Chapter 4: Lady Zana

The modern girl, Zana, is now in Callixa's body.

I know this is quite a cliché; however, I have that special curse given to me.

A special gift that I have.

I am a girl who can transmigrate to another world while I am sleeping. I tried to run away a lot of times, but I can't escape. It even reaches the point where I even deprive myself of sleep.

but it's still useless. So I just end up accepting my fate.

I am another person in my dream tonight and another on the next one, and I've been a stranger a lot of times.

However, this case is rare. This one is different. I woke up piercing the flesh of a prince with the use of a sword.

But before that, I saw a hand of a woman, a body of a woman, and heard a voice of a woman.

Few of her memories flashes as if it is welcoming me into another shelter, and the last thing I remembered is when my consciousness ended its flight right here, in that spot.

I felt how the blade of the sword slid through and out of his body, and with trembling hands, I withdrawn from it. I lost all my strength from my head down to my two feet; my knees failed to support my ground, and I fell kneeling on the floor.

Someone grab my shoulder and push me down on the floor.

The next thing that I remember is that my face was touching the ground. I have witnessed how the prince fell on the floor helplessly.

Too much blood pouring out, shedding on the floor, and more people rushing to aid the blonde royalty.

Hilariously, he's facial features are quite outstanding. In an odd, unfamiliar place. Something within me was moved, muttering in a silent voice that I had met a living star.

No, it is not like in modern days, where most artists were distinguished as stars. It is not like sparkles and noise and crowds and not even media. The charisma is rare, outstanding, yet quiet and serene. It's when you see him with your own eyes, and you will just follow him until he is all gone from your sight. It is the same feeling when you catch a glimpse of a passing comet, but he is bright golden.

Now, what? Should I escape? but how? Just a few more moments passed, and I was surrounded by imperial guards.

Surprisingly, they release fire on me.

It almost got me when something came out of this body that I am possessing, which is a cyan fire; now my head started to ache like it would suddenly crack open.

Can I say that I am innocent?

Can I say that I am not Callixa?

Or that I lose my memories, just to have an alibi to save myself.

It seems like the owner of this body already escaped the punishment that is meant for her by putting me here inside her body.

Memories came into my mind again, although it was still not enough. It was very limited! The most important information that I needed right now is nowhere to be found. Why on earth does this female knight attack the crown prince?

They had thrown me inside a dark underground dungeon beneath the palace without any rays of light. I have never been this scared my whole life.

This nightmare is not funny! Is it because the pain was real and I can feel it? Or I was anxious because I never woke up from it, no matter how much time had passed.

The trembling, tingling coldness, and everything around me that I can touch, see, and feel are real, and I am stuck in this illusion that is now becoming my reality.

I had seen it, haven't I? I already noticed it. My transmigrating curse that started as dreams started to grow stronger and stronger, and it slowly turned into reality day by day until it came to this point. The point where I can't escape. I am trapped!

Finally, a gleam of light came towards me altogether with shadows and an indistinctive audible conversational noise. It was different from the vague light and movement of the maid that was assigned to feed me once or twice a day.

They finally took me out and threw me in front of the crown prince. I fell on the foot of his throne. He looks very ruddy and almighty from where I am.

"There's a hearing undergoing between the high officials, generals, imperial family, and even the co-knights," he said.

"And everyone agrees to your execution," he added.

His words dug deep inside me like they hit some nerves from the owner of the body.

Like this woman is screaming, "The audacity!!!"

But I have my own thoughts. It's okay; if I die, maybe I can return home.

He continued to speak.

"I'll grant her an imperial pardon, Death is a way lighter punishment."

'what?' I thought as I lifted my gaze from the ground to see the prince. "In three days, I am going to be an emperor soon," he said. "No bloodshed on my coronation day," he uttered plainly.

'No,' I thought while tears flowed down my face.

I was exhausted every day being in different terrible situations, being a different person all the time, and returning to being me in the daylight.

Funny, it was cool at first, but a stressed mind tends to have a higher risk of nightmares, and since then everything is in chaos.

Then I was kept in a dark room with little water and food. No light, nothing to see. I finally understand what they mean by death being the only way to escape, and yet it was deprived from me now.

