Chapter 5: Bounded

I never thought that I would stooped this low in my life as I was cast away from the palace. All those descending stares that degrade me in doubt, in judgment, and in shame.

I somehow felt deep disappointment, but this is not coming from me.

Flashes of memory strike like a light in my mind. With sounds of cheering and triumphant clamor.

Shouting the name of Callixa.

"Callixa, the champion! A wild devouring tiger!"

Look how the tables turn; this memory contradicts the situation.

"I-I want to live," I mumbled.

"Now you got it." I suddenly heard a voice that came up somewhere. I look around to search for who is speaking. It's just people who are very busy with my exile in a place all covered with white snow.

Did anybody hear the voice I just heard? because it seems like I am the only one who hears it.

"Hello, Zana," I heard it again. I was astonished because she even knew my real name. My real identity. I looked around in desperation to find the ghost of the resounding voice.

"Up here," she said.

I looked up and saw a girl on the roof.

She has white hair that was trimmed into a bob. A dress so unique to the taste, which is attire not from here, and she was surrounded by a calm mystique aura around her.

"Who are you?" I asked. She hushed at me.

The man who heard me looked at me and to where I was looking. His expression was very irritated and judgemental.

Like I had become a bigger burden.

"You are the only one who can see me, Zana." I fully understood when the girl on the roof explained,

She made the time stop. I was surprised when everyone held their position without any trace of movement.

Just like a picture or a statue.

"Now you can speak," she said. I turn my gaze back at her, but now she is no longer on the roof but just steps in front of me.

"I'm Elixir," the girl said. I jolted backward in shock.

"You look normal to me," she said. Circling me, inspecting.

"How can I return home?" was my initial question. No introduction, no hesitation, just straight to the main point.

"But you said you want to survive this time? she asked, so she heard my thoughts. What else is surprising here in this world, anyway? I'm used to it.

"Yes, I thought of that, but I still want to go home," I insisted.

"Hmmm..that's a great idea! However, did you know that you only have a 35% chance to return to your body?" she said.

"What?! Why?" I asked. I placed my hands on her shoulders to shake her a bit.

"Even if you shake me until I get all dizzy, it will be no use because you are already dying," she stated indifferently.

"B- but it's still 35%," I argue foolishly.

She nodded. "Yes, and it keeps decreasing every other day," she stated.

"Why??" I asked, my tears wanting to shed over.

"Because your gift already exhausted your body too much, it became a beast that is slowly devouring you," she explained.

How can she still call my dream travel as a gift? I was so confused and bothered to ask for more explanation.

"Who are you, what are you? How did you know me and my curse?"

She paused a little, and with a confused expression, she repeated what I said, "Curse? Did you say curse?"

"That's how you see it all along," she said. You've been world-traveling all this time," she stated.

"That's surprisingly odd; people will work themselves out just to have the chance to travel within your world, but here you are traveling through multiverses but you are calling it a curse?" The young girl explained.

"What? Who are you?" I asked.

"I told you I'm Elixir and I am the gatekeeper," she said.

Nothing coming from her mouth seems to be comforting, comprehensible, and simple.

Is this like a game system transmigrating stories that most people commonly read in my world?

"Oh no," she said. She sighed and tried to leave me an instruction. "I have to go, but if you want to survive this place, I will give you a hint," she said.

"All you have to do is be Callixa and atone for her sins and put everything under your control," she continued. "Let's put it like this: find the pillar characters of this world whatsoever and subdue them," she said as she disappeared through thin air.

And everything around me started to move again.

I was left here all confused.

I need to put my thoughts back together.

What did she mean by pillar characters?

Who are the pillar characters? I look for something I can use to write and put the thoughts together.

Before looking for the pillar characters. I need to be Callixa first and atone for her sins.

I am already atoning for her sins, but who is she I need to know.

How?

The carriage stopped aggressively, which made me stumble a little from where I was sitting.

I hear groaning sounds outside, but I cannot see what's happening because of my cage cover.

I thought there was a monster because of the sound; the cover of my huge cage was sided, revealing a man with a friendly grin.

"Glad, I made it on time!" He said with a lively voice.

"W-who" I halted when the memories inside my head told me who he was.

He is Demion. The midnight Flame Knight. The knight who owns the black flame.

The information about the Heavenly Flames was revealed slowly in my head. Each flame delights in a certain evil. It is like the flame's favorite meal to devour, while it will leave the innocent unharmed.

I never thought that black color could come from heaven.

Callixa's cyan flame delights in consuming the sin lust. Although, of course, it can do much more than devouring lust.

Demion, midnight's fire delights eating the sin of murder. It was known as the growling or snarling flame. It is the only flame that made loud sounds like a beast.

"Don't worry," he said as he kept his glaive at his side.

"The crown princess sent me; she knows that you will be in trouble, so they all sent me," he added.

He is a fellow knight under the crown princess.

However, I can't just trust him. He released me and unchained me.

"We believe that you're innocent, Callixa," he said.

Have I become emotional just hearing those reassuring words? It feels like I wanted to cry. I long to hear it just to keep myself sane.

He explained more and more about what had happened when I was caught. The flame of Chief Xeno did not harm me. Chief Xeno is the Chief Knight assigned to the princess. He possesses the fire that devours injustice.

So, they knew that Callixa had a valid reason for what she did, however, since the assault was done toward the crown prince. All they can do is clean up the mess in the best way possible.

It doesn't matter whether the prince is wrong or not, unless there is strong evidence that they can use against him.

Without any proof. No one can stand against him, not even the crown princess.

"The princess sent me because she believes that one day one of our precious knights will return to duty." He smiled.

So, there is a possibility that the Flame Knights are the Pillar characters that Elixir was stating.

A blurry image of the crown princess suddenly flashed back with her resounding, reassuring words echoing inside my head.

I don't know what she looks like. Why this memory doesn't show her clearly.

But her, she was so precious to this knight.

The abundant feeling that comes from inside my chest seems to overflow. I felt like I could die for her if she asked for my life.

This tomboy, is she in love with the princess?

"Knight Callixa, from now on I'm under your care." These words keep repeating again and again.

The memory continuously chains up until it reveals another point.

"I AM IN LOVE WITH YOU!!" A declaration of love towards the princess from Callixa.

So, she is really in love with the princess!

"You cannot use your fire; it seems like it was sealed away by the royal family?" Demion stated. I can hear him, but this revelation just made me a little frustrated that I ended up ignoring him.

If I need to become Callixa, do I have to fall in love with the princess too?

But I'm straight.

I am no longer a mere spectator in their story. I am the sufferer, the receiver of the mess that I never intended to do.

I hate being transmigrated into the world of my dreams. You can feel it, and when it feels like hell, it is real hell.

No, this is my story. This is now my body, and this is my own curse. My own gift.

If I don't die, let's try surviving.

And relive a new life until I find a way to return to my world.