Part 3: Carol Enson's Crafts

The cloud, acuate aerosol, shouted its life's purpose for brighter and broader immersion. All asleep slacked. That dried, thorny tendril, sharpened its weaponry's stick for impregnable and imperishable protection. All aware advanced.

In a couple of seconds, the cloud passed by, uncovering a sunrise.

The sun kingly laughed throughout its entire sky territory, in serenity, the ball-flower next to the window released the shimmering obligation for the frontward day.

Five bees buzzed as they precisely eluded several twigs on the way, one of them plopped out and gushed itself toward the flower. The flower returned as straight as a wand upon contacted the dirt in the pot after timidly buried her agitation from the bee. They cuddled for a while hidden from the sun under the adequate tree's leaves.

Within the meantime, a gifted flash of nature penetrated frantically my face, reliving and massaging my skin with pleasant balm. It judged but succeed through anyway to hold my chest against thousand euphorias and amusement circulated by its ointment. Something richly mystified me with this alchemy world's affair.

And I captivated with whatever the reason was to be forgetting where my soul — I never grasped.

There wasn't an invention to hide my anxiety about the last night's undead. If I still the resident of this world, I might never apprehend the wonderful ambience that this world naturally bred. Even I trusted my initial world as the best in the session of cleanness, friendly, and no grievous smoke like in the steam world, here however offered generously its essence to last bit of a single decomposed brownish impaired leaf. Never thought it was going to be enough even I rummaged all rain forests, the side of the watery river, and of course neither I could fetch this feeling on the summit of the beginning and inspired sky. How this world retained clear pollution in a venerable modern era? Where their factories' wastes decamped?

My lips parted a gap, I bequeathed a promising smile to the flower. Each inhalation from the flower sparked my eyes with extraordinary expectation. Pivoting away with an influential attitude, I lifted my hand mildly up into the wind when I sensed Erika's dagger-stare down from the upper floor. The morning chromatic flares pierced gently over her body from behind. She looked like a sensation wizard.

Erika slanted back, strained her nose. "W-What did you have last night?"

"Surely, not apple pie," I showed a blossoming smile.

Adjourn to a previous posture, she stepped down the stairs, yawning. "We have been partying late last night, I don't even have wink a lot."

"Assuredly, without clothes," I asked an ambiguous question. "Because taking a walk this morning, I'm some sort reevaluate how your roommate's face." And she looked anxious.

"O-Of course, not! I'm not a body flasher."

"Not counted if underclothes."

A sudden revelation locked her dubious eyes with me. She blocked the suspension by relocating her hands toward the back hips. "It's still something to cover, right?" Her dishonest underlaid a blush across her tightened-cheeks. "B-Besides, I used a sheet and she didn't suspect anything from what I can tell."

I muted still, gave Erika a transparent glance for her delusive.

"Don't look here!" Erika crouched while refusing reality, palmed her face in a coward. "Aaah! Why? Why she exposed my secret in a public like that? It is good that I will move after the school trip. But still, I couldn't show my face to associates. It couldn't be helped since I couldn't sleep in clothing. Why no one understands but straight away set me as some sort pervert?"

"You...not?"

"I don't want to hear from you. Aaaaa!" Erika pushed her head into my chest, stomping her toes behind. "Why you have to betray me too? Who your side to begin with?"

"Sorry..."

"No! No apologize! I feel bad for no reason."

I threw my head around as students in a fresh uniform, long white dress with black ribbon, increased descending from the stairs. Even our active Gym teacher, somehow, with his fat enormous body already awaken unexpected than our overactive Halvenzo.

"Should we have breakfast now?"

"Hm!" Erika bashfully nodded while still buried in my chest.

Two, three, four...ten birds had cast a shadow on top my head through the window.

"Erika." I tapped her shoulders. "We couldn't depart if you still clenched on me."

"I love you."

I blinked. "What did you have last night?"

"I miss you a lot, lot, lot more than anyone of my life! Never forget me. Never ever forever. You're not just my cousin but more, more, more of the best of the best everlasting best friend."

How I sometimes couldn't understand a simple fact that Erika had to return to Jitfon as soon as the school trip was over? Heartbrokenly, she was the only friend I could partake with. Onyeka and Thlesy might another being in touch but their reluctant was nothing of the notion than Erika in the first place. It wasn't like I tried to talk anyone far beyond since. I was more socially awkward before even starting to work part-time and was forced to deal with hundred of vexation people. My communication skill now didn't fix it. Be cousin was all the smooth part.

"What's wrong, Erika?" I pressed my arms behind her fresh uniform back, nostalgically pulled her into my body, and laid my cheek on top her head. She lowered her knees down so I could do such a thing in my meagre height.

No matter how hard I watched and fondled her skin, instinctive overprotection was generated inside me, question her existence as my cousin. After all, I didn't remember her at this close affection before. Even when my father was alive and respected by many peers, she always jerked her tongue at me, plotted my toys to walking into hard to reach place for a stupid magic ritual. As brilliant aptitude discovered at such age, she could use her magic already while I couldn't. Consequently, I became her main experiment subject. And when she came to my house with Uncle and Aunt, I ran outside and hid at my usual hard-to-find hideout. She found me nevertheless with a Notera Annom spell. Divination magic like tracing a lost child in a city.

I couldn't remember. Was it during debt? Ah, so much memory of debt and Ainari's way of release tension.

"I have a bad dream." Erika stepped back and charmed me into her eyes.

"Can we pretend my ears hearing range is muted," I said, ignoring all students that watching us here, "and better leave before the buffet opening time is over?"

Some part of me bewitched for the dream. But, a magician dream wasn't always a good sign. If we in the magic world, telling a nightmare to someone — depending on circumstances — would put both parties into custody. Paid a costly fine or prisoned in mad magician's island to serve beneficial for society. That latter was a rumour but also, playing with death like necromancer or tinkering with time like timekeeper, all these were forbidden due to result of always lead to bad end no matter how vigorous they encourage a good point to the law masters' reflection. Conflict might chance all around, but black magic would be agreed by anyone including people with brain loose. It was like obvious.

Though, since this was alchemy world and I didn't sure if Erika's dream considered as bad aim, I refrained from disposing of the neutral side. After all, I already prepared my heart when that sandglass brought me in time. I knew how dangerous my action interfere with time. I wanted to believe it was my chance to prove that I, not a back-stabber or Kingdom's Betrayer.

We went to the buffet restaurant later.

Placed wet sugared salad and egg bread, I arranged them on the table. Erika watched motionless each plate I served for her. She reacted for a drink, her eyes twitched a large wide vertically surge. But it concurred to more of overpoweringly yawning, her head banged down loudly to the table, snatched a nap right on the spot.

I readjusted the coffee cup to a comfortable spot. From my observation before at the workplace, it took about one to two minutes for the caffeine to propel in. Some ten while others instantly. Erika might be the average.

Soon when Thlesy, Onyeka, and Ainari, one by one merged from the restaurant's archway, Erika alarmed up as many voices and movements plumped the table structure. Thlesy went shocked by Erika awaking like a zombie, she shoved the great goat-meat sandwich to Erika's drowsy mouth, mistaken the yawn as an attempted to eat her flesh.

