. A love affair with a Bzalnian woman working at the Kurdashon Base Camp. Her family managed the food at the base. You and the woman got engaged before your attack.” 

“What’s this?” Belle loosened her grasp on my arm. I gave her a look to show that I didn’t know. 

“The woman” the manager continued, “would visit you daily while you were in your coma, until they had to send you back home. 

“Now, this part will not make sense, but please listen. Once you were back home in Pallio, there were several attacks on the Kurdashon forces. The woman you were engaged to, she died during one of the attacks. Her name was Julie.” 

Julie… 

“The very Julie that visited you earlier. The very spirit that visited you before.” 

“The Julietta!” I yelled. “Then why are we doing the ceremony. This is not Julie. This is my ex-wife.” 

“Reports noted that when you were back in Pallio,” the manage continued. “You had fallen deeply in love with an unknown woman. You became reclusive and isolated, and claimed you were happily married to this unknown woman. Your loved ones and comrades knew very little of this woman. And all say they rarely saw her around. There are concerns that you have gone mad.” 

Belle and I held each other’s hands tightly. 

I could hear lady Hannah in the background, her chants growing louder. The dancers seemed to have stopped, but Johin and the others around came in to replace the dancers at the outside. The burning, the sand pouring, and chanting outside the circle, all still continued, while the music playing settled. 

“Dallas,” the manager spoke up. “This last detail is important.” He made sure I was paying attention. “The woman you were egnaged to, she was found still wearing her engagement ring. They buried her with the very ring in her hand. A Pallion style ring.” The manager gave me a deep look to make sure I understood. “Julie kept hold of your ring this whole time.” 

“Then why do I have it now?” I pulled the chain out from my shirt. 

“We believe that Julie has finally returned it to you. You never truly had it before. That is why the curse has been triggering.” 

“My ring is cursed?” I grabbed the ring. 

Dallis… I heard her again. 

“No, Dallas.” The manager looked at my fist clenched around my ring. “That ring is protecting you. Whatever ring you had before was not the real one. Or you may had imagined it. It was just an item produced to confuse you. Your file says that you were never married.” 

“What?” 

“There is no legal confirmation of you ever being married, Dallas.” 

“What lies are you trying to put into his head?” Belle stood forward. The manager raised his sword to Belle. I pulled her back. 

“Do not let her out of the circle” the manager told, keeping his eyes on Belle. 

“Hey!” I got in front of the sword. “She is not the right person.” 

“We know you won’t understand, Dallas.” The manager kept his eyes on Belle. “But my people have confirmed it. Sir Barber has confirmed it. That woman behind you. She is the Julietta.” The manager raised his blade to Belle’s face.” 

She is the Julietta? Belle? 

What is he saying?” Belle asked me. 

“I don’t know.” 

“Why are they saying these confusing things? Can we just leave?” Belle tried to walk off to the side. 

“Keep her here, son” Sir Barber called out. “The old man made a waving gesture for us to come closer. 

“She’s not the Julietta” I argued to him. 

“She has the same possessive energy that has taken over you, son.” Sir Barber voice was certain. “She is most definitely the Julietta.” 

I looked at Belle, worry and confusion whisked all over her face. How could she have been the Julietta? 

“Bring her here!” Sir Barber yelled. “Now, son! Quick!” 

I looked to Barber’s direction, but not at him. Behind him, the water in the fountain began to glow a blinding blue light, like the light at the end of a tunnel. 

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To be continued…

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(Part 16-20) Hotel Mysteria 016 – Forgotten