Chapter 1: Arrival

Ash Millicent

I sighed as I mindlessly flipped through my schedule. I muttered to myself, "Breakfast...exercise...school...modeling...interview...meeting...". I sighed again. Isn't this a little too much for a 14-year-old? Even if I may some kind of perfect prodigy child...

People always said they admired and envied me, I had "the best family ever", "everything I could ever want", "connections with important and famous people", "wealth and fame", "everything". I didn't care about those things, the only reason anybody ever wants to get close with me is because of my fame, riches, looks, every reason that's not "who I am as a person".

Despite everything I have, I've always felt empty. Always felt like something was missing but I could never figure out what it was. I was only ever able to ponder silently on what it was. That is, until today's interview.

It went normal like any other interview I had but then they asked me, "Are you okay with answering some personal questions for your fans?".

Even though no interview has ever asked me for this, I agreed mindlessly since there wasn't much to hide but I also knew it would be very underwhelming since I didn't have a very particularly interesting personal life.

"Could you tell us some of your hobbies, favorite foods, things you like, what you dream of doing, things like that?".

"...", I didn't know how to respond. Hobbies? Favorite foods? Things I like? What I dream of doing? I didn't have any of those now that I thought about it.

"Uhm...Ms.Millicent?"

"Ah, yes, I...", I paused, "I don't think I seem to have any of those ma'am, sorry to disappoint." I could see the disappointment in their eyes as they dismissed it.

I went on with the interview normally but I seemed to have been unfocused for the rest of it. I continued with my day wondering...why don't I have any of those things? All I have are the talents I never asked for, never wanted.

I decided I would try to find a hobby or something I particularly enjoyed to maybe lighten up this boring life of mine. I tried games, singing, drawing/painting, cooking, everything I was good at but nothing seemed different to me.

I sighed once more, maybe I should try something that doesn't involve talent...studying? Does studying involve talent? Its just reading books to gain knowledge? No harm in trying...

As I walked to the mansion's library I thought to myself. Studying always seemed like a time-killer to me, reading was easy, and gaining knowledge is never a bad thing. I was never forced to do it either since apparently I "already had the knowledge and wisdom of a person who's lived a thousand lifetimes".

I entered the library and wandered around when something caught my eye. It was a storybook, one for children at that, yet I found myself drawn to it. I picked it off the shelf and flipped through it. It was a story about a little boy going through trouble at school because of his grades. He could never do well but his family always forgave him, told him if he tried his best then that was enough, and told him they would love him no matter what.

I scoffed, what kind of cliche children's story is this? "..." I stared at the book in silence. I read through it a second time...then a third time...then a fourth. I continued to gaze at the poorly drawn pictures and realized I had started crying unknowingly. Tears streamed down my face. I scolded myself for crying about nothing but the tears didn't seem to stop. So I sat there, sobbing to myself quietly for what seemed was forever. I got up silently as I wiped my eyes dry pondering. I looked at the storybook again. Then left the library baffled at my odd behavior.

I laid down on my bed feeling somewhat exhausted while spacing out. I got up and was stopped mid-sigh when I saw the storybook I read earlier lying on the other side of my bed. A loving family...unconditional love...friends...such trivial things that I would never even dream of obtaining.

What's so good about those things anyway? I stayed up all night reading through that book over and over again when I realized...could I possibly enjoy storybooks? I lit up at the thought. I rushed down to the mansion library again and ran until I reached the aisles where the storybooks and novels were. I grabbed as many as I could and ran back up to my room.

I jumped onto my bed and opened the first book I saw when I heard a knock on my door. It was the head butler.

"Ms.Millicent? Your breakfast is ready. Mrs.Millicent has also called for you to meet her in the dining room. Please come down as fast as possible.", he said through the door.

"Tell her to clear my schedule for today. I have something to attend to. That's all, you are dismissed.", I waved my hand despite knowing he wouldn't see it.

"...I understand.", he walked off silently

I flipped through the novels at lightning speed with a childish kind of excitement. I went through books over romance, drama, comedy, horror, fantasy, and all kinds of genres. These simple storybooks and novels fascinated me. They seemed to bring me from the real world to a whole different one. I felt like a child when reading these stories...

I guess I do enjoy reading, I thought to myself unconsciously.

*****

Having found a hobby, my days had become reasonably more enjoyable. Books had become the comforting activity that I read when I was feeling stressed, happy, cold, mad, sleepy, or literally anything. It never seemed to get old as I had millions upon billions of stories to read. But..one day...something strange happened. Something that only ever happened in novels. Something beyond the laws of physics and logic. Something even I couldn't seem to understand.

*****

It was a normal day as a sat in our familys' private cafe reading another novel. I had started to get addicted to reading and I can't say I consider it a bad thing. This was a story about a heroine named "Yuri Fauna", a very lovely name for a heroine, and the villainess named "Ruby Valencia".

Yuri was a pure and innocent girl who had lovely pale-blonde hair and cute blue jeweled eyes. She was cute, kind, generous, bright, a little clumsy, caring, and had a talent for healing magic. She was any other perfect heroine. Had boys falling head over heels for her left and right. Among the boys who had been charmed by her was the Crown Prince of Aurora "Alexander Aura", the talented royal knight "Arius Calliope", the genius of Aurora "William Luis", the gifted mage "Xeras Gideon", and lastly, the silent shape-shifter "Adrian Solace".

Ruby on the other hand was a rude, arrogant, greedy, dumb, loud, and selfish brat who knew nothing of manners, etiquette, or common courtesy. She was always jealous of the pure Yuri who was a smart, kind, and cute girl who was always surrounded by boys. Ruby bullied her, teased her, made fun of her, slandered her, and finally, tried to poison Yuri. Once she was caught trying to poison the loved one of all 5 of the male protagonists, they order Ruby to be executed and Yuri lived happily ever after with her friends and family.

It was kinda cliche but I enjoyed it nonetheless, in fact, I read it over and over again since I envied Yuri. She was a perfect girl like me but she had loving family and friends. I started bringing the book wherever I went as I liked it that much. I even messaged the author of the book that I would commission them to write a sequel to the story. I never got a response to that message though. I sipped on my boba milk tea and finished the book for the 10th time.

I've practically memorized the entire story by now word for word, my photographic memory definitely helped with that. I sighed in content as I gazed at the book then I noticed something. The book had an unusual blue glow to it that had never been there. I would know. The glowing got more intense and I soon started to hear a humming sound.

"...Have I started to hallucinate?", I said to myself as I grabbed the book. Just what in the world...?

I flipped through the pages once again and the letters started to peel off the pages.

I checked the definition of a hallucination in my head. "Hallucinations are sensory experiences that appear real but are created by your mind. They can affect all five of your senses. For example, you might hear a voice that no one else in the room can hear or see an image that isn't real"...That is frighteningly accurate.

"I...am definitely hallucinating...", I groaned as I felt a splitting headache starting to form.

I glanced at the bottle of boba milk tea I had been drinking. Was it poisoned? Damn it. I should've been more cautious...

I cursed. "Damnnit...", I stumbled, my vision getting dark and unfocused.

Then, the book exploded into blinding blue light, and Im sure I nearly passed out.

*****