A/N: For a bit of backstory, my friends and I had collaborated on an adventure story. It's in the process of being published as actual chapters. We each designed a character that represented us. The scene here is around the time my MC, Ray, is 15. 343Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOgzFYQfgtc
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Cold wind kissed my cheek.
I fidgeted in my sleep, reaching for the blanket. My hands tapped on the surface in search. Prickly texture tickled my palms. My eyebrows knitted. Had I spilled something over my fleece blanket? Or did I forget that I left my coffee on my nightstand and hit it?
My brown eyes peeled open.
Where I expected a dried stain on a thick warm blanket was a bed of grass. My long black hair sprawled over it like tides in the ocean. Dark colors blended together under the dominant shadows.
“Am I dreaming…?” I mumbled groggily.
Slowly, clouds rolled by in the sky. Moonlight shined above me. Fireflies partied over the meadow. Crickets played a symphony from the surrounding forest. The chill air became my comfort, assuring me peace and quiet. A wave of drowsiness fell over my head.
Heavy eyelids threatened to close.
When I opened them again, the meadow was gone.
The air had turned warm. Layers of blankets covered my body. Soft silk caress my legs as I turned on my side. Morning light seeped through the windows of the balcony doors. Velvet furniture adorned the floor space. A grand piano stood at the corner while a rack of dresses occupied the opposite side.
Scanning the room, my gaze landed on a mirror.
Round azure eyes stared back at me. Curtains of honey blonde hair covered my head down to my waist. The warm color emphasized my beige skin tone. I lifted my hand and followed its course through the mirror. I brushed my fingers on the full bangs on my forehead.
Pulling a few strands, I caught sight of it with my own eyes.
A silent scream built up in my chest.
“Raesylla! What had I told you about sleeping in the garden?” Countess Nicolette scolded from the door. She marched over to my bed as I sat up. My eyes flew wide in her direction. High up in a bun, golden hair framed both sides of her face.
Amber eyes flared down at me.
“What did you call me?” I breathed out, my heart hammering.
“Oh, you’re not about to tell me off for not using your nickname, are you?” She scoffed. Her hands clutched the blankets and pulled them down. My teal nightgown became exposed. “Come on, get up. Sir Castiel is visiting today. For once, he actually sent out an advance notice. I’m sure that I don’t need to tell you that we need to be at our best behavior.”
Nicolette glanced over her shoulder. “Ladies, I leave her in your care.”
The servants bowed their head and moved towards the bed.
“Wait!” I stammered, hopping out of bed. My hand reached out to stop the Countess. The blankets wrapped around my ankles and almost tripped me over. “What about Aes? Aesteria? Litz? Zein? Six?”
“The girls are downstairs having breakfast like usual. You’re the only one who hasn’t gotten up yet.” Nicolette answered. She spun on her heel and narrowed her gaze. “What did you even do outside? Did you try to fight off a demon on your own again?”
My breath hitched. “A-a d-demon?”
The blood drained off my face. I had read, had written and had watched demons in different creative mediums. I’ve imagined myself in front of one, strategizing an attack if we faced off in a duel. I could almost feel the adrenaline splurged into my veins.
Maybe this could count as one of those times?
Was I overthinking it and this was all a dream?
“Ray, is there something going on that you’re not telling me?” Nicolette demanded. She walked towards me and placed the back of her hand on my forehead. “You don’t have a fever. Hm, I’ll let them know to take it easy on you today. You’ll also skip sword practice. That’s non-negotiable.”
When the Countess left the room, my knees caved.
“Miss!” I heard the maids yell in alarm.
I shook my head and used the bed to hoist myself up. My legs wobbled under me. I sat on the bed, panting for breath. My lips felt cold. This world… these names… these honey locks… they belonged to another dimension—one, currently, accessible by pure imagination.
It had to be a dream.
Right?
“Miss, are you alright?”
“Please tell us if you’re feeling unwell.”
“It won’t be any good if you keep it to yourself, Miss.”
“I-I’m alright,” I managed to say. Blinking, my eyes swept the room again. I patted the mattress. It held solid under my touch. Then, Nicolette’s words rang in my head. They woke me up faster than any energy drink.343Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpF9Sajwndk
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I sprang to my feet, startling the maids. A small smile stretched across my lips. “I’d like to have breakfast with the rest. Would it be alright to make them wait?”
“Of course, Miss. I’m sure they’ll be more than happy to.”
Half an hour later, my night dress had been replaced with a long-sleeved cream under dress and open cerulean robe. The latter had a separate waistband that cinched below my ribcage. Its puffy sleeves emphasized my shoulders. Embroidered flowers decorated the blue silk like vines. 343Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvPakWkBFSc
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The heels of my black boots peeked out under the hem.
I sat in front of a vanity mirror as a servant fixed my hair. She ran her thumbs around my scalp and parted my hair in half. Like the images in my mind, she tied the upper half in a ponytail with a big white bow.
She pulled up the corners, making them pointy.
“There!” She giggled. “Sir Castiel would be very pleased!”
I averted my eyes and blushed. I had almost forgotten about his visit. A lump formed in my throat. My hands clenched into fists on my lap. How would he look like? I had saved several references about his appearance. Would he turn out exactly as I wanted?
Or would he be different?
“Thank you,” I replied, clearing my throat. The pulse near my ear throbbed like a drum.
Downstairs, I found myself spinning around. There was too many to take in. The mansion I had once written had materialized right before my eyes. The mahogany railing of the stairs felt brand new—probably from the regular polished made by the servants.
