Starting Over

Chapter 4

The next day, Pearce woke up early and got up. He immediately went to the bathroom to take a bath and change. He no longer hesitated to wear what was given to him wrapped in plastic yesterday. After he got ready, he first sat on his bed to wait and soon there was a knock on his door so he opened it. A woman dressed as a maid appeared to him.

"Sir, are you ready to go?" she asked.

Pearce nodded in reply.

“This way sir. I will lead you to the dining room so you can have your breakfast.”

Pearce immediately left the room and locked it before following the maid.

When they arrived in front of a large door,

"Oh you just arrived too," opened a voice.

The maid and Pearce immediately turned to the speaker.

"Princess Elesa!" the maid said in surprise and immediately bowed in front of her. "Good morning, your highness."

"Yes good morning to you too," Elesa greeted back. “Thank you for escorting him. You may now go back to your work.”

The maid bowed again before she left. Pearce watched as Elesa approached the door and opened it. When it opened, all eyes were fixed on the two of them.

“Good morning. Are we late?” Elesa greeted, breaking the ice between them.

“Good morning too Elesa. You two are perfectly on time,” Yani replied back smiling. “Please take your seats so we can start.”

Elesa went to her seat as Pearce first turned his gaze around him and to every princess and prince talking.

"Uhm Pearce, you can sit on that vacant chair," Yani said while pointing at it. It took a while before he thought of sitting down.

Later, a brown-haired woman came out from the kitchen carrying two trays and laid them down in front of Pearce and Elesa.

“Good morning to you two. Please enjoy your food,” she greeted happily.

Pearce returned the woman with a look of wonder.

“What's wrong? Is there something wrong with your food sir?” the woman asked.

Pearce ignored the question and looked again at the princesses sitting.

“Oh right. If you're wondering that she's serving you even though she's a princess, the reason is simply because she wants to,” said Yani.

Pearce just looked back at Yani and just took his spoon and fork.

“Oh right. Hehe,” Donna chuckled and went back to the kitchen and returned to the table to eat.

The breakfast went smoothly and everyone is just focusing on the food they are eating. Not one talked until the ice broke when Yani spoke.

"By the way Pearce, after eating you can go back to your room and after that I will tour you around this place."

Pearce ignored him and just continued eating.

“Yup. I think that's a yes,” Yani whispered to herself.

Again, silence was in the room and it broke again and this time because Elesa suddenly stood up from her seat.

"Sorry to be rude but I need to go," Elesa politely said and everyone was looking at her.

Yani sighed. "Another emergency?" she asked.

“I have to meet someone. I'm finished with my food anyways,” Elesa replied.

Yani just gave her a smile. “Okay. Have a nice day.”

Elesa gave back a smile and went out of the dining room. They continued to eat and soon Pearce suddenly stood up and went to the door.

“Wait Pearce. Where are you going? Your food, are you—” Yani asked in shock.

Wumpth. He went out of the room.

"…done?" Yani concluded leaving her surprised. She just let out a sigh again.

“Wow. That was rude of him. I shouldn't be surprised,” said Fuego.

"Maybe he got the wrong idea that once we are done eating, we can go," said Feesy.

“Yeah. He eats fast,” said Zoltar while looking at Pearce's plate.

"Maybe he has something to do," said Femme.

"Uhm I think let's just ignore that and continue eating," Yani said so they just went back to eating.

For how many times, Yani sighed again and now, there is a trace of concern on her face and let's just say that because she was next to Jethro, he was the only one who noticed it.

After Pearce left the dining room, he walked back to his room.

They were right when they said that Pearce really thought that after you finished eating, you could leave the dining room and all he wanted was to go back to his room and be alone but he underestimated what Yani said that this place is indeed a maze because he has been going around in circles yet he still can't see his room.

Suddenly, he passed by a window and saw