You wake up, startled, no longer feeling like going back to sleep. You raise your head,

and quickly open your eyes to see the sun shining through the closed curtains on your window.

You say. “That was just a dream? It must have been sleeping all this time.”

And ask yourself what kind of dream you just saw. It was a strange vision.

You can’t recall the details but it was something dreadful. You want to forget about it.

You stand up and look around at your notebook. Your name is still there, it’s still you.

Closing that book you look at your calendar. The school schedule fills 6 days of the week.

Unfortunately, today you have to go to school again, but tomorrow is going to be different.

It’s going to be the very first holiday for you, in this new life. You look forward to it.

You start your day with cleaning up your face and your hands with the water from the basin.

You double check your wardrobe to be exactly sure you haven’t missed anything previously.

After a brief inspection you discover something folded on the lower shelf.

It looks baggy and it’s made out of a soft material. There is a tag with your name on it.

You confirm your calendar again, and it is indeed a school day today.

Furthermore you have P.E. lessons today and confirm your assumptions.

The uniform you found is indeed a form of gymnastic clothes, you deduct.

You look forward to your first experience with discovering the mobility of your body, since so far you only had endurance tests.

You pack your gymnastic clothes, hoping that they will fit, and dress your usual school uniform.

Then you head to the kitchen for breakfast. There you see Emmi who already prepared breakfast for you and your mother.

“Good morning Mother.” You tell her.

“Good morning darling.” She responds.

“Good morning young madam. ”Your maid tells you.

“Good morning Emmi.” You respond.

You start to feel a little awkward, learning how rigid this conversation went.

Looking around timidly, you decide that you will try a small talk instead.

“Mother, what do you plan to do today?” You ask while in between chewing.

“Nothing my dear. I will be working as always.” She responds with a calm voice. “Why would you ask?”

“Nothing really, just curious a little.” You explain to her.

As you looked at your calendar you recalled something that happened in the novel.

If you remember correctly it was today that Ellien’s Father’s funeral is supposed to take place.

Knowing so you could only wonder what your mother did mean by saying she would be working as always.

“Well I’m going to the market, do you want anything from there darling?” She adds you all of a sudden.

“No, nothing in particular.” You reply after a bit of thinking.

It appears that today your mother and Emmi are leaving the house to buy groceries from the nearby marketplace.

It is only about thirty minutes away from your house, she can go by foot, you punt.

Comparatively, the school takes you two hours, and then another two hours to go back.

You finish up your breakfast, while Emmi fixes your hair, and you get ready to leave the house.

Right, you still haven't explored much of this world, so you don't know a lot about it.

Like a tourist, it would be helpful if you had a map, but you couldn’t find one in your house.

Besides a village and a church you pass along the way, you wouldn’t know how to get anywhere, you realize.

With that, at least you know which road is leading to the school. As you put on your shoes and exit through the door,

you wonder if you would meet Ellien or Minorta today as well. It would be nice to have them as a guide, you tell yourself.

As you pass the trees the sky shines with blue and light colours.

This is certainly a normal sky, different from the Galnova sky from yesterday.

You walk and feel like you haven’t moved even a bit. The scenery doesn’t change…

But eventually you see a familiar face. You wave at her and she waves back.

“It’s good to see you Ellien.” You speak to her.

“Likewise Pyrie.” She responds, appearing as if she was bothered with something

“Is there something wrong? You look down today.” You suggest.

“Well I do. But please don’t concern yourself with it.” She informs you.

At that point you realize something. You look at her face and notice a similar expression.

It was the moment when she started talking about her father, the one that died of the illness.

This could only mean that today she will be holding the funeral. Therefore, your guess from earlier was correct.

“So do you mind if I come too? I understand if you say no.” You vocalize.

“No… it’s really fine, you can come. I don’t mind.” She explains.

“If that’s what you say I will definitely have to come.” You reply.

“And thanks Pyrie.” She says while raising her head upwards a little.

“I thank you too.” You tell her while expressing a slight smile.

As you say that, you start remembering some critical information from the story.

“And what about Minorta?” You ask her.

“What about her?” She replies.

“Is she coming too?” You continue your question.

“I think so…you will have a chance to ask her today.” Ellien informs you.

And as the two of you talk, you start to recall the entire event mentioned in the novel.

Minorta's brother was the one that crafted the coffin for the funeral of Ellien's father.

Because he would be also carrying it, he would be required at the funeral,

while Minorta would be forced to stay at home and take care of the cattle.

This means if the story is true, then all those events will happen in the future, you deduct.

But all in all, you still have to wait and confirm the entire situation with Minorta herself.

