Opening her eyes, she found herself looking up at the ceiling while being surrounded by all three of her superiors looking at her in worrisome air. One is a headless knight, another takes the same form as her, and the other is a draugr.

[Siola]: What…

[Hedrick]: …

[Goolag-Siola]: We found you unconscious before the entrance, dear. It seems like you’ve outdone yourself this time.

[Ludtleth]: Not the wisest decision for an initiate to make.

Sluggishly, she stood up, but she couldn't. Feeling that her entire arms are burning, she took off parts of her clothes by herself not knowing or remembering that it shouldn't be possible to do.

And just as she's expected, parts of it are charred to black and some parts of her hands are cracked, her forearm leaking silver liquid.

[Goolag-Siola]: Hoo, had your origin was not being known, we would've assumed that you are indeed the Luosa. Too bad it's too early to tell which form you will take after your transformation.

[Siola]: Am I gonna turn into a monster or something?"

[Goolag-Siola]: What? Bwahaha, of course not, my dear. Though, that possibility may not be as slim as we thought. You have to conserve your energy and avoid walking on the surface for too long. At least until you've attained a Transcendental Law that suits your origin.

[Siola]: Transcendental Law... huh...

Lending her a hand, she took it and stood up.

[Goolag-Siola]: You've seen it, aren't you? Those who have attained a law can use it to twist reality as they pleased, to a certain extent of course, though it would be difficult when you're facing an opponent who has it as well.

[Siola]: Isn't it just a fancy keyword to active a certain skill?

[Goolag-Siola]: Whaaat, of course not, my dear. You see, Transcendental Law is—

[Ludtleth]: Don't you think it's too early for her to know? Don't throw around such knowledge carelessly to those who are not ready for it.

[Goolag-Siola]: ...

She grinned. Going behind Siola and hugged her from behind. The identical face and appearance made it look like Siola is being hugged by her twin, "She desires knowledge. It would be a waste of her to waste any more time than she is now."

"She has not been with us for even a day."

"Heheheheh, hours or even minutes, they're all precious time that can be allocated to something else more... meaningful. Isn't that right, Luosa? You want to know more about it, aren't you?"

Their soft cheek touches each other. After knowing that his words won't get through his companion, Ludtleth left.

"Madam Goolag."

"Yes, my dear?"

"Am I not... one of you?"

"..." she smiles, "Not yet, my dear."

"I see."

And without saying any more words, she distributed the things she got from her journey on the surface. The head of the headless knight and tons of goblins' ears. Goolag was about to say something, but Siola's body suddenly went limp, and she passed out again.

At least, that is what it looks like from the other's perspective, but in reality, she has gone from the world itself.

***

The spacious, luxurious, and extravagant bathroom. Half of the space is a pool of bubbly warm water, and half of Siola’s face with her original black hair is dipped in it – pondering on the weight of the current event.

Sighing as she rested her head back, “I’ve died twice.”

‘Yet they feel completely different from one another. Realism mode doesn’t seem to try to make things realistic like the real world. It really is just a buggy experimental feature.’

‘But how come the NPCs felt so real?’

‘In the original mode, most unnamed NPCs are just there to fill up the game. Talking to them would just give some optional and meaningless info.’

‘But not only that I was able to converse with them and have seen a full-blown expression that I have not seen before. Piercer, Horgan, Six Sense, Kian, and Misty Fang.’

‘If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve assumed that they are players considering the cringy names – except Horgan and Kian. Heh, they should've opted for one as well.’

“…”

‘Baldy and the rest too, if I were to talk to them normally, will it be the same?’

Looking at her hands, they’re trembling. A flash of memories, the faces of the individuals in the castle.

‘Those people… dropping nukes left and right. Traveler this, Wonderer that. Thought I should do whatever they want so I can get something I need and now they're telling me that I'm not one of them, huh.’

‘And then again? One bitch walks up to me and said they’re all useless.’

‘I don’t have time for this shit, goddamn it.’

‘Should I just make my own character now and get on with the grind? If I abandon this character now, at best, I would be able to get into the league in 4 months or so and had to work for the rest of the time practicing and get to the top 10. I don't even know how to get to the capital and yet I've boasted that I will get there in a year.’

"Fuck," squeezing her brows, "Should I start tomorrow?"

‘No, I told the dwarf that I'll return to Hikanda town in two days and miss Replica will also be in that house for a few days – that means at least 3 days, and there’s Avarice too. Tch, I hate these!’