The dining room turned out to be empty despite the tableware on it.
Noise slowly floated to my ears as the maids and I walked down the hallway. It led to an archway and a heavy wooden door. A small table had been provided near the kitchens. Three other teenage girls surrounded it.
They sat in silence, turning away with each eye contact.
“What’s the matter with you all? You’re usually a lot chattier than this.” Nicolette frowned, her hands on her hips. I chose an empty seat and fixed my posture. “Other than Ray, did someone else sneak off in the night? Tell me now before Niklaus finds out.”
The girls and I looked at each other. My eyes lingered to the one beside me. Her midnight blue eyes glazed as clear as glass. A headband pulled back her deep-sea blue hair that curled around her face and down to her hips. 343Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSQ3XykkZJY
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She wore an off-shoulder lavender dress, decorated in lace and frills.
It showed off her pale skin.
“Well then,” the Countess huffed. She grabbed the servants and pulled them towards the exit. “Maybe if we leave, you’ll start to talk. I hope some of you have enough sense to tell us the truth. Don’t think you’re grown up quite yet.”
The door thudded as she shut it close.
I jumped in my seat and found the same pair of eyes on me.
The girl leaned forward, her bottom lip quivering.
One syllable whispered out of her mouth.
“Cai?”
“Yae!” I gasped under my breath.
“Wait! Are we all here?” The third girl spoke up from across the table. Her turquoise hair had been cut into a bob that was longer in the front. Her stormy eyes pointed up like a cat’s. Dark chiffon covered her chest and collarbone.
She turned to the last girl beside her. “Jemmsy?”
“Jazzy!” Jemmsy exclaimed back. Snowy white hair stopped at the base of her head. She wore the standard uniform for a knight in training. Steel gray eyes nearly pop out of her sockets.
“Hold on a minute. Are we in…?” Jazzy trailed off, shifting her attention back to me and Yae. Her lashes fluttered as reality sunk in. “But that’s a story we made up!”
My mouth thinned into a grim line.
It was true.
Everything around us, even these bodies we possessed, were figments of our imagination. We had created a world where we thrived as mythical beings in human shells. Our journey consisted of searching for our innermost selves that we had forgotten.
And to protect the human race, of course.
“I’ve been thinking about the same thing since I woke up,” Yae revealed. She sighed and rubbed her temples. Her gaze flickered towards me as if it was her first instinct. “Which part of the timeline are we in?”
I bit my inner cheek. “I’m not entirely sure. Castiel is visiting though.”
“As his first courtship or as his formal declaration of marriage?“ She asked. Whatever headache she had quickly died as a mischievous grin flashed on her face. “Am I actually going to witness this in reality?”
“Who is Castiel again?” Jazzy frowned.
“Cai’s male lead.”
“Oh…!”
I rolled my eyes, fighting off the blush. “Isn’t there a part where we sneaked off into the market? Could be this that time? Should I steal a maid’s uniform now?”
“Didn’t that happen before you met Castiel though?” Yae countered. She poured herself a cup of tea and took a sip. “I wish Kiri was already here. Do you think she also woke up in this world along with us? She should be at boarding school, right? I know we have a timeline and all, Cai, but can we see her?”
“Yeah!” Jemmsy backed up. “We can’t leave her alone. Something might happen to her!”
“She should be fine—” I tried to reason. I reached for the other teapot and sniffed. The smell of coffee greeted my nose.“I don’t think demons have found her yet. But we should try to find her as soon as possible though. For now, I think we should focus on familiarizing ourselves with this place. I know we created this world but it’s still better to be sure.”
“You think we still remember how to fight?” Yae scowled. “We should have been training for years now, right? A few lessons might do us some good before we try to sneak out.”
Jazzy groaned. “While I would be stuck here.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you always escape lessons though?”
“Well, yeah,” she huffed. “But Nicolette would be suspicious if I’m missing since I’m the youngest in this story. Jemmsy would also stay behind because we’re always together.”
“Right.” Jemmsy nodded.
“Let’s worry about that later,” I said. My stomach growled from hunger. “We should really eat.”
We talked as we ate. Anytime a servant came by, our mouths clamped shut. We shared out last experiences before waking up in our new bodies. The transition had been smooth. We didn't die like the stories went. I still didn't let the possibility of this being a dream go quiet yet.343Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN4Gr3Fx4DM
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The same questions circled around our heads.343Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5B9HPhwBk
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Why were we here? How did this happen? Could we go back?343Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3XgFrOMlZH
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The door opened about an hour later.
“Aes, are you done with breakfast?” A voice said. A tall figure entered the kitchen in a dress shirt, vest and pair of trousers. His head of silver hair gleamed from the indoor light. Square-shapes glasses framed around moss green eyes.
He had one hand inside his pant pocket while the other held a book by his side.
His blue tie matched a certain someone’s hair.
“I guess this place has its perks,” I muttered, taking a sip of coffee.
A kick hit me on the leg.
I sneaked a glare from the corner of my eyes.
Using the table napkin, Yae cleaned the corners of her lips. I watched her stand up and kept her spine straight. I hid my amusement behind the cup of coffee. I had to admit. She was handling this better than I thought.
“What will we be doing today, Nicovier?” Yae said, reaching his side. His name flowed out of her lips as smooth as honey. She straightened the creases on her skirt.
“Is there something on your mind?” He asked in return.
She played with a piece of her hair and used an innocent tone of voice. “Oh, I just wanted to be here when Castiel visits my sister.”
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