Even if you try to converse with Ellien, to cheer her up, she doesn’t appear to be in the mood to talk.

The silent treatment continues until you reach the fork in the road and encounter Minorta.

“Good day to you Minorta.” You say with gracefully dropping a curtsy.

“Hey there, Pyrie, Ellien.” She responds looking at you, then at the other girl.

“Hello.” The green haired girl says.

“I’m sorry, but I have something to tell you. My brother told me that I need to stay home.” Minorta unravels.

“I don’t mind really, that’s more important.” Ellien says, trying to comfort her.

“Yes, but I still feel a little bad about it, sorry.” The blond haired girl apologises.

With that comment, the conversation doesn’t progress further for the remainder of your trip to the school.

You wonder silently about what is going to happen today and finally arrive at the destination.

The iron gates you see are open and welcoming students from various villages.

Only a few rich people arrive by carriage, while others have to take the road by foot.

In some cases the trip can take them four hours even. That's a lot of time, you nod,

compared to a train, or a bus , or a car, or a bicycle you know from your previous life.

Nevertheless, at least your journey is not as boring with the two friends beside you.

The three of you enter through the school gate, noticing very little traffic.

“Not many people today either?” Ellien observes.

“From the looks of it, yes.” Minorta adds as she looks through the window.

“Are they stuck doing homework, or something?” Ellien suggests.

“Then they are model students.” Minorta jokes. “We should follow their example.”

Ellien wanted to point out that it is still quite early to be expecting any more than a few students,

but your interest is directed at the old looking mansion building that was made into the school.

It is used primarily as a general education for nearby villages, you recall,

but it was not explained in the novel who owns it or who got the idea of making it into a school.

In any case, you enter the cloakroom, along with Minorta and Ellien, and take off your cape.

Afterwards, you three take your time and head towards the classroom.

“No one is here either?” Ellien discovers.

“Getting used to being a model student, I see.” You decide to use the same joke.

“Only if I share your grades with me Pyrie.” Minorta winks at you.

“Of course, if that would be possible.” You explain.

“Then I would take extra sleep.” Minorta remarks.

That is true, you three seem to be the first and most fortunate students to enter the classroom today.

It's probably going to take a while before others arrive, so you sit yourself near your friends and prepare for the lecture.

Today you will be learning mathematics, a quite familiar subject, you think.

It's of course a little different than from what you are used to, but the logic is the same.

You and the two of your friends take your homework out and place it on top of the teacher’s desk face down.

“I wasn’t joking earlier, this was a little difficult for me.” The blond haired girl states.

“You could have said that from the start Minorta.” You say, a little disappointed.

“I’m sorry, please don’t hate me.” She says making an innocent face.

After you return to your desk and the three of you sit down, you decide to reply.

“Well, I suppose you look and compare.” You tell others after you exhale air.

“What’s sweet! Thank you Pyrie.” Minorta responds with happiness on her face.

“But don’t copy.” You warm her.

“I will be watching you too Minorta.” Says Ellien, observing from a distance.

“Right, of course!” The emerald eyed girl says and flips over your paper.

As the girl with the blond hair compares her paper with yours,

some of the missing students arrive and deliver their homework.

It seems that this class is full of good children, you notice.

Every single one of them did their homework, unlike the school you remember.

They put actual effort into this, despite it being a simple task.

When everyone is seated the teacher enters and begins explaining the topics for today.

“Simple geometry. We are going to learn the basics of how to calculate the field of this figure.” The teacher continues explaining. “It is done by…”

This explanation takes a while, but eventually everyone in the class gets it.

This problem was a part of the homework, you figured, so it would be natural to already know the answer.

But you were mistaken. You noticed that some of your fellow students got a little embarrassed.

It’s clearly because they don’t want to admit that they messed up the homework, you think.

But nevertheless, there are still small children, so it's natural to expect them to make mistakes.

“Okay students, please be advised that this might show up in the test.” Teacher says.

Suddenly, you hear the bell outside ringing. Despite that, the teacher just keeps on talking.

“Please revise the material at home since we are going to be moving onto more advanced subjects next lesson which is…” the teacher keeps talking until. “…and that’s all. Now I will excuse myself.”

Finally, everyone is able to breathe again with relief. You and friends rejoice.

After that lecture, it is of course time for lunch, but it happens without any major events.

Fortunately, Physical Education classes are next, something you have been looking forward to since morning.

Because of the school’s regulations, your classes are split between girls and boys,

and there are no problems for the students when it comes to changing into gymnastic clothes.

The teacher invites the ladies to the classroom and it’s there where they are going to change.