"About the plan..." I said, "c-can we go together...?" Unremarkably, my awkwardness in the social acting made me hard to develop a conversation. However, due to the outstanding morning drug, I lost to any stammer and unwieldy. A bit.

"Isn't this discussion over yesterday?" said Thlesy, getting that sandwich back. Baked and grilled. She pulled her hand when Erika slurped her fingers. "Even if we try to, we're unable to gain effort if Erika has the heart to venture into the aquarium. Did she attempt to become a fish trainer?"

"That's profoundly ccultivatingAinari sipped into her apple teacup, I held my breath. "I wonder, how someone could do that deed."

"Wow. I'm more intrigue here." Erika slammed the paper pack to drive off all milk powder into the bottom. She tore the top and poured the content into her bitter coffee. Her lips clicked from the sandwich's taste. "But not bad either. Hmm. I can make a living by cultivating a fish clown comedy skill. Hey, Thlesy. What fish is a terrible liar?"

"Fisherman?" Thlesy said immediately, first thing synthesised in her mind.

"Buzz, buzzzzz! The answer is dolphin."

"Hah?" Thlesy rubbed rapidly her frustrated head. "Dolphin? Why? How?"

"Because it has a long nose," I said, attempting the social skill.

"Wow, Siqura." Erika gave a response, I felt a good feeling of acceptant. "Well done, here is your prize." She gave a salad. Actually, it was free and I could fetch one in no time from the buffet trays. But this was given by Erika.

"I'm sure we have many life seas with a long nose," Onyeka's remark always understood how to stop Erika's and Thlesy's cunning. Her stares reminded me of the detective's eyes observation explicit.

"Eh..." Erika pressed her chin. "Is there another species?"

Or it might alright for her as long as it was a dolphin.

"Haha!" Thlesy pointed with her fork with a conspicuous big grin. "Your show as a fish clown comedy is doomed. Just prepare to get a laugh and hit by creamy cupcakes."

"I will send the bill to you later for those shops' losses."

Last night, they involved a lot with my expensive suite, we didn't delve further to why each of us chose a certain visit location. Erika revealed her plan to the aquarium but not its reason. If Thlesy realized she went there for dolphins but not the career, she might be kicked out of the group. Then later, I had to fight Ainari for Erika's seat and ended with me going with Benseling to the museum out of pity. I wondered it had become an unfixed trauma to never fight against Ainari.

"Hm?" Ainari stopped her fork. "{If we try to}, what are you all saying? When are we discussing today?"

"You were sleeping with dream fairies, remember?"

Ainari distorted her face upon reminded about those beautiful dolls that holding blades. Not as I claimed to be.

"We put Erika with Siqura as," Onyeka tossed the emptied plate on top of the sixth plate, "three of us going together."

"Oh." Ainari's one eye stirred up, exploring the reason she fell to sleep after going into the bathroom and somehow appeared in a different room. "Weird..." She shifted her eyes toward me, the edges of lips twisted hard. "Right, Siqura?"

I avoided her stare before it happened, my hand reached the cereal bowl and shoved scooped-spoon into my mouth a couple of times. The milk poured out, I patted a striped-napkin in hurry.

"Forget the aquarium. I can ask my parents to bring me later at any time."

"You're always easy to comply when your cousin in." Thlesy gave up and returned to her seat. "Are you her mother or something?" She nagged to herself in muttering.

Erika coughed. "W-Well, she some sort opposite. Good with cleaning, nice with children, and have a magic chef hand from the professional menu."

"She — you can cook?" Thlesy began talking to me. "Then, why you always absence when economy class started a cooking assignment? Anything I cut, always lead into a battle with lobster. Those tentacles. I cursedly hate those waggles."

"I remember that." Ainari leaned her head on her fist. "And I somehow always in a bad situation then. Ehehe... Always."

I heard the other day, Thlesy's hot spicy soup dropped on Ainari's head. That was why she went to the gym's shower when class already started as grabbed my only uniform. I had to wear my librarian uniform as tracksuit drenched with sweats. Never got the clothes back from her.

Thlesy shook her head in denial, seeking someone help against Ainari. "O-Onyeka!"

"Isn't Ainari's visit place ore refinery?" Onyeka walked toward us and then put her tenth dish beside me.

"Can we do this if not late?" Ainari quickly cut her gut feeling and nodded. "By the way, how big your stomach? Are you not afraid of overboard calories?"

"Uhuhu. Want to know?" Onyeka gave a mysterious giggle before brought out a map of the island. "Possible with three locations but sorry for four," Onyeka explained the time length for each visit on the map. "See?"

"Don't worry about the hospital," I said without biting my tongue. "I don't mind if it cancelled if we can't go together." After all, my doctor career was over.

Thlesy who actually bad at math was able to understand one or two scratches from the pen. The average calculation skill in this world was a bit higher. "Negative three hours, even thirty minutes per location..." She talked to herself.

"About that..." I forced myself to swim into the discussion again. "I already have a master plan." I lifted out from my pocket, five cards. All had Alobic words that translated as {Carmath Pass}. A premium ticket, ride-all-day with its expired date after today.

"H-H-How," Thlesy snatched all into her both hands, spreading in front of me to make sure they were hard and solid, "you get this? Not expensive anymore... A-Are you perhaps, some sort secret government agent or a daughter one of the king's concubines?"

"No..." I lowered my voice, blinked at the last scenario. "Please keep it a secret but..."

"" Thlesy raised her head and watched the mentioned teacher questioning his choice of the day. "How?"

Benseling juggled with five raw apples, looking at every buffet stall there. Then Halvenzo entered and paced toward him. She warned her to not play with foods. But Benseling gave a stupid laugh while placing one apple onto her head. He clapped when Halvenzo survived to go all rogue without dropped the apple. Anything entered into Benseling's ear, disappeared into his smile giggling.

His power rank could slip into any backdoor when he showed the special and one-of-kind crest. It couldn't be duplicated. He fetched the tickets from the company when I said I couldn't go to the museum with him. Apparently, he didn't listen to our plans today. He knew what each of our goals and I would be discarded as a final outcome of the discussion. My father did a lot of favours to him in the past and Benseling couldn't repay during my father still alive. Thus he repaid to me, his daughter.

He even swore to disobey the king's command only one-time if he was ordered to kill me in the future. Doing that could possibly lead him to death punishment. Even so, he said my father saved his life once too. A fair trade, I presumed.

"Just hearing what Siqura said," Thlesy swallowed overly, "I could sense all students about to swarm him. In this what they called, {Favourite Student}? What you give him seriously, Siqura? It seems to much work to convince a man like Benseling, and . You don't sleep with him, are you?" She looked at my stomach.

"What?" My arms covered my body. "No. It's my father's relationship. Best friend, perhaps."

"Oh, I see." Thlesy moved her eyes left and right, then dashed to Onyeka. "What a lucky."

