Volume 1: Path – [Awakening Arc]
Chapter 5: Amusement Park
The temperature today sits at an unseasonably cool 15 degrees Celsius, a noticeable dip from the city's usual warmth of nearly 30 degrees. The air carries a crisp edge, a kind of gentle chill that nips at exposed skin but doesn't bite. A thin layer of mist hovers above the streets, stirred only slightly by the occasional breeze. It's the kind of weather that makes warm breath visible, yet doesn't require full winter coats—just enough to remind the people of Viremont, the city Caelus resides in, that something feels different about today.
The amusement park lies on the outskirts of Viremont. It is far too vast to be contained within the city limits, and its sheer size and construction cost made it more practical to place beyond the crowded urban borders. The land it sits on sprawls across several kilometers, filled with towering attractions and sprawling themed sections.
The park is called "Elysium Gate". It was the first amusement park built in Viremont, long before the other two came into existence. For a time, it was the pride of the city. But everything changed when a bomb detonated on its grounds a tragedy that claimed lives of many people and destroyed the joy it once represented. The event was widely reported and confirmed.
The incident became known across the nation as "The Sad Day". Every year, on its anniversary, the city falls into a strange silence. People walk slower. Smiles disappear. Even laughter sounds wrong. No one knows why, but for twenty-four hours, it is as if happiness itself cannot survive within Viremont's borders.
But the next day there will be different effects which is fully opposite to the Sad Day, and it is known as Happy Day, on this day everyone's expressions and emotions brightnes, like even if one were to be broken up in love they will feel happy about it.
This happens every year on the same day without any changes.
Inside a sleek black car, Caelus and Uriel sat in the back seat, quietly watching the passing scenery through tinted windows. The city slowly gave way to the outskirts, where mist clung to the edges of the road and early morning sunlight filtered through scattered clouds.
The driver, dressed in a formal black uniform, sat alone in the front. The passenger seat next to him remained empty, leaving the entire rear cabin for Caelus and Uriel.
With only three passengers, the ride was smooth and uninterrupted. The car moved effortlessly through the open roads, the soft hum of the engine the only sound between them. Eventually, the massive front gates of the amusement park came into view, rising like a crown from the mist.
As the car came to a gentle stop before the entrance to Elysium Gate, a soft hiss of the brakes echoed into the quiet morning air.
Caelus pushed open the door on his side and stepped out, letting the cool breeze sweep over his face. At the same moment, the driver circled around and respectfully opened the door for Uriel, who stepped out with grace and ease. Her hair caught the early sunlight, gleaming with soft radiance.
As she stood beside Caelus, she followed his gaze toward the entrance of the amusement park. A long line of people had already formed outside, all eager to enter early and enjoy the attractions before the larger crowds arrived. It was common for visitors to come early on days like this quiet mornings promised more time, fewer lines, and a peaceful beginning to what they hoped would be a joyful day.
But today was different. Today, there was a quiet urgency in the air. Everyone wanted to make the most of it. Because tomorrow was the Sad Day. And they all knew that joy would be impossible to find once the clock struck midnight. Even if someone wanted to leave the city and enjoy time elsewhere, they couldn't. Those born and raised in Viremont were strictly forbidden from going outside the city borders during this time. The rule was clear that they could only leave after the Happy Day and were required to return before the Sad Day arrived.
When Caelus looked at the entrance, a chill crept down his spine. It wasn't the memory of his parents' death that unsettled him this time. It was something else—something unfamiliar, a strange heaviness that clung to the air and pressed against his thoughts like a whisper he couldn't quite hear.
Just then, Uriel ran up to him and gently patted his shoulder. "Are you good?" she asked, her voice light but laced with concern.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Then let's go. You've been standing there like a statue for almost a minute," Uriel said with a small laugh as she grabbed his hand and began tugging him toward the entrance.
"Okay," he murmured, letting himself be led, though the unease in his chest still lingered.
They both reached the entrance and were immediately met with the curious gazes of onlookers. Most of the attention was fixed on Uriel, her beauty impossible to ignore. Many of the boys' eyes were filled with something more than admiration—something Caelus noticed immediately, and it made his blood boil. He wanted to gouge those eyes out, tear away the gazes that clung too long. But he couldn't. He had to abide by the rules. If he didn't, it would damage her reputation and that was something he'd never allow.
So he let them go.
They entered the park without delay. With their VIP passes, there were no lines, no waiting, only open paths and the freedom to explore. What followed was a day carved from the softest dreams and sunlit memories.
The first ride they took was the sky carousel. Suspended above the ground in transparent orbs shaped like butterflies, they glided over the entire park in slow, floating circles. The morning sun draped everything in gold, warming the glass gently while the world below bustled with distant laughter and mechanical hums. Uriel's laugh rang out in the wind, a sound so pure and lively that Caelus felt something in his chest loosen. He hadn't heard her laugh like that in years. He hadn't laughed like that himself in even longer. Due to his sickness he was so depressed and also cause of the feelings he felt towards Uriel that one day he would leave her.
They moved next to the twin-looping roller coasters that twisted like serpents in the sky. Uriel insisted they take the front row. As they climbed the first drop, she raised both arms and shouted, her voice mixing with the shriek of rushing air. Caelus clutched the side rail at first, but by the third loop, he was shouting too—half from thrill, half from disbelief that he could still feel joy like this.
In a neon-lit virtual maze, they raced to solve puzzles while avoiding glowing phantom projections that blinked into existence behind corners. Uriel beat him by half a second and celebrated with a smug grin that he'd never forget. They tried the haunted house next, with its crooked hallways and animatronic terrors. Uriel clung to his arm during the darker stretches, her grip strong enough to make him aware of every inch of his body. And though he kept calm outside, inside his heart was running faster than any thrill ride in the park.
At the water ride, they shared a single seat in the log flume. When the final drop splashed an arc of water over them, soaking them from shoulder to toe, Uriel let out a gasp that turned into laughter, wiping droplets from her lashes as her soaked hair clung to her neck. Caelus chuckled, for once not caring how he looked, how cold the water was, or who might be watching.
They bought ice cream that melted faster than they could eat it. They tried every mini-game booth, Caelus winning her a tiny plush butterfly she immediately tucked into her jacket. He watched her spin in circles beneath the hanging lights of the lantern corridor, arms outstretched like a child, completely unaware of how beautiful she looked in that moment.
They walked side by side through a replica fairy forest path, where mechanical fireflies danced through mist and illusionary flowers bloomed in bioluminescent glow. Uriel whispered that it felt like a dream. Caelus, watching her smile in the dim light, quietly agreed.
As evening descended, the golden light of sunset faded into the soft hues of twilight. Neon lights flickered to life, illuminating the walkways with pastel pinks, purples, and blues. Somewhere near the center of the park, a parade passed—dancers in masks, music echoing with synthesized beats, flower petals fluttering down from above.
They sat on a bench beneath a decorative tree, cotton candy in hand, gazing at the fountain ahead where lights shimmered through jets of water. Caelus didn't say much. He didn't need to. He knew this day would linger in his memory like a fragile miracle. Even though he spent many times like this he felt today was the most enjoyable one of all.
But beneath the soft joy, beneath the hand still resting in his, a quiet dread began to settle in his chest.
The sun had nearly disappeared, and only one final attraction remained.
The Mirror World.
[End of Chapter 5]