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Were you happy?
That small and lingering thought kept coming back to Jacklyn.
Was I really that unhappy, he wondered. He didn’t think so, he loved his mother and father. Had the best brothers that one could ask for. And yet he had always felt that there was something missing. A deep longing of some sort in his heart.
He shoved the thought deep into the back of his mind and tried to ignore it. He wandered through the long halls, light streaming in from the tall castle windows bathing the stones in cold light. He already had everything, what more could he need?
He walked up what seemed like endless stairs and vowed to one day make something that would bypass stairs entirely. Actually, how did he still have the physique of a stick after all the steps?
He was out of breath by the time he managed to reach the old wooden door at the top of the tower. He pushed it open and collapsed on the ground as a soft chill entered through the window. The view was beautiful, the houses and buildings dotted the landscape and forests and plains stretched all the way into the horizon.
There was a serene sort of peace to be felt at the top of the tower and he watched the clouds hang in the air. He could imagine that he simply existed in the moment and nothing else. No reality to deal with.
He watched his brothers down below as they fought. They hadn’t noticed him yet, they never did. He supposed that he was sneaky like that, it was a skill that he had honed throughout the years. It did get a bit lonely sometimes though.
They looked so happy and the crowd of people clamoring around them were probably just as excited as him for the fight. His brothers were both excellent duelers and it was always a fun time watching them fight. He had always been a tad bitter that he could never join but he didn’t really have the talent for it.
When he looked down again they were gone, nothing but fading footsteps and leaves scattered on the floor. Jacklyn guessed that he might’ve zoned out for a bit too long, he had a habit of doing that. The sun had not moved at all.
He figured that he’d have to start heading to the market if he wanted to make it there and back again before the sunset. With a sigh, he got up and stepped into the hall, the old wooden hall creaking behind him. The room was left behind with reluctance and his footsteps were left in a thick layer of dust.
…
It’s so silent, Jacklyn thought. The halls of the castle echoed every step and the air felt still. It all felt so off but Jacklyn supposed that he had just taken a route of the castle that was lesser tread. It really did feel quite lonely though.
And who’s fault was that?
He ignored that thought, he had to get ready to go out to the market. He hurriedly changed his clothes and left the castle. The usual guards were there at the gate and he passed them before either of them could say anything. They knew him well enough. They stared at him with their blank and glassy eyes and he tried to not feel the guilt welling up inside of him. Why would I feel guilt…?
He made it to the marketplace with the sun high above, its heat seemingly intense yet Jacklyn didn’t feel hot. In fact, he felt quite cold. A strong breeze rattled some of the items on display and rustled the talisman hanging from the roof of one of the stalls. They were all lined up in rows showing different goods and beautiful items.
There were townspeople milling around not moving much, their eyes stared into nothing. He tried to talk to one with sweet brown eyes and gray hair in a tight bun but they didn’t respond. Her name was Katherine he remembered, she had once been nice and had offered him sweets long ago. He tried to get her attention by tapping her shoulder but there was nothing behind those eyes.
He turned to a different stall vendor and tried to talk to him. The man was short and wearing a fancy coat. He was in the middle of walking through the cobblestone path and his leg was raised into the air hovering there as if held by some invisible force. His face was twisted into a stern expression, unchanging.
Tears welled up in his eyes as he felt fear starting to build in his chest. He looked around searching for anyone that wasn’t affected by whatever had happened here. There had to have been at least one person but there wasn’t a single sound in the air save for his own turning and panic.
He wished his brothers were there to reassure him. They had always comforted him when he was crying, their jokes and hugs would get rid of whatever fear he had at the moment. The world felt too silent and alone, there was no warmth in this world no matter how it tried to mimic it. The light felt fake, a facsimile of memories too broken and fragmented to be put back together.
He couldn’t stop crying, his sobs building and forcing itself out of his throat. None of the townspeople did anything, they simply stood there mid-motion like dolls posed for a scene. They were fake, a delusion, an illusion, what else was fake. He stared at his own hands, they were solid as ever. Were they really there though?
It was cold, the sun was setting. Hadn’t it been high in the sky just moments ago? Dusk casted a gloomy, almost hellish and eerie glow over the houses and buildings.
He turned and ran, his mind filled with thoughts of terror and guilt. Of what, he wasn’t sure. There was simply the lingering thought that he’d be happier not knowing or understanding what had happened.
There was a thought that burned in the back of his mind like a brand. It seared into his very being, its presence an eternal companion.
What did I do?
And everything told him that he didn’t want to know, that he would be better off blind and ignorant to whatever had shattered the world.