"We could." Onyeka reconfirmed the map. "Including the aquarium if we shortened the visit hours to two."

"Nah, again. Forget about the dolphin — aquarium." Erika waved her hand at the front. "Can we stop for a bookstore in the way? There is a rumour about the book I had been looking for in there. Seems, we can go there after the fabric maker. It's around this area I think."

I noticed a bitter smile when she refused about the aquarium and buried it by shifting the topic to the map. Perhaps, she really wanted to see the dolphins. I meant, in the prior timeline she was extremely enthusiastic to the point of barging alone. I felt suspicious about this book rumour unfolded to her.

It couldn't be anything to do with the unfinished business that the undead heralded about? Never I made to the first day of the school trip. Everything from now was a blindfold.

Additionally, the enigma sandglass vacillated all the same in the purple burning ever since my first leap into time. How in a million probabilities in the world, this rare destiny ended in my hand like this cursed dress? Did my inner beast wake up after long years slumber because some magicians secured with a spell into my body as a prison? That was stupid.

At the end of the meeting, Erika forced me to the medical centre and decided to put the plan on fully effective after finished searching the book that she was looking for.

* * *

We strode forward into the tool industry, for them, manufactured thousand — billion designs each day for freshman-excavators and any replacement from almost retired ones.

And their destination was Alphion Civilization. One of the oldest remains in this world. Extremely, it had concealed inside that gigantic mountain up over the out-of-reach clouds. Even from building's roof, everything on the other side over the mountain was invisible.

Rounded around the improvement of those tools, we're overseen by staffs into the interior of the place where they boasted arrogantly how they engrafted an aether-burning core inside the excavation tools.

Thanks to the premium ticket, Thlesy could enjoy the collections for herself more than a glance. Indeed, she extended far beyond to the test chamber, wielding the pickaxe in lighting speed. Her excitement spilt to snatch those tools from the factory manager. Manifestly, they marketed to the suppliers in a bundle. Any direct acquisition would run twice of a market which in other words it was time for us to leave when Thlesy careless leafed out her money including the total amount of the souvenirs that her family and friends sought.

After the tour, we obtained the carmath to the fabric maker, spent around another three hours. Onyeka took out one bag of various coloured and textured fabrics that held in high esteem. I drew them too for my home's storage. My mother might be complaining about the number of outfits we could purchase, notwithstanding, I remained unsecured by the wealth we had now might disappear one day. These fabrics were for unforeseen future.

Skipping lunch for fast-food burgers, we rocked toward the bookstore. There were two more places to go and we had to return to the hotel before night.

"Is that it?" said Thlesy, pointing at the old bookstore next to the florist store. Was it me the florist store's board stated {Floris Shop} with missing letter there?

"Look like same with description." Erika looked at a small piece of paper with the name of the bookstore. It was titled in Alobic words but as simple as I spoke their language. It existed never in the magic world but my knowledge as native here had allowed me to read it. Simply the text was haggard, I couldn't extract the meaning of anything.

"Accuse me." One man came across me, the distance toward them increased.

"Y-Yes?"

"Do you know where I can find Floris Shop? I have been searching for someone who can speak the language and read too. Everything looks alien's letters." He didn't use Veizralish or Alobic but English, a language appeared ordinarily in every world. As I didn't mention anything for his lost, he started shouting with every language he could synthesise. Three all together: English, Felinera, and Holwin. He sighed. "This is weird since you're wearing like an adventurer. Why am I bothering with travelling far for her?"

Strange as it would, Felinera and Holwin had two commons: they didn't exist in this world and they existed in the rune world.

Could this mean something? I wasn't sure.

He had black eyes; I could perceive the hint of golden-yellow inside his irises. His skin was akin white but also had the hint of the tone. On his black suit, there was a crest on his chest, to ward off dust. Even magic orb infusing into the suit was buried, I could feel the movement of the mana-like aura.

I got a Feliner vibe from him that related to Feliner Kingdom in the rune world. Not appealed to me since I was here in this new world. Did I actually on the other side of the earth? But in Earthgic(Earth Magic) class, they had mapped a whole globe in the textbook. I would know if we're still in the magic world.

"Riurian?"

We both turned at the voice. There was a little girl who explained what I was confusing about.

I thought the only Veizralia Kingdom had the same every right to have existed in each world. Perhaps, I ended in an alternate dimension with slight differences. This mitigated out a lot of irregulars such as, I, met people that ought found in another world.

"Floris." Riurian raised her hand. "I'm come to invade your happy ever life." He nodded at me then walked toward the girl. He used English.

"That's not funny." Floris pressed her flowerpot into her chest.

"Too late." Riurian took out something. "I have a special free-to-purchase card."

"Hey hey, stop there! We agreed only a discount. A DISCOUNT! Besides, can't you buy with that money? Is not king suppose to make a zillion fortune?"

"Well, I will not deny zillion. But where is the merry? Isn't my early investment have a lifetime period in effect? Because of me, now, you can establish a fully functional shop in such packed high-developed island."

"Riurian. You just helped me lifting a plant!-pot! A!!!-plant!!!-pot!!!"

"Hahaha! Every day but the truth, still frequently. Just admit, you can't survive without me helping you that day. After all, you have a fight with Lidiya."

Floris pumped her cheeks big in the reddened face.

Erika and the others prompted out from the bookstore; a new member was surfaced in the group who I saw in that world. Nelcary The Veizralia Hero. A young man of my age. He had black electronic headphone on his neck — this world didn't have electronic technology like what in blueprint world and steam world. Where he got that?

"Siqura?" said both Floris and Riurian.

These guys just made an expression that they knew me somewhere. Erika and the rest except Nelcary, all of them were surprised by another encounter of my connection.

"Wow. You sure know a lot of people, Siqura," said Erika, shoved her teeth out in teasing. "How long will you continue to entertain me?"

Certainly, I had seen them in the rune world, but knowing personally and closely wasn't in the reign. Neither spoken. Who were they?

"Siqura Selvona, right?" Floris correctly spelt out. Small but acted like an adult. She straightened her arms and walked around, examined every part of my body like a mind magician to treat instability.

"Y-Yes?" I forced a smile, trying to track her glance. She constantly moved about the front and behind me, shot dizziness to my head.

"I don't believe he chose someone so young. How old are you?"

Chose? Chose what?

"Seventeen...?" I paused a few seconds, that was the ratio average human lifespan this world to my world — since most Inomen had 300 years ahead. I said in a question, hopefully, she gave enlightenment to my cause.

"I see, it's love. Waltren finally will not be alone anymore."

Waltren? I felt I heard the name somewhere. But that somewhere — I couldn't remember.

"Hey, Floris. Come down. Isn't Waltren said he didn't tell her anything yet? Remember what he said about his last failed three candidates and about how he wanted to add fire up for new selection? Don't say you really forget?"

Floris smiled and nodded like a grandmother with a grandchild. However soon after listened to Riurian's warning, she stoned. Not a fly could shake her. Her lips agitated, sweating a lot.

"Who was him?" I said.

