~Recap~

“Oh really? And what that could be?” Azura exclaims while following the man behind until they were soon inside another room.

As soon as Azura was there, she felt her legs losing their balance as she almost fell. Almost because she didn't entirely fall. Something barred her. But the question was, what was that thing?

“Ahh, ah!” Azura quickly lifts herself up and begins rushing away cluelessly. She collides with Theo.

“Azura, what's wrong? What happened?”

“I… I saw a wolf! Not even a wolf but, only its head. It was dismembered from its body!” The young woman shouts in fright.

Theo raises his eyebrow and says, “A wolf's head? You mean, like these?” Theo points towards the wall. Azura's soul had literally left her body.

______

Azura realised that Theo was being serious when he said that she'd probably witness things she didn't even see in dreams. The only and slightest difference was, it was more like an unseen nightmare than being a dream.

She still could not hold onto herself and felt like stumbling all over again.

“Hey, don't worry. They're just figurines.”

Theo's confirmation sets Azura at relief as she exhales her uneasiness out. However, there was still something that was bothering her. And she of course doesn't forget to let it out as well. “I see. But, why would you have so many models like these? Especially as creepy as these?”

Furrowing his eyebrows, the man replies, “I don't think they're creepy by any angle. Well, if you point about them being bodiless and all, but there's a reason behind it as well.”

Azura makes a questioning gesture and so the latter proceeds to answer ahead. “The point is, diversity. An entire body model would look less awkward and more elegant you may say but, what do you think you notice in a person the first?”

It took only a moment for Azura to pick up on the answer. “Their eyes?”

“Exactly!” Theo perks as he looks around with an unreadable look. “You might have thought that I seem like a person who resembles a wolf or a person who is interested in them, well then, that's not wrong. I am somewhat connected to them. I won't really say that I don't know as to why do I feel like this way, because I happened to know the reason.”

“Really? What reason exactly if I ask?” Azura asks with excessive curiosity.

A subtle smile appears on Theo's face as he says, “You can ask. And you'll know even when the right time comes. For now, the only thing I can let you know is that, I feel like I can see in their eyes like how we see in each other's. As if they're telling me something. As if they can even see in my eyes. As if they were actually alive for once.”

The elaboration felt way too accurate and real to be just a description that Azura heard her heart hitching inside her throat out of dread. When she makes eye to eye with these lifeless figures, she for real feels as if they were alive. Alive for once.

“Umm, I, I think I had enough of these wolves and their information. I need to get ahead and get away, please…” Trembles Azura as she proceeds to walk out of the room.

Theo follows the latter to the next room while saying softly. “I actually didn't share anything major. Those were just thoughts and wonders and… Azura, you're fine?” He asks in conclusion before he himself gets astonished this time along with the lady.

“You never told me that you got something as beautiful as this.” Azura whispers lavishly.

To which the latter nods. “Well yes, they are beautiful but honestly, they never sparkled. At least not in such a way. These stones did share a flare of light in some complexions but today, today it feels like they're burning in some spirit.”

Yes, as stated, Theo not only had art, figures and figurines at his house, he also had a little space, sparkling and shining with diversive stones.

Although he addressed those as stones, they more seemed like one of those rare gems Frederick eventually brought to show Azura. What was even more surprising was the fact that they used to shine just the same whenever they were near Azura.

That all seemed like some nonsense, some coincidence or unknown incidence. But, whatever that was, Azura and Frederick, both never thought any deeply about it. Whereas Thek was mesmerized and wanted to go deeper and deeper until he reached the depth.

“They seem so close to the jewels my Dad occasionally carves in the mines.”

“Your father carves them?” Theo sounds unnaturally shocked and this gets Azura confused.

“Not really carving. He actually just finds them in this natural state but, why do you look so in disbelief upon knowing that? As if you knew that they can't be carved or something?”

“Because they can't.” Theo confirms and Azura stays still to know more. “These are not your emerald, pearl or twenty four carat diamonds. They are something beyond that. Even researchers haven't discovered them. And neither should they.” He sounds dead serious in the end.

“And why though?” Azura interrogates.

A chuckle comes along Theo's whisper, “Of course, you'd say that these are just gemology or zoology but they're not some subjects to study about. There are deep depths with every single thing you see here. These are things that are supposed to be acknowledged by only the chosen ones. My ancestors, my elders and my clan know it.”

Another furrowing takes place on Azura's face. “Clan?”

Theo's expression lightens up instantly as he says, “My family. You forgot my self intro at the campus?” Azura remembers and giggles even though the joke for real sounded more serious than mischievous.

“Anyway, you've looked around everywhere and everything but, there's still one thing remaining.”

“Really? There's still something left? Is that even more amusing than these?”

“Well, it can be slightly amusing or highly amusing at the same time.” Theo sparks as he springs a jewellery box. Azura thought he was going to present some magical rod or wand but instead, it was another stone.

Though, it was larger in size. Brighter in shade and it definitely did something to make Azura feel so heavy out of nowhere.

Just as Azura begins feeling dizzy, the stone starts shining excessively with golden light. The other small gems also began to light up even more along with floating in the sky. Azura couldn't figure if it was all still real or just a dream. “What, what is this?” She manages to ask before her balance fades out and falls down.

The only thing she could witness in the end was a wicked smile on Theo's face before she blacks out.