“You seem to be having a lot in mind.”

“…” glancing, “Sadrin.”

Bringing something in her hand, “Your sister is on the phone.”

“I’m not in the mood right now. Tell her to call me some other time.”

“I wasn’t asking,” leaving the oval device on the floor and before leaving, Sadrin turned around and said, “If you need a breather. Why not visit the garden? The blue scenery might help alleviate your burden.”

“…”

Once she left, Siola stares at the device for a whole minute before pressing it lightly on the smooth texture. A *beep* sound was up before a holo of her sister in a black mask levitates above the device.

[Yo. How’re things?]

“Been well.”

[Yeah? Then why are you looking all droopy?]

“…” looking away and rested her head again, “Say, what do you do when the world feeds you something you don’t need? Do you just take it or make something yourself?”

[Huh~, have you been watching those philosophical videos or something? Thought you hated those things]

“Let’s say that I have.”

[*sigh*]

[If the world feeds me some meatball, then I’ll just make some pasta to go along with it or vice versa. Think that answer your question?]

“Don't you mean Spaghetti?”

[Well, Spaghetti is a type of Pasta]

"Are they?"

[Mhm]

"..."

[Hellooo~]

“…”

[Siola~, Hey~, are you there~? It doesn’t have to be meatball, you know. Like there’s also mac and cheese or that fries you loved so much and paired them with something like fried chicken or even…]

Things have gone quieter – much quieter – since the last time she walked in the endless hallway, and it’s the first time in a long while she walks around the house without Sadrin accompanying her – nor with the clothes that she forced her to wear.

Just a simple black tank top and a spat.

She absorbed the green atmosphere in the open space while sitting cross-legged on an extravagant white chair with all kinds of flowers surrounding her.

The blue scenery.

It’s both the sea and the sky together in one sight.

*Fwooosh*

The breeze hitting her soft skin, her complexion. There are no black circles around her eyes and yet, her body feels so tired. Her mind is clouded.

“Things were fine when there is only one thing to worry about.”

“What a wishful dream.”

Her eyes widened in an extremely sudden shock as she heard that deep voice coming from the back. She didn’t even have the guts to look but knows full well who it was.

His firm and large build of hand tapped her shoulder.

“Things will never be the same way forever. No matter what world you live in, no matter what and who you are, there will always be something in your mind, whether it’s a problem or the other. I hope that one day, you can grow a pair of wings and fly, even without us.”

"..."

Patting and stroking her head.

“No matter what everyone and everything said, none of us – not for a single moment – think of you as anything other than us, Siola.”

“…”

Tears, flow out of her eyes.

“Take your time. Come back to us whenever you are ready.”

She bites her trembling lips, grinding them as the warm hand left her shoulder. A small and soft panda sat on her legs. When she can no longer feel the presence of the man behind her, she held the doll tight as her tears fall.

Once again, she looked at the blue scenery with regret in her eyes, but her stern expression, her will and determination have far outweighed her sadness.

***

She used to think that everything in the world is revolved around herself. As long as the sky rotates, her life as well. Never had she thought that life will always be on her side. She knew it all from the beginning, even on the day she started to fall.

Her sense of surroundings, her personality, they never changed, never replaced. Like a painter drawing on a white sheet of paper or a sculptor forming their arts on a statue, but they – the artists – did not start with a blank slate.

Whether it’s painting or sculpting, once the artists start moving their hands, they can never go back and undo their work. They can only refine them.

Siola was raised in an extremely safe environment, not a single bug has ever touched her skin without her touching it first. Fed with a silver spoon, everything she wants is within arms’ reach. Nothing is comparable to the perfect life that she has.

It wasn’t until she has that premonition where everything started to fall. She strayed from the path. Mischief after mischief, things have gone awry, but everyone in the family was aware – she knows it too, and yet, she brushes it all off.

Parting with her one and only friend to a failed marriage to the man she engaged to. Little by little, the platform she’s standing on has started to crumble. And when she fell, the world breathes a new light onto her.

At the end of the road, she found the thing she has neglected so far.

The mildest one out of all, but that step she took, overwrite her life once more. With the appearance of new companions, the meeting of an old friend, she threads the new life she was given… carelessly.

And once again, the same thing happened, but this time, it ended with her death.

Now that she has been given another chance in the form of the easiest escape one has always hoped for to happen in their life, it remains to be seen how she will handle it.

***

To Be Continued on “The Broken World” by ChioAnabe.