As you enter, everyone takes out their gymnastic clothes from their bags.

The uniform itself is a quite baggy piece of cloth, with tight forearms and below knees parts.

They were created like that to not emphasize on female physique,

while at the same be comfortable to wear and perform exercises in.

Once you're dressed you look at your friends to see if they need help.

“This is a little hard to get used to.” Minorta speaks after looking around.

“Is it too tight?” Ellien asks her, keeping her voice down.

“No, it’s because everyone looks silly.” The blond haired girl jokes.

“Oh, I never noticed that.” The green haired girl discovers.

Once everyone is done changing, the class gathers in pairs outside in the hallway and moves towards the gymnasium.

It's a large space with some support bars fixed into the wall.

There are huge windows, which are currently closed, and some gymnastic equipment.

You and the rest of the students begin with stretching exercises.

“Okay ladies, please be aware of your surroundings.” The instructor speaks.

“Yes teacher!” Everyone responds.

“And don’t move outside your space.” The instructor follows.

“Yes teacher!” Everyone responds again.

As you are paired with Ellien for today, you both stand with having your back to each other,

with your hands connected and you pull her on your back. Afterwards she does the same with your body.

It's also quite convenient that you both have the same height, since that helps.

“Are you okay Ellien?” You ask.

“Yes, please continue.” She replies.

“I worry that you might fall down.” You warm while catching your breath.

“You’re quite heavy yourself, you know?” Ellien rebukes with a joke.

There aren't many exercises women are permitted to do at school, High Jump is as athletic as it gets.

This is because people in this world are afraid that if children do too much of a reckless stun,

they might break a leg, and that's not really a good thing, you say in your head.

Even though in the novel these scenes were usually not very detailed, you do recall one incident with another student.

Actually, you recall something happening straight from the novel, at this very moment.

“Please miss Francishia, advanced acrobatics are not the goal of these classes.” The teacher says.

“What of the pursuit of greatness?” The tall girl argues. “To think a figure of respect be this inept to not understand.”

“I’m concerned about other students, they…” The teacher pleads

“They are permitted to watch.” The young lady interrupts.

The girl who was currently doing a cartwheel seems to be from a wealthy house.

There is also her friend, albeit she is a little smaller. You recall their names from the novel.

Harrivetta is the taller, blond girl, and the shorter, blueish haired lass is called Davithea.

They both show off their abilities to the class, but the teacher doesn't know how to react.

It’s funny to watch, but it’s also a little sad, you think. Suddenly Harrivetta turns towards you and Ellien.

“Why is that you stopped exercising?” She asks abruptly.

“It would be a waste of the opportunity.” You reply.

“Opportunity? Is that a challenge?” Harrivetta ask you.

Harrivetta approaches and looks at you down, with contempt.

She must be upset about something, you figure, and simply has to tease you.

You know from the novel she was like that, she wanted to challenge others in order to prove her superiority,

but really she was just protecting Davithea who was shy and a frequent target of bullying.

This way she was able to demonstrate her strength to other others, and no one dared to touch her or Davithea.

Even if the teacher watched all this happening, it appeared that Harrivetta wouldn't leave your face until you have done something.

“I don’t know what you imply. A challenge?” You inquire with your face avoiding eye contact.

“Aye, a simple cartwheel like the one I performed is suitable.” She utters. “Do you accept?”

“By no means I don’t see a problem.” You reply with a small voice.

“Therefore it is decided. A brave resolve.” Harrivetta announces with her arms crossed.

Then, before you could react, Minorta stepped into between you two, with Ellien supporting her from the back.

It looked like Harrivetta was about to snap at her, but held back. All she wanted is a test of strength between you and her.

As you know, Pyrecilla Abronova was not originally a character in the novel, so your relation with Harrivetta is a mystery.

However, you feel like you have to take up her challenge, in order to protect your friends.

“So if I perform this acrobatic flawlessly, you will stop bothering other girls?” You speak with your head raised and looking directly at her.

“Who said anything about that? This is simply a test of skill.” She answers.

“I guess you are right, there is no need to fight.” You state.

“Humph.” She arrogantly grunts. “Speak no more and show me.”

And so, it seems that this would be your first time trying out a cartwheel in this new body.

You felt a little nervous, but there was a gymnastic mat laid down on the ground for safety.

Even if you would fall, you wouldn't break your neck, you hoped.

With your observation of Harrivetta’s attempts and your previous life experience, you are confident.

Thus, with a running start you put your arms in the air and shifted your balance forwards.

You tried to do the cartwheel, one that Harrivetta performed many times, but...