Floris, blinking at an incredible rate, cracked to Riurian with a highly tightened facial. "W-W-What I should do?" Instead of English, she used Felinera probably to prevent me from hearing it.

"She passes the test yet?"

"No. I don't think she did."

"Oh, hohoho! Great. I will tell Reylaw." Riurian gave a loud laugh, everyone on the street could hear that. Of course, he was confident one couldn't perceive Felinera.

"Then," Floris grabbed his hand, "I will drag you too for trickinggggg me!" Her voice suddenly elevated to a leading pitch, Erika nearby me dashed back.

"Why they suddenly fight? Do you understand them, Siqura?"

"I don't sure." I had to lie, anyway. "She might have a bad stomach."

"Ooh, make that sense."

"Can you fight the best lie detector, Human Blueprint -- ah!" Riurian, in turn, was perished to a statue.

"You said the words. Ahaha! You said them. Uhuhu! Too bad, I will tell Reylaw about words and have them a fun show."

I watched their childish fight with a bitter smile. "Um..." I lost my confidence in communicating. It was fine this morning, why my voice stuttered again?

If I spoke Felinera here, I could probably excavate some clues from them. Nevertheless, I wasn't a person who could play witty competition. If otherwise, I might become a protagonist who overthrown the kingdom for revenge to seek the truth of my father's death. Reality sometimes could be distasteful. No. It was a fiction who gave me that. I should stop reading everything Erika fed me. What those authors actual knew about the meaning of life?

No. Neither I.

"Floris. Let's keep these away from Reylaw's sight. Give me the best flower you ever had for this girl."

"Are you trying to bribe her? If she passed the test and became the next blueprint owner, she would meet us in the future. What will happen if she told that to Reylaw? I could dodge Waltren since he's an easy genus but you know how scary Human Blueprint could be. Reylaw is!"

"I get it! Go, now. I will deceive her —"

and I didn't want Erika regretted waiting me long. "— Bear in mind, I would grip the secret and not inform anyone."

They both surprised I pronounced the language without misspelt anywhere.

"She had...Waltren must..something...her!"

"Isn't...people of Seventh World...World Blueprint?"

They hopped to Holwin which little I understood. They rushed into the store, Floris put the best flower arrangements and tossed it to me before pushed me away.

"Siqura, we will meet again for sure." Floris bowed her head and held the flowers. The fragrance it emitting had the same motion I acquired inside the expensive suite. "But, please if we do, pretend like it's the first time. Please don't ask for a reason. You will know when you meet Reylaw. He's not scary. I don't like having him hated me."

I complied to their worries with a nod. I would meet them? I would meet Reylaw? Who?

At that moment, the smell from the flowers in my arm ticking my brain into a familiar course. Every leaf and petal was so bright and fresh to prolong I wouldn't be surprised if it was thrusting alive. The same aftereffect I gained by standing next to the Helaria Tree. Since the tree wasn't here, it was the best bribe I ever accepted.

Therefore, "don't worry." I smelled again the flowers. "I would. T-Thanks for the flowers."

"N-Nelcary." She quickly moved away from me and saw him. "H-How about your mother?"

"Well...she fine." Nelcary raised his eyebrow. "Isn't you just meet her this morning?"

Floris realized she was too panic, hit her head in response. But then started crying and repeatedly reminded me to never ever told this to anyone even to myself or the person name Reylaw would hang her neck up in her deep nightmare. The man might serious danger if she put her in this plight.

"Where are you going now?" Floris demanded a deep breath and asked Nelcary a real conversation. Riurian was browsing the flowers arrangement on the shelves inside the store, sneaking a peek to outside.

"That dumb ran away with one of our books and forget to return," Nelcary said in a very downturn tone instead of aroused by madness as though he preferred to conserve his energy for something evidenced by usefulness. In fact, I fantasized to his cool trait that similar to myself.

"Okay. Be careful when going there. And don't follow any suspicious person with cheap candy."

Nelcary didn't react much to that, only agreed. We all soon left the bookstore and headed toward a cafe. From far, the door armed with a sign turned to close but didn't lock in when Nelcary impelled to inside. The signboard said Carlson Cafe. It was a popular cafe in my world too and built-in almost every country. Franchise of Carlson Company.

The victim of the undead last night, where I taking care of her until his father arrived, was sitting her head on the table and silently watching the photo of her sister — the one who obtained Ainari's misfortune.

Hollowness and slow air were all circulating inside with aliveness diminished on the ant that fell from the table. There were voices in form of whispering or muttering at the background from two men at a distance: her father and the police.

"Close today?" The door shut thud after Nelcary waiting for all us in before closing it, finally, I picked the smell and taste of bitter alleviate coffee.

Aminder, that little girl, was still in her barista uniform in child size. Her eyes were indeed tearful but never showed off. When Aminder heard Nelcary, she went and hugged him without confirming whether the person was someone she really realized.

Heavy sweats on my legs created coldness; I hardly budged from the door.

"What's with air today?" Nelcary tapped her head. "Aren't you going to prepare me the bitterest coffee in the world? By the way, where is that idiot?"

"Who?"

"Ambera..."

More tear flew from Aminder.

The girl's father accused himself from the police and offered a hug for Nelcary too. He mentioned to him about the news. However, there was no indication of caring for the death of Ambera.

"Since she will not come home," Nelcary pulled and straightened his front strand that partly covered his composure face, "can I go into her room and grab the stolen book?"

The police picked the crime indication word but only supervised from there, nonchalantly retired to the paperwork.

"We can come another day..." Erika tried to soothe a somewhat isolated atmosphere that barely valid for her collective mind's nature. When someone whined or argued, Erika would either stop the struggle or just ran away in frustration. She wasn't a type to deal with people's emotion. Well, she somehow managed to do the opposite when found out about my family's circumstance.

"Don't worry. I used to play here a lot, so it's easy to guess for where her hiding spot." That also included he was very intimate to this teenager named Ambera.

I swapped into stealth stance and sat at the nearest table from the door. I put my head down, didn't want to involve with their sadness. If I did, I started wanting to save Ambera too.

I tried to reduce the guiltiness but my heart embraced the fact to the bone, clearly myself for criticism. Because I preserved Ainari, her sister Ambera was, in turn, repay the casualties. It might have no relation, logically speaking. Yet, at this point, I trusted what I believed to be {Untwisted Fate}. Since Ainari death was the twist-able, the theory said, that fortune and misfortune the victim got would be transferred to someone else.

Erika and Ainari talked to Aminder in question about the person. Then, Erika made a stupid joke about how she coughed with the coffee, attempted to rid any uneasiness. It took me for a long time to learn that Erika actually didn't care anyone around. She didn't try to become a hero. She was the daughter of a rich family after all. I wouldn't complain.

Because Aminder didn't stop her tears, Erika readied to flee out when a sound of the creaking stairs appalled her. Nelcary brought the book, Erika quickly moved on to him.

"Sorry for your lost." Erika attempted to say something meaningful and elegant, but she fidgeted a lot as she couldn't spend any second in the cafe.

"I better attend back before my sister realized I ran away," he remained calm. "She, sometimes, can be persistence like Ambera."