Description

Were you happy?
That small and lingering thought kept coming back to Jacklyn.
Was I really that unhappy, he wondered. He didn’t think so, he loved his mother and father. Had the best brothers that one could ask for. And yet he had always felt that there was something missing. A deep longing of some sort in his heart.
He shoved the thought deep into the back of his mind and tried to ignore it. He wandered through the long halls, light streaming in from the tall castle windows bathing the stones in cold light. He already had everything, what more could he need?
He walked up what seemed like endless stairs and vowed to one day make something that would bypass stairs entirely. Actually, how did he still have the physique of a stick after all the steps?
He was out of breath by the time he managed to reach the old wooden door at the top of the tower. He pushed it open and collapsed on the ground as a soft chill entered through the window. The view was beautiful, the houses and buildings dotted the landscape and forests and plains stretched all the way into the horizon.
There was a serene sort of peace to be felt at the top of the tower and he watched the clouds hang in the air. He could imagine that he simply existed in the moment and nothing else. No reality to deal with.
He watched his brothers down below as they fought. They hadn’t noticed him yet, they never did. He supposed that he was sneaky like that, it was a skill that he had honed throughout the years. It did get a bit lonely sometimes though.
They looked so happy and the crowd of people clamoring around them were probably just as excited as him for the fight. His brothers were both excellent duelers and it was always a fun time watching them fight. He had always been a tad bitter that he could never join but he didn’t really have the talent for it.
When he looked down again they were gone, nothing but fading footsteps and leaves scattered on the floor. Jacklyn guessed that he might’ve zoned out for a bit too long, he had a habit of doing that. The sun had not moved at all.
He figured that he’d have to start heading to the market if he wanted to make it there and back again before the sunset. With a sigh, he got up and stepped into the hall, the old wooden hall creaking behind him. The room was left behind with reluctance and his footsteps were left in a thick layer of dust.
…
It’s so silent, Jacklyn thought. The halls of the castle echoed every step and the air felt still. It all felt so off but Jacklyn supposed that he had just taken a route of the castle that was lesser tread. It really did feel quite lonely though.
And who’s fault was that?
He ignored that thought, he had to get ready to go out to the market. He hurriedly changed his clothes and left the castle. The usual guards were there at the gate and he passed them before either of them could say anything. They knew him well enough. They stared at him with their blank and glassy eyes and he tried to not feel the guilt welling up inside of him. Why would I feel guilt…?
He made it to the marketplace with the sun high above, its heat seemingly intense yet Jacklyn didn’t feel hot. In fact, he felt quite cold. A strong breeze rattled some of the items on display and rustled the talisman hanging from the roof of one of the stalls. They were all lined up in rows showing different goods and beautiful items.
There were townspeople milling around not moving much, their eyes stared into nothing. He tried to talk to one with sweet brown eyes and gray hair in a tight bun but they didn’t respond. Her name was Katherine he remembered, she had once been nice and had offered him sweets long ago. He tried to get her attention by tapping her shoulder but there was nothing behind those eyes.
He turned to a different stall vendor and tried to talk to him. The man was short and wearing a fancy coat. He was in the middle of walking through the cobblestone path and his leg was raised into the air hovering there as if held by some invisible force. His face was twisted into a stern expression, unchanging.
Tears welled up in his eyes as he felt fear starting to build in his chest. He looked around searching for anyone that wasn’t affected by whatever had happened here. There had to have been at least one person but there wasn’t a single sound in the air save for his own turning and panic.
He wished his brothers were there to reassure him. They had always comforted him when he was crying, their jokes and hugs would get rid of whatever fear he had at the moment. The world felt too silent and alone, there was no warmth in this world no matter how it tried to mimic it. The light felt fake, a facsimile of memories too broken and fragmented to be put back together.
He couldn’t stop crying, his sobs building and forcing itself out of his throat. None of the townspeople did anything, they simply stood there mid-motion like dolls posed for a scene. They were fake, a delusion, an illusion, what else was fake. He stared at his own hands, they were solid as ever. Were they really there though?
It was cold, the sun was setting. Hadn’t it been high in the sky just moments ago? Dusk casted a gloomy, almost hellish and eerie glow over the houses and buildings.
He turned and ran, his mind filled with thoughts of terror and guilt. Of what, he wasn’t sure. There was simply the lingering thought that he’d be happier not knowing or understanding what had happened.
There was a thought that burned in the back of his mind like a brand. It seared into his very being, its presence an eternal companion.
What did I do?
And everything told him that he didn’t want to know, that he would be better off blind and ignorant to whatever had shattered the world.