“Auch!” Ellien says.

“Ahh!” Davithea shouts.

“Did that hurt?” Minorta asks you.

“Don’t look…” You utter after something unexpected happened to you.

You didn't succeed, you feel on your butt and embarrassed yourself in front of the classroom.

That's at least what you thought, when you stopped moving on the ground, but on the contrary,

your friends let out a gasp as if they were afraid that something happened to you.

Their faces were serious, not smiling. All of them expect Harrivetta, who unveiled a smirk of victory.

Being a good sport, she was the first to walk towards you, and reached out her hand so you could stand up again.

“Don’t do that again.” Harrivetta tells you.

“I apologise, this was my mistake.” You reply without thinking much.

“Then do not allow it again.” She commands you.

She also gave you some tips, like how to keep your arms straight and stiff.

In the end she was friendlier than you first anticipated,

although the teacher prevents you from trying to do the cartwheel again.

“Are you okay miss Abronova?” The teacher asks you after examining you.

“Yes I'm fine teacher.” You reply.

“Then you should return to your partner. And please don’t try things like that in the future.” She advises you and leaves your side.

You nod and bow deeply to apologise for your behaviour. However, the teacher appears not concerned.

She is either too focused on dealing with Harrivetta alone, or that’s her method of teaching.

After all, she wasn’t there to break you two or even spoke a word when you fell down.

Eventually, with Harrivetta going back to Davithea, you were left with Ellien and Minorta for the rest of the classes.

“Did it hurt Pyrie?” Ellien asks.

“Not at all, I’m fine.” You respond. “Please do not worry.”

“Next time give us some space to shine too Pyrie.” Minorta mentions.

“If the teacher allows, absolutely.” You nod.

“We would just have to ask Harrivetta again.” Minorta jokes.

After playing with a ball, the three of you get tired, stop and sit down on the ground.

Minorta, who was still worried about you, tell you that you didn't really needed to show off in front of everyone,

but you disagree. You just wanted to prove to yourself that you were able to do this.

Perhaps if you were given another go, you would have been successful. But that doesn't matter now.

Eventually the bell rings and your classes are over. The three of you return to the classroom,

change back to your on their school uniforms, say your farewell to everyone, put on your cloaks, and head home.

But you know that's not the end of your day, you still need to attend Ellien’s father’s funeral.

While returning to your home from school, the three of you are strangely silent about it.

After you reached the junction Minorta said her goodbyes and left to her house.

“Best of luck to you, see you.” Minorta says while waving at you from a distance.

“Farewell.” You and Ellien reply.

Ellien also is quite a bit shaken today. When she makes a turn you wave at her and…

“See you soon Ellien!” You shout.

But she doesn’t reply with words. She simply turns her head, wave, and turns back.

With that you have no choice but to head home yourself and get ready for the event.

As you enter your house, you take off your shoes and your mother greets you from the kitchen.

“Good evening darling.” Your mother greets you.

“Good evening mother.” You answer.

“Please hurry with the meal today, we haven’t much time.” She explains.

“Yes mother, is something amiss?” You say while sitting down.

“We are going to the funeral, as you might have guessed darling.” She tells you.

“Of course mother.” You nod.

As she says that you notice that she has her makeup on and donned in a pure black dress.

You can only deduct from the circumstances that she is wants you to hurry because of the funeral

Therefore, despite that she didn’t say anything during breakfast, you sit down and eat.

“Good evening young madam.” The maid quickly bows to you.

“Good evening Emmi.” You respond, while focusing more on the food.

“My, maybe I shouldn’t have Darling.” Your mother says while she sees you devouring your food.

“It is fine mother.” You take a bite after bite.

Your mother decides to take your attention away from the food, since you appear unable to pace yourself properly.

"I don’t look too gloomy, don’t I?” Your mother asks you.

“No mother. By the way, you should hear about this.” You tell her.

“Oh, I’m all ears darling.” She says, while placing her arm on her chin.

“There was this older girl today, her name was Harrivetta.” You explain while eating your dinner. “She wanted to see who can do a better acrobatics figure and I think I might have misjudged my abilities.”

“Oh that? Don’t worry. Girls young age always compete between each other. At an older age they even start fighting over men.” Your mother educates you.

You tell your mother about the incident with Harrivetta, for better or worse.

“Well there is also my friend. She can’t come to the funeral.” You further tell her.

“That’s fine. You can meet her the next day.” Your mother appeases you.

You also disclose your concern about Minorta and say that you wish she would be also attending the funeral.

However, you know that in the novel she has a very good reason why she wouldn't be there.