The harder the problem, the more I hid my expression from everyone. To extend up until now, no one in my class learnt about my harsh life with debt. Except for Erika who came into my house a few days ago, hearing everything from my mother that day with Uncle. Everyone in the school and the city thought I lived normally even with the cursed title. Or didn't care.

We all exited and said goodbye to Nelcary.

I ran and stopped in front of him, raised my head in an attempt to stare into his eyes.

In one of the novels given by Erika, at this moment the man would burst into tears and embraced the woman. And I prepared to accept it as someone who shared a common. I was sure this not love but a person I could understand what kind of event or thought wildly deformed inside Nelcary's mind.

"Did I get the incorrect book?" Nelcary disrupted for a second but quickly shrunk to a different calm. "Variety of Life by Carol Enson, isn't it?"

Once in awhile in the past, Erika had perceived something wrong with me. And she had once stood in front of me, looking into my eyes for a moment when I told her everything was fine. Even so, I kept tight any problem to myself until it became a habit.

I offered him the bouquet.

He held the flowers in the wrapper, "Thanks," and then walked into the street with the other hand in the pocket.

My heart cried, seeing his head sped around, watching what people were selling.

* * *

I was uncertain about what I missed here. But no point of looking around.

Abiding next to the platform above the ground, the cable car had made enough to support at least one large group of passengers. Even it functioned as a train, it wasn't that long and huge. The outer skin had been constructed with caged ball glass, all iron bars were tied with a lot of green leaves. It was neverending. This world really exerted care for the earth's valuable well being.

Carmath. A bit shorter than marmath and used super cleaner aether energy. And when I saw the moving carmath, it radiated sliding blur of blue glows. Although it was fast for a small engine, there was awkwardness for its speed. Therefore, they improved the hull which much shorter and lighter so it could be used at the same speed as marmath.

With no motion brake and sound, it air-suspended at the precise goal. The side of transport raised up, passengers walked out as we exchanged them.

There was a chain of seats at the centre, back to back, and on both sides near the windows. This created a fake sense for a wider space. Between those arrangements, there were boxes with free newspapers and free instant Carlson coffees.

We jumped into the nearby seats to the frontage of carmath. Four entrances covered down, the carmath burst forward, hanging on under a top pathway metal bar that built until next station. I saw some group of people stopped hopping in excitement when the afterglows emitted by aether had fogged the glass panes. Erika and Thlesy glanced around uneasily due to how they acted when first riding this carmath hours ago. They had it because all passengers were quite quiet.

It didn't grab a lot of time — about one minute. We stepped out and began our next visit to the medical centre. Since my career was over, this was more looking around than actually satisfying attention to anything.

"Over here, please." The person like an office woman wasn't her job to escort us. There was no one at the counter reception, we waited for anyone to attend us. Many doctors and nurses running a mock, out and in from rooms, rushing their slapping-shoes and squeaking the floor to whatever their main tasks, no one seemed available for us to ask a question. That when the woman saw us. She led us to meet with a doctor who would willing to show us around the building.

"Is this a bad time?" said Erika, evading nurses who moving passing her.

"What? Oh!" The woman hit some nurse but the nurse just marched on after a quick bow. "Don't worry about it. This is a normal routine." Her face didn't trust the issue.

"Accuse me!"

I turned around, there was a bed about to land through us. I moved aside. He pushed the patient who gave a sign of serious injury; her arm had turned into a bare bone. She was nonstop coughing and vomiting black liquid through her mouth and nose.

"Go go go!" The nurse slid to right and entered inside emergency room number 53.

We all halted our footsteps to observe the condition through the watch-window about the operation. A doctor was already on the inside.

The doctor heaved from his chair and settled some sort of mechanical gloves that I saw before from P-Tech Organization inside the steam world. It built differently with a tube of aether liquid that ignited just like eufbauna but in portable scale. A lot of wire attached between those gears which it seemed for beta tester usage only, the blue smoke dimly expelled. I couldn't help but felt uncomfortable for the patient.

I rapidly scouted over equipment that pulled by the nurses. Then they switched on the gloves for the doctor. A small blue light appeared, including ten cables on the equipment box. Storage, perhaps. At the end of the cable, there were five objects shaped like a pen.

This kind of traditional cut-and-open operation had mentioned in a history textbook. Once magic became widespread however, the world started to focus more on the spell outputs which born into a higher tier of healing magic. Specific spell built for an instance, a heart transplant.

One of the cables hovered to the desk and attracted one scalpel like a magnet. It combined with the pointer and became a functional tool. Slowly, the doctor moved his index finger, the cable readjusted into the posture. He moved with the whole hand by creation, therefore the other four empty-hand cables also mirrored.

"That's our doctor?" said Erika, fencing glance toward the spreading stomach. The nurses whipped the excessive blood with a tiny vacuum. Thlesy and Ainari also showed the same weariness. Onyeka appeared uninteresting, she returned watching numerous excessive safety precaution in the crowded hallway. New patients kept coming.

"He will finish soon."

The {soon} equalled to one hour of waiting and dodging mass, but after the period, the hallway turned to peace with several nurses said hello with confidence and calm. They asked in a slow rhythm, checking time in ahead, and searching the room number as if junior.

Finally, the doctor came out but he scattered the timing. He carried a book that wrapped with hard paper, tightly into his arm, then rushed toward the hallway with his long white coat fluttering around unable to keep his speed. The woman had no choice but to halt him on the path.

"Lona?" He breathed heavily, only discerned her. "W-What...you want? I'm very busy now. Hah... Ha... Can't...stay for a second."

"Doc, we have visitors from —"

"— Oh?" The doctor put a towel on his forehead. "Sorry, kids, girls, whatever. Not today. I hah have hah appointment. Ercient Ghaunom. Get me?"

Ercient had a special right as with Benseling but more official and everyone recognised him.

"Where is he? Is he not coming yet?"

"Just little now, his call sent in." said Lona, flipping her notebook, "He... needs to check that forest again for the clues."

"Right. Sorry," the doctor patted Erika's shoulder. "Another time — !" The doctor ducked at the noise and then spun around as everyone in the hallway did same.

The door of morgue room near us was blasted out and crushed to the other room, a million pieces of glass showered, cracked, and crushed. One skeleton with red eyes came out, holding a corpse on his shoulder bone. The professor's dead body.

My eyes rummaged around, searching if Ercient already here. But the assistant woman said Ercient was going back to the forest that I saw the trace of foot bones.

This was bad.

I could simply haul Ainari out if she was alone here. But there was Erika who I didn't want her to die. Thlesy and Onyeka. I couldn't defend everyone. Evana didn't yet teach me, a method for casting Eagelin on other people. It was impossible normally. I could use Bavolin, the basic floating to driving them out but the speed wasn't unreal enough.

"Hahaha! Sorry! A scary undead is only passing by." The voice was as same as that undead. "Oh, Ainari." The undead turned his head toward her. "We met again."

I reached her hand and guarded her behind me, showing my fang — the spigen.