I feel so weak to move or even commit suicide. I'm actually scared of suicide, but I have done it multiple times and failed due to unexplainable circumstances.

Crown Prince Leran. A blonde, auburn-eyed prince. Tall in stature, perfect in posture and gestures, and even have a rare aura that is only found among royalties.

"Please kill me." I tried to mutter, but groaning was the only sound I could release.

Due to the suffering that I experienced, my speech became indistinctive. I never thought that was possible.

So this is how it feels like to be a living dead?

Then they put me in an aristocratic room inside the palace, which is surprisingly unexpected. Then they put a large cuff on my hand that covered both of my hands and connected it to a center rod in the middle of the room. The rod had symbols that seemed to inhibit or neutralize something in me. I can't believe that I was treated much better than before.

The chains are long enough to make me move around yet limited for me to going outside.

How ironic, how this body is so thin but seems so heavy to simply move around.

They washed me, combed my hair, and gave me a beautiful dress to wear.

They might think that I hate it because the old Callixa might hate wearing a dress. Is that the reason?

With feeble movements, I managed to stand up and walk slowly inside the chamber, hearing only the sound that the chain produces.

Slowly, I am regaining a little strength; probably it comes from the elixir that they forced me to drink after the last attempt of killing myself.

I skimmed around to check the beautiful room, and I paused when I saw a girl standing right there.

An outlined face features, clear mildly sharp fox eyes, and short white hair asymmetrically fixed from ear to ear. Eyes that are darker than emerald and small kissable and pinkish lips that seem indulging for a kiss. A thin, slim body, fair skin complexion, soft and irresistible to caress.

Her beauty is breathtaking.

It was Callixa's appearance in the mirror.

Who would have thought that she is a tomboy? She's beautiful.

Who would have thought that this knight would declare her confession to the Crown princess?

Wait, what?

She what? Another memory burst.

She seems like a combat fairy.

This world might be fantasy, and the characters and the special effects were unimaginably heavenly.

The prince had entered the room. I saw his reflection from the mirror as he entered.

I lowered my head.

'Why is he here?' I thought, and I frowned, wanting to runaway.

I turn to see him and receive his presence like a lifeless doll 

I lower my gaze.

So, that's why they put me in this room and placed cuffs on my hands—to prevent another attempt to kill him. Like I would still dare after the punishment I received.

The imperial crown prince asked everyone to leave the room. 

They heeded and obeyed as he slowly approached me.

He then sat on the chair in front of me.

"You wouldn't have a peaceful life here in the castle as you always did before," he stated. I remain silent and emotionless.

"You're used to a lively surroundings," he added.

I am scared, so scared that I froze in fear.

Tears flow down my cheeks.

He held my chin. "This is an odd view." He never saw Callista cry before. He was surprised to see her desperate facial expression that is mixed with tears. "Don't tell me you still want to stay here," he continued.

"But you can't," he added.

He grabbed my arm and pulled me against his frame.

"I have two rules. First, you should never kill yourself," he said.

"Second," he paused a little as he moved closer to me whispering.

He held my face, and his fingers slowly went down to my neck. It slid to my waist, to my back; he pulled me closer to him.

I was surprised. Is this how he teased Callixa? I think she will absolutely hate it.

But I don't have the strength to push him away, even though I tried.

Closer and closer. He whispered again.

"Never go back to where I am unless you agree to do what I want," he said.

Something within my body started to uproar in disapproval. Callista is inside me. I was puzzled; there are no records of memories that explain what he is talking about.

I was stunned when everything was sealed with a kiss.

Together with it something was telling me to break free. Like he was not just doing something inappropriate.

Then he began.

He slightly opened my mouth and played a little with his tongue. I can feel him inside, his hands on my body. The soft wet lips, the warmth of his breathe and the smell of his mouth.

I struggle to break free but he still insisted.

If Callixa hated him, me, Zana, hated him now.

And after he finally withdraw allowing to let me go.

Why do I felt like there is a holding back sensation sneaking around?

What kind of holding-back sensation was that?

Did he raped this knight? Is this the reason why Callixa try to kill him?