It’s that very reason you are stressing out and eating fast, unable to relax.

Your mother must have noticed that and tried to shift your focus to her, but it all worked out in the end.

After you finish your conversation and eating, Emmi bows, and invite you to your room.

You enter and see a wonderful black dress inside, prepared for by your maid for the occasion.

It's one that requires you to put on a corset so you know this is going to be a first-hand experience for you.

Naturally you don’t want to believe that your body is going to work well with a weight reducing corset,

but since your mother is wearing one, it shouldn't kill you, you assume. On the other hand Emmi is not wearing a funeral dress.

“Are you coming too Emmi?” You ask curiously.

“No I’m sorry young madam. Someone has to stay and protect the household.” She replies.

“Are you sure? You could take a break and go with us.” You inquire again.

“I understand, but I can’t. I apologise to young madam.” The maid responses.

Emmi has to stay behind to protect the household so to speak, you figure.

Because she has no connections with Ellien's family, there is also no reason for her to go in the first place.

In the novel, she started working for your mother when she moved to this house.

She isn’t talkative when it comes to touchy subjects, but she is very diligent and takes pride in being a maid.

You also learn just how good she is as she tightened your corset, as you could really feel that she has a real dedication to the job.

“Does it... have to be this tight?” You verbalise with difficulty.

“Of course young madam, I’m your maid after all.” She replies with a smile.

Right, this paralyzing sensation from the back is something you will have to bear with for a while.

Emmi is really good at her job, you admit, albeit you wished you had a say in how tight your corset should be.

There is barely even room left for breathing but you adjust to this new position quite fast.

Now you are finally dressed, and as you look at yourself in the mirror, your mother fastens a headdress onto your hair.

“Isn’t this how a proper young lady should look, right darling?” Your mother asks you while lowering her head and looking at the mirror.

“I believe you are right mother. I do look quite elegant.“ You state while looking at a reflection of you and your mother.

“Of course young madam. “ The maid nods and bows.

The two of you, very fashionably dressed ladies, leave the house, leaving Emmi behind.

It's difficult to walk in the heels you are forced to wear, but you don't want to dirty your dress.

There is no worry however. After all, Ellien lives nearby so it should be doable.

You and your mother hold hands and walk slowly to avoid falling down.

All this exercise at school was worth it in the end, you sigh.

“Are you doing fine darling?” She asks you as she holds your hand.

“Of course mother.” You nod while trying to adjust your feet to the heels.

“I only learned from Emmi that today was a funeral.” She explains. “You know Ellien darling? She is your friend from school, correct?

“Yes mother, I worried for her frame of mind of late.” You mention.

As you look at your mother you wonder if she is even concerned slightly,

but you are not able to read her face well and simply continue your journey.

You pass through the trees, through houses and reach the village square. There are very few people here,

most of them are already inside the church that you are going towards. It’s at the square,

as far as you can remember. After a few moments, you manage to get there without injuries.

As you entered the church there were a lot of people praying, probably the entire village gathered here.

In the centre of the altar there was a wooden box. The coffin that Minorta's brother prepared looked really simple,

in contrast to the coffins you saw in your previous life. It's probably because people here couldn't afford more than this.

Starting from the entrance to the altar you see a spread of people.

The poorest and the oldest sit close to the entrance,

while those dressed better, occupy the front rows.

There are of course no nobles or someone looking similar to you or mother.

Whispering, some folks converse with your mother. She seems to be quite popular with the village here.

In the novel she was married to a lord, but due some incident she was banished and they broke up.

You can't remember the details but during the separation, she inherited a large number of lands,

and if you are not mistaken, she owns almost all, if not all, of the farmland here.

In other words, she has enough money to support our family for the rest of her life.

If that's not enough, she also married a banker that lives and works far away from here.

As you recall there is barely anything mentioned about your father in the novel.

“Good day madam.” Says one of the villagers.

“It’s nice to see you.” Says another.

“My greatest gratitude, madam.” Yet another adds.

Before she was able to sit, a dozen people must have said their hello, you notice.

You had even someone insisted that she took their seat, but your mother ignored that person.

Nevertheless, you two were easily able to secure a seat right in the front row.

“You must be quite popular, mother.” You whisper to her.

“A lady must have her admires.” She whispers to you back with a gentle voice.

The priest enters, everyone stands up and sits down, and the mass can begin.

As you participate some time passes, but finally the deceased receives the blessing from the pastor.

Some people cry, some hold it in, but many simply remain unaffected.

You can't see clearly how Ellien feels, but you recall she wasn't even crying in the novel.