"Your friend? Well, good to see you in well being." The undead pushed the coming guards and snatched a pistol from them. "And goodbye." He pointed at me but the bullet flew to Ainari.

I was sure she was going to kill me. That was why I prepared to use Mana Firino at a moment notice. In this short-range, if he shot me, I could push the bullet away by cast the spell first. But since he changed the target last moment, my surprise was unable to complete the magical words. Thus, my eyes went wide.

The doctor seemed to know about the undead. He picked the book from the floor and dashed toward the protection of the moving-guards. But the undead didn't wait for it to happen. Without looking, he shoved his bony palm straight to the doctor's head. The doctor died instantly on the remaining shards of glass that stuck on the watch window. The piece pierced his throat, he gushed out drooling of melting blood from the neck, the book fell off from his weakening arm. His eyeballs rolled back to the brain.

My muscle didn't yield. The undead engaged. What spell or what act should do? Thlesy and Onyeka perplexed as me. Erika...

"Hm? This here?" The undead let the corpse dropped. "Thanks, Doc, for keeping this. I will take this back now."

The undead crushed all guards with one hit after knicked the professor's corpse at them. The undead grabbed the book and carefully examined it. Soon, his red eyes suddenly exhausted and then reappeared.

I skipped an engine-thump heartbeat.

Like a paradoxical constitutional lycanthrope eclipsed the undead but in a separated soul, he created a confusing fiendish flame in his right hand — not purple but a pure sensation of evilness — the book burned within its darkness. "Have you been told not showing yourself?" It was a new voice with renegading line. More resonant and superior. Calm and equanimous. There was no better word for me to describe, than a myth. I knew at that moment, he was responsible for everything based on the dark aura that I became aware had grown massively to the duration I didn't see anything else but the source.

Staring at him, but I couldn't observing or seeing the manifestation. I couldn't move and had an inability to do anything. Not because of the fear, it was because my body revolted against me. It was shaking, didn't shift when I ached to step back.

The red eyes disappeared and appeared again.

I dropped from where I standing, a deep breath hurt my lungs. I explored the meaning of truth, all-black aura gone. I calmed myself, yet the body remained in an unusual reaction that I never felt before. It was like my body tried to leave me behind.

Consequently, my chest ingested a painful knot that crushed my nostril. My stomach hardened to the very extreme compression. Dizziness in my head flowed down toward my bladder. I couldn't hold it.

The original voice came out. "I apologize for the stupidity of mine. I was too panic." He then walked passing me, leaving the hallway in his human form. Purple flame brought together a dark attire.

"Ainari!" Erika ran toward her. "Someone wounded here! Doctor! Somebody!"

H-How could I alone possibly to play with fate or past? This was too much. There was more in this world or universe. I, one, had no chance with my powerless. I could attempt to return into the past again. But it was obvious, the undead already planned to kill Ainari. Perhaps, about the witness, it meant specifically Ainari and that professor. Even before jump in time, the undead only tied to kill me because I challenged him.

The sandglass acted as it was reading my mind, I was sent to the date on the train; a bang hurt my eyes and ears, in return I had another uncertain opportunity.

* * *

By a minute changed, I barged out as soon as the train discharged. I rushed before Erika who chasing me, spotting the undead's footsteps from a distance.

I could use Evana's earth spell to secrete the trace but the magic circles would attract attention. I was out in open to do any obscure casting. Therefore, following in the classical method, I stomped on the steps and glided my shoe on the towering snow piles. A frosty crack sounded. It took some time but Erika, without questioning first, helped me after looking people surrounding the captain and Ercient, discussing the engine.

"So, who we're scamming to?"

"Ercient." I finished the last stomp of the log stockpile. I wished for purge all traces until to the forest. But we didn't have enough time. "I will tell later. Coming."

Ercient exited from the crowd and began looking at the scattering crows from the forest. It indicated someone was there. He with Fenorica walked several steps ahead before paused, gazing at the sky again for branch or something falling. Then, he scouted fast around and saw us neared the accident.

"" said Erika, standing close to my left arm. We tried to cover remaining footsteps behind us.

"Did two of you advert anything nearby?" Ercient moved his cane, giving a smile as he was playing hide-and-seek.

"Nope." Erika ran her eyes away. It was too obvious since she infused too much energy on the words. "Certainly, ohoho, nothing unusual passed our sight, Mr Alchemist."

He threw a smirk, tapping his finger on the cane. He continued hawking around for one more turn before leapt back onto the train. Seemed like there was a thing that even alchemist couldn't fix.

"We did it." Erika gave a thumb up.

"Yeah..." I didn't feel good about that. Ercient probably didn't enter the forest because undead's priority was first.

"So, when are you going to tell me?"

Never would. If Erika joined a death with Ainari, I couldn't forgive myself.

"Um...nothing."

"Hah?"

"No... I think, maybe that man could fix the train if he didn't investigate the footsteps."

"Ercient is Aether Alchemist. Of course, he can't do anything with the train that use eufbauna. You sometimes could be bold. Should we go inside now?"

"No... I think, perhaps my hands should repair the engine if he didn't attempt for a fix."

"Wait, what?" Erika raised her volume, clutched her head. "Do you ever —"

"— I already did on a wrecked train before."

"Ah. You're surprising me once more. Repair a train, hah?" Erika strode toward the captain. I trailed her. "You start to look like a jack-in-the-box."

I succeed in preventing Ercient from leaving the train.

Without warning, one stare shot at me before I lifted my leg. I turned back in hurry, searching a strange creeping motion. There was an undead. Staring at me, behaved as he didn't like about what I did with his plan.

I attempted to evade but instead stood there because Erika was still far away from the crowd. I didn't think he would attack me in the public but when I recalled what happened in the medical centre, he might have to wipe all passengers on the train. I depended on Ercient's presence to hold him back.

My stomach rolled from continually scrutinized at every movement he did.

I began to realize it was a trap for Ercient. The book and the professor's corpse. He tried to lure Ercient out from the island so he could attack Ainari and the professor at the same time. Then, destroyed the book that might have to do with their organization's identity. Not because Ercient was strong but of order to not kill him. Why?

At last, the undead stepped back and vanished into the semidarkness of the forest. I got a feeling he was trying to say he got eyes on me now. Or it was my imagination. Either way, I had to be ready for tonight. Changed Ercient's course here might be making him not coming into the hotel and saving Aminder.

Afterwards, everything went on exactly like the previous timeline. I restored the engine and had to sit in front of Halvenzo for hours. I didn't remember how long because I saw Ercient and the professor talking to each other at the lobby. They mentioned the book and the professor gave it to him.

I accomplished to convince Ainari about the room exchange when I invited cooperation from Erika. My insisted to Erika added on the top of that from the undead's footsteps had somehow altered her mind to not tell anyone about her aquarium plan. When everyone asked if she had a place to go, she said she wanted to visit a medical centre like me, dodging the matter like that. But I didn't sure of the reason why she avoided it.

Because I didn't use the spell on Ainari, we ended go together after I said about the premium tickets. I didn't ask Benseling yet but described an event that I was sure it was going to happen.

This created a sign as if time was reversing the more I continued to predict a thing before it occurred. I paced and sweated a lot during the meeting. Erika nonstop asked my condition. I talked too loud. I blinked too fast. And fidgeted too weird for them to not suspicious.

Quickly, I excused myself to buy new drinks. The uneasy drained my strength more than I could handle. Future was destroyed by my action. I could feel it in the bone. Something was massively growing behind the scene. And I reminded myself, I wasn't a protagonist in the story.

One hour later, two, actually a whole night until the sunrise, the undead didn't come. No scream, no gunshot, nothing. When I and Erika went to the buffet restaurant for breakfast, I saw the professor studying materials for his next lecture on the next table.

I turned around thinking, perhaps the undead was stalking him nearby. My paranoid almost made Erika dismiss our plan and stay at the hotel if I didn't say I was thirsty. Morning drug had lost its purity. Stuttering prevented me to be talkative.

* * *

There was a prominent outcome of my action.

When Erika progressed to that old bookstore, I met again the man, Riurian. I pointed my finger at the shop to rid him. Then moved along with Erika and the rest into the store. The different was, the novel stood on the shelf as I assumed from its front cover. Nelcary's friend, Ambera, returned the book in time.

"You're lucky since we didn't have anymore Carol Enson's crafts." Nelcary passed two bags that wrapped in brown paper into Erika's hand.

"I know. I have been looking for this book a long...I didn't know. This has become relic to discover here. The last unfinished work by Carol Enson." Erika kissed the bag and patted on top.

I peeked over her. It was the same book, Variety of Life. "Is it...incomplete?"

"Oh yea. Look, Siqura." Erika unwrapped the wrapper and picked the book in a hurry. She flipped right on the page before me.

I grabbed and rounded back and forward. A half-written page and blank. Several actually, blank pages.

"No spoiler, I know. But the story ended when the protagonist about to take revenge against his brother who killed their mother."

"{I turn from my mother's tombstone, crush my fear, and roar all-mighty against the last storm.}" I read the last sentence on the page.

"Yeah. It's a story about two brothers who were chosen between one of them to —"

"— Alright, stop!" Thlesy clapped. "Are you forget we have two more places to go. We can talk about your {relic} tonight but we don't want our heads on Halvenzo."

"I love my head." Erika distressed, holding her head. She passed one bag for me. "I talk later."

"I can aid with the other too," I said, heaving one bag in one arm without any difficult.

Not for her though. She tried but, "I..." couldn't hold for much longer. "Thanks. You're very strong, Siqura. What have you been eating? Spinach?"

"Vegetable is not necessary to make you strong."

"I know that's a vegetarian joke. Don't need to explain it to me."

"Are you...vegetarian?" As long it was Erika, I could talk without a problem.

"No. It's a joke from my friend of her mother of her boss of her..."

"Aaah!" Thlesy rubbed her back head. "Done! I'm done! I leave you here. Let's go Ainari, Onyeka."

We then left the bookstore. That was how we ended in the medical centre by carmath until now.

The doctor burst out from the operation room and joined into the hallway without noticing us.

"Lona?" His chest enlarged quickly then compressed. "W-What...you want? I'm very busy now. Hah... Ha... Can't...stay for a second."

"Doc, we have visitors."

"Oh?" The doctor used a towel that already on his hand into his glossy temple. "Sorry, kids, girls, whatever. Not today. I hah have hah appointment. Ercient Ghaunom. Get me? Where is he? Is he not coming yet?"

"He waited for you at your office," said Lona.

"Right. Sorry," the doctor this time fondled my shoulder and gave a surprising look over metal protection in my dress. "I'm mistaken — !" The doctor ducked at a bang right on his ear and then rotated behind as everyone in the hallway started to run in all directions.

The heavy door of morgue room bent and flew across over our heads to the operation room, a million pieces of glass broke and rained. The same bony-humanoid stepped out and his foot was grinding a firework on the solid floor, raising somebody else corpse on his arm.

"Hahaha! Sorry! A scary undead is only passing by." The voice was the same. "Oh, Ainari." The undead turned his head toward her. "We met again."

Something did change but the scenery remained unshakable. No. How about the bookstore? After went there, we ought to go to the cafe to get the book.

The fear was about to burning in my chest again. Albeit so, this wasn't my beginning confrontation, I could somewhat fortify my nerves to push Ainari and everyone away. The doctor took the chance to run too. His head crashed into the glass' shard, again in the same position. However, he didn't have the book that should be destroyed by the undead. What fell from his hand was the different book that had the same cover I saw before, Variety of Life by Carol Enson.

But like I anticipated about what already happened should reoccur, the undead used his fluorescence flame to incinerate the corpse instead. My blood spiked. The next was Ainari who he delayed. The undead neutralized the guards and grabbed one of their guns. He shifted around, aiming at her.

I picked my knife, holding my scream to use Mana Firino at the public. The gun was fired but a familiar sensation exploded in my heart. No matter how hard I attempted to cast the spell, the more my brain erased what I strived to advance. That backward renura lu.

I fought it but powerless against the sensation of fate. So strong, that any extra strength didn't shift the trajectory.

The ground suddenly was quivering at a peak magnitude out of nowhere, blue glares formed together and went to the undead. Transmutation. Ercient's.

During that repercussion, Ainari fell behind. I dashed toward her with a knife pointed at the flying bullet, still tried to cast Mana Firino. It was impossible. Then, I ditched the spigen to embrace Ainari with my entire life. Braveness volleyed into my body out of nowhere. Hopefully, my cursed dress had the same courage as hard as a bulletproof vest. The shot passed us, it hit someone else instead.

"Erika," I uttered a gasp. I prehended into Ainari, attempted to resist against what I had predicted. A hot call invited me to breach my dismay.

"I-I'm breathing," said Erika, approaching me. She grabbed my shoulders while assisting Ainari who was pressed to the floor. "I'm here. You?"

I nodded and coughed, concentrating on every minute of the status. Brainstorming to the final shape of the hallway, the human-luggage were found on the floor, the heated articles of clothing and surfaces, and various projection of wicked aura. It was starting to make a good sense. In fact, I didn't change anything. Death, future, fate.

The undead's shot actually hit the professor who just out from the room behind Ercient's cane. "Well, I guess I can kill them later." The undead looked at the Ainari with the emptied gun. "Have a nice day, Ercient. I will back. Hahaha!"

Ercient used its transmutation to summon a block of walls and closed the hallway behind the undead. He managed to save us but not the professor.

Though Ercient didn't anticipate that the undead was disfigured to smoky ash and flatted. If he knew that, he wouldn't stop the transmutation and kill the undead if could.

"Wait! Who are you? Damn!" Ercient bolted toward the ash and stomped at nothingness. Ercient went rage as he let the undead escape.

"Is he gone?" asked Fenorica.

The same scene I saw during the night when the undead and Ercient made an appearance in the hotel.

There when I realized I didn't change anything.

Therefore, what was the result when I decided to mend the future?

Only the meaning. Even the place of the event had transferred somewhere, the balance of time seemed to never break or had any disturbance. Did this mean, sooner or later, I and Ainari would be faced a death angel?

"Probably. After I'm so close." Ercient shifted around. "How about the book that the professor is talking about?"

Fenorica shook her head. "I think, that undead already forget about the book. Over here." She took out the book from her strap bag. "But why he said he had been ordered to not kill Master? Usually, it's opposite."

Did the undead say that? It might be during when I suppressing the reversal renura lu.

"Who knows? Having brain-loose enemies are unexceptional for my circumstance. They will be dead nevertheless. Let's advance back for now."

The content of the conversation only slightly dismissed. I grabbed the sandglass and examined its deformation out of fear. It glowed in purple and the sand like always forever poured sand. Never adapted to the gravity even I altered the axis bottom.

I ought to be glad since Ainari was saved. However, this saving situation only repeated by itself as if this was the hotel right that night. Either way, I felt a vast distance to my look ahead future. What the point of the sandglass if I couldn't change a future?

* * *

"I think, we better go. Let do this." Erika forced herself to bring us back into our serene school trip.

"W...where next?" Thlesy was frowning. "Ainari's, isn't it?"

Ainari didn't say anything. She who her eyes touched closely the undead had been quiet since then. Her last word was thanking me from saving her. She nodded, smiled, and shook, but never spoke a word for assurance. She tried not to.

Admittedly, we all wanted everything to back to what it was before. We left to the carmath station without indirect agreement.

Onyeka had always an expression of weird looking. I couldn't read her emotion. Erika and Thlesy proceeded to convince Ainari that nothing bad happened to us at that medical centre.

After the visit, we walked toward the hotel on foot, one hour in the ore refinery instead of three. Passing the cafe where Ambera and Aminder were living, I knew what that meant. They were alive and something would bother and push us into that cafe since, in the previous timeline, Nelcary brought us to here. If my assumption was correct.

"How about we have dinner here?" said Erika, looking at the Carlson Cafe without particular interest.

"Great. A coffee." Thlesy complained about what they only served.

We had been refused for making a talk ever since we wrapped our first day of the school trip. Along with the last visit of refinery ore, Ainari didn't participate to whatever displayed around.

"I think, they have loaves of bread, rice-based, and prawns too." Onyeka bent her head down at the menu outside.

We usually ate bread and meats but Erika always asked for rice. Jitfon was an eastern country.

"This is a cafe. Why they sold prawn? It didn't —"

Everyone stared at Ainari. She said something that we could assume she didn't have a broken mind. Erika and Thlesy raised applause while Onyeka bowed like after performance show.

"— because that something I made," rectified Onyeka to help Ainari's puzzling.

Ainari's tongue rummaged inside the mouth, forcing a word of rebuttal. Yet, she stuttered and ended accepting the humiliation. We paraded her timid self into the cafe.

From the counter, Aminder was in the middle of mixing coffee, she greeted upon us. A blue vest on her long white shirt and a long skirt with a suitable apron at the front. The attire was matched strongly with her height.

While looking for a place to seat, surprisingly, Erika and Thlesy chose the identical table's position as in the previous timeline. Even the chair placement they took also alike. The place where I ended with was supposed to be Ambera's seat.

"Hello, highschool girls!" Ambera skated toward our table whilst Aminder still noted our orders.

"Sister." With kind monotone behaviour, she put down the note on top of the apron. "Don't distract my job."

"Have the more-st delicious of the bear-st chef in the top-est island." In her arms, there was a tray of...something. They looked like a gummy stick that coated with golden flour. Numerous glitters were found inside the fried flour-based items.

We and Aminder picked one for each of us.

"Oh. A new menu." Their father just came from the stairs, he gave huge smile and played a bit before picked one. Munched before us, he froze, wriggling his lips and steering his neck in a circle without further biting. He mouth was still expanding.

"How was it, Dad? I call it, The Heaven Prawn."

"Onyeka's joke is becoming true," said Thlesy.

The man held his mouth while summoned a great deal of willpower to swallow the dish upon her daughter high expectation. He head agitated a sharp shake right and left after one gulp.

Aminder sighed in an airless blow. "Sorry for my big sister. She tried to recreate our mother recipe and fail miserably."

"Oh, Daddy?" Ambera tiptoed to observe her father's forehead. "Why your face turned blue like sicked-sunset?"

"Nice." The man creaked onto the table, shaking his head to reduce whatever nausea he got. He walked back into the stairs. "I need to take a nap."

"Sigh." Aminder looked at Ambera who chasing after her father. "Better get those."

We returned the suspicious fried foods into the tray, continued selecting our dinner tonight. For a while, we ate and talked about our today visit places and made sure the topic about the undead didn't enter. But like always, it was hard for me to join in. So, I kept quiet, watching them from the side, seeking an opportunity to enrol. Was it good to sharpen my social skill?

As I had a lot of time, meanwhile, I inspected my sandglass again due to stall. The glow remained active as the sand inside.

"Oh, Siqura."

I turned toward Erika who addressing me, not out of consideration that I turned to a loner. It was for something else.

"This one is for you. Not this one. That one." Erika pointed the furthest bag that I put at the end of my side table.

"For me?" I set the sandglass down. "I thought, you the one searched them for a while."

"Of course. That's why I bought two copies each. But in your set, I add the Variety of Life since I forget I already had one in Jitfon. I must forget under the bed or somewhere."

"T-Thank you..."

"Don't forget to send me many letters and give a review for each..." Erika suddenly paused, "I guess...I miss you."

"What is it?" I stared at her downpour eyes.

"Ah. Nothing." She warded away with a smile. "Just read all of them. Now everyone. Another toast." Erika left and returned to the conversation.

The bag was as high as the current level of my head. There were many books covered inside. My hand grabbed the highest stack, I reread the title again. I wondered if it was fun to read this kind of incomplete work.

I skimmed through the pages, making several unworthy progress over the chapters and few character names that appeared in my sight's region. And then, I stopped at the final blank page. About fifty of pages were intended to leave untouched. Why wasted those papers if the book didn't need them?

I flipped again and again, probably hoping there was a secret clue or anything hidden about riddles like turned on in detective or mystery novels. But the reality wasn't always going that way.

When I reached all the way to the end, at the back of cover had stroke cutting into it. It generated a nice glowing effect like special aureole paint. The words somewhat resembled a language, however, it was hard to comprehend anything. It radiated in a pink or red-purple. I tried to recreate the shape and compare with my available vocabularies but a sound nearby had shattered my intention.

I moved the book and looked under it. The sandglass cracked ice-crystalize and the glow brightness gradually became lower like an exhausted campfire.

Both the indecipherable message and the sandglass flickered their respectively glows when I set the distance between them short. The message became more loathing to interpret and the sandglass started to fracture even more to the point of broke loose.

I quickly put them away, worrying about this hatred reaction to damage each other. I stored the book back into the bag and placed the sandglass into my pocket .

I was so tired of thinking and re-planning. I closed my eyes and took a nap.