Afterwards the men, including Minotra's bother, lift the coffin and the crowd follows outside.

They walk slowly towards the cemetery. You spot Ellien in the mass of people and decide to approach her.

“I’m sorry for your father.” You say to her.

“I know. Pyrie, thanks for coming.” She replies without emotion.

“My condolences Miss Ellien.” Your mother bows.

“I appreciate madam.” Ellien bows back to your mother.

“I know you must be really…” You try to console her.

“It’s fine without saying anything, really. Even my brother says he’s going to miss him.” Ellien further explains, but does not shed a tear.

It is natural that she is a little nervous, but the reason for that is not because her father died.

It's because everyone looks at her, thinks about her, and holds high expectations for her.

You recall that from the novel she has an adult brother that studies at a school far away,

he only came here for this occasion. Ellien also has a grandma and a grandpa, while her mother died due to health issues.

You decide not to bring up that subject, as you know what is going to happen next in the novel.

Instead, you continue the march as normal, as if you simply a passer-by that joined the funeral.

“Let us pray for the deceased one.” The priest speaks and people join their hands.

“From ashes you were born to ashes you return.” They start praying.

“Eternal rest for his soul.” And crying.

Your ears and your eyes start to hurt. Everything happens just exactly as it would in the novel.

The old people smile, the maidens cry, the coffin is delivered, ready to be lowered into the hole in the ground.

However, just as the men approach his final resting place, something unexpected happens.

Everyone hears something from within it. It’s like a knocking sound, a very loud knocking sound.

Everyone looks in distress at each other, not knowing what to do. The men start moving back a little.

“He’s dead, right?” One man says.

“Of course, I checked his pulse myself.” Another one says.

“Is it possible for someone else to be there?” Yet another says.

“That’s nonsense, someone is making a cruel joke!” A young one states.

“Stop at once!” The priest pleads.

It is supposed to be dead, but only you know it's not. At the same time of the funeral,

during the time when Minotra was leading cattle back to the barn from the field, she noticed a strange leaf.

Rather, what was strange about it was that it moved on its own, like possessed.

She instantly recognized that it must be due to the influence of a wandering spirit.

After finding it and talking to him, she learned that the spirit felt guilty of a misfortune he might have caused.

Due to his absent mind, he blew the wind which caused Ellien's father illness to worsen,

and eventually without having the money for medicine, he died, he stopped breathing.

However, the spirit had one more action he could perform, one chance at redemption.

By sacrificing himself, he could bring her father back to life and fix his mistake.

The problem was that he didn't know where he was anymore.

However, Minotra did, and decided to help the spirit by guiding him towards the body.

All that happened in the novel.

“What is… this?” Someone asked terrified.

The man that everyone thought of as deceased removed the lid and rose from the coffin on his own.

The crowd was astonished, lost for words. Some ladies fainted on the spot.

Old people and the priest remained composed however, trying to calm everyone down.

In this world it is not impossible for things like this to happen.

It's not your everyday occurrence, perhaps only once in a lifetime,

so it's not like everyone here was thinking this was a work of a demon or something.

Out of all those that stood stupefied, Ellien was the first to speak to her father.

“Is this you papa? Is this really…” Ellien spoke.

“I don’t… Ellien? Sweetheart!” He replied

“A ghost?” Someone shouted without believing in what they saw.

Ellien was the first to brave enough to come close to the "ghost".

She touched his hand, she touched his face and then they hugged.

This reunion confirmed the miracle that everyone witnessed,

Ellien's father came back to life.

This was the first time Ellien cried in the novel.

“What is this?” Voices.

“Some kind of trick?” Voices.

“This man was dead! It’s true!” Voices.

“This is disgusting.” Voices.

“They should arrest this man and his family.” Voices.

“No freedom for the wicked.” Voices.

“Come down.” Voices.

“Pay me back for the flowers!” Voices.

“Please there is no…” Voices.

“And my work here! You know how long I dug…” Voices.

“Please listen to the pastor.” Voices.

“Liar!” Voices.

“Demons!” Voices.

But the story didn’t end there. A girl was running towards the crowd, dressed in simple clothes.

She hurried to the scene with a message, sprinting, trying to catch her breath.

No one noticed her, no one knew what she was doing, no one cared about her.

Somehow, she was able to squeeze herself and stand in everyone’s view. The voices quieted down.

She began to speak. She told everyone the story of the wind spirit, she told them it was real.

She told them everyone was fine now and to calm down, that there was nothing to be upset about.

“And what is your name my child?” The priest asks the blond haired girl.

“My name? My name is Minorta.” She replies

“So can you really confirm that all that happened?” The cleric asks calmly.

“Of course she can’t!” Someone shouted.

But she was right. It’s hard to believe in her story, especially if you were to experience it as a person.

The real reason why they did however was that the church forced them to do so.

Those that where aggressive, those that wanted to beat up the man who raised from the coffin,

those people were pacified and no longer desired to continue their rebellion.

They feared the church’s retribution more than the consequences of a group assault.

“Let there be no judgment here before the Goddess!” The priest shouts to silence everyone. “We shall determine the truth here.”

“And what about us?” Someone says from the crowd.

“You simple people can’t fathom her ways.” The pastor explains.

“Then what about our pay?” A person says.

“I suppose the church can cover for damages.” Some other suggests.

Eventually, after the chaos calmed down, most of the people agreed to keep this situation a secret.

Those who didn't believe in Minorta's story however left the scene, leaving others uneasy.

The truth is that no one for sure knew what happened, except Minorta.

With that, everyone decided that they needed to go back to their respectable houses, and the crowd vanished.

The Priest, who protected Minorta, told her that she needs to tell him the entire story sometime later, and then left.

The only two people remained at the scene, it was you and Minorta. It appeared as if she wanted to tell you something.

“Do you.. you know, have a moment to talk?” She asks you with a weak voice

“About what has just happened, right?” You respond. “I guess I need to digest everything slowly as well.”

“Of course, I just wanted to talk.” Minorta said as she reached for your hand.

She simply wanted to talk with someone, about the spirit, about what just occurred.

None of this would have happened if not for her, thus after the priest spoke to her,

she personally thought that she should take responsibility. You could understand her feelings,

the novel does have a similar scene with her and her brother.

“I am perturbed about everything I have done.” Minorta tells you. “I have done everything in good faith, but if it wasn’t for me the spirit would have still be alive.”

But didn’t you say he couldn’t forgive himself?” You ask.

“Yet, making a rash decision like that doesn’t feel right either.” She continues.” Spirits deserve life just like humans do.”

“He did live. He did make his choice.” You point out.

“And now everyone is worried because of me.” She says. “If not for me, no one would have had to experience this. It is my responsibility.”

“If not for you her father would have been buried.” You reply. “You did what you should have, as a human.”

Minorta also wanted to talk to Ellien and how the incident affected her.

“About Ellien…” She pauses and starts walking again. “I feel like I would lie if I say I didn’t feel about her more than a friend.”

“She also thinks that way about you, I think.” You share your opinion.

“Right! When I first met the spirit first I had no idea what exactly it did. It just all came to me when I arrived here.” She explains. “Say, did I do the wrong thing? Should I apologise to her that I brought back her dead father after she said goodbye to him?”

“No I think you shouldn’t. It’s not as if she isn’t glad that you did that.” You consult her.

It's not natural for someone's father to suddenly come back to life.

Even if you say your goodbye, you still wish there were with you.

But if the dead can come back to life, that's no good either.

Minorta knew that she didn't do anything wrong, but was simply concerned that Ellien might think otherwise.

She was almost certain that people will target her, that they will call her father a Vampir,

a dead husband that comes back and walks back to their former home after revival.

“You heard those people shouting bad things, right? That’s what pains me the most.” She reveals her worries to you.

“But aren’t they wrong? You know the truth after all.” You tell her.

“Yes, I do. But the truth is different from person to person. It doesn’t really matter what you personally think is the truth, you know?” She states.

“But your truth is important to you, isn’t it?” You reply with your own question.

“Of course but…” Minorta thinks for a while. “Well I suppose you are right.”

The novel does indeed have certain men appear in front of Ellien's house.

They try to burn it, to lure out her father and then to stab a wooden stake in his heart,

but Minorta stops them. That happens a little later in the novel, you recall.

In any case, you try to ease Minorta's emotions and say that you will protect Ellien from harm as well.

“I honestly think you worry too much Minorta.” You say.

“But what if they start bullying her? Not only at school but…” She worries again.

“I will protect her, I promise.” You state.

“You? Why?” She stops, surprised.

“Simply because I promised you.” You firmly assess.

“Okay. I guess I’m satisfied with that answer.” She replies with a weak level of confidence.

Of course, it’s hard to imagine for a small child like yourself to protect anyone.

But you know things she doesn’t so it’s actually possible for you to do something.

Still, there was one more thing that was on Minorta's mind, one more surprise for you.

In the novel she always doubted her powers because she was never able to talk about them with anyone.

That changed later in the story though, but that's not important now.

What Minorta wanted to ask was that if you knew about the wind spirit as well.

“Pyrie, you know about spirits right?” She asks you timidly.

“I do. I think I have a book I read as a child at home.” You mention

“But do you believe in them? Do you really believe that people can see them?” She explains her question further.

“Of course, I believe you.” You reply.

“I am asking since I noticed you looking at the road.” She says. “Only you were looking there. It’s from there where the spirit came. So, did you see him? Did you feel anything strange?”

“Well I guess if you want to know, then I did feel something strange.” You manage to vocalize.

“It’s hard to explain yes? I understand.” She consults you.

“Just very vaguely, but I don’t think I’m at your level.” You say.

“No no, it’s fine!” She explains in a hurry.

You are stunned, you didn't notice that you were the only one not looking at the coffin.

Instead you were looking somewhere else, at the distance, at the road Minorta ran on to arrive in time.

Your friend noticed that, and deduced that you must have been looking at the wind spirit who also came through.

Naturally you do remember a small wind blowing, but you clearly didn't see one. You wouldn't be able to explain it even if you saw one.

On the other hand, you knew the events of the novel, so would it be okay to say that you did see it, you ponder.

Suddenly, Minorta stopped in the middle of the road, facing you.

You noticed her expression. Her face shined and she smiled most honestly.

She finally found another medium. With a firm hug, she jumped at your corseted body,

almost causing you to collapse. However, this scene happened between Ellien and Minorta in the novel.

What will happen next, you ponder. You also make sure that you are not quite sure if you can sense spirits,

but you do mention Galnova from yesterday.

“Perhaps when it comes to the fire spirit I would be able to sense them better.” You state.

“I see, that makes sense.” She nods.

“But one more thing. I told you that I will tell you more later, right?” You tell her, albeit a little worried. “About Galnova. I saw it yesterday in the sky.”

“Oh… you did? You really did? Wow!” Minorta jumps in excitement.

She also confirms she saw it yesterday. In her eyes now you must be her best friend,

you sigh. It's quite a heavy burden you have to carry from now and you are not sure if you will manage.

Even since you came to this world you thought you could lead a simple life, alongside the characters from the novel.

But something changed inside of your petite body just now, a spirit of anxiety appeared. Minorta also noticed that.

“I will try to carry this burden with you of course!” She announces.

“I’m just tired, I think. Thanks for the concern.” You reply with a small voice.

“I’m serious! We should stick together.” She suggests vigorously

“Together? That wouldn’t be that bad.” You tell her.

She grows closer to you, physically and mentally, as she gets the impression you must be feeling the same.

Not knowing if using this power is right or wrong.

Not knowing if she is normal or a witch.

That's how her feelings towards herself were described, and that's why she couldn't relate with anyone for a while.

As for you, you still remember your previous life, and your worry if whenever to let those memories go or not.

“I will hold onto…you.”

You both say that line in unison.

With that, you both kiss each other on the check and leave to your respective homes.

Your mother must be waiting, you think, since you took some time walking Minorta back to her home.

Your mother left you at some point, you guess, knowing that you and your friend have to talk,

but you never told her you will be returning to the house at night.

Time has passed and the sun went down. You notice that you only need to muster a few steps more.

The faint light in the distance, emanating from a small lamp behind the window,

gives you the energy to finish the remainder of the journey.

You enter and see that no one is home, except the maid. You enter without making too much noise.

“Good evening, young madam.” She says almost whispering.

“Good evening, Emmi. Mother is already asleep I presume?” You reply.

“Precisely. I left you some supper. People enjoy it.” The maid says pointing at a single plate on the table.

“Thank you, that is very kind of you.” You bow slightly.

You sit down and decide to snack on the meal she left for you. However, she stops before you can do anything.

“Also your corset. You don’t want to be eating while wearing that.” She informs you.

“Of course, go ahead.” You tell the maid.

It takes time for you to get out, with the help of the maid, but you are eventually free.

You thank her politely and eat up your provisions. They taste a little raw and cold, but it’s fine.

Emmi asks you if you want anything else. You shake your head and she excuses herself.

As you finish your meal, you change into your night clothes and put out your lamp.

It’s dark and you find yourself on your bed, looking at the ceiling. You wonder about tomorrow.

What about Ellien? What about Minorta? You ponder if they also think about tomorrow.

What will happen with the village, now that the funeral is over? You ruminate about that.

Will you be able to go normally to school from now on? You decide to deliberate about that.

There are just too many things that could happen, and only a few that will most definitely happen.

The priest was right, you assert, the simple people can’t fathom the ways of the Goddess.

Since there is no other option than to accept that, you close your eyes and a void of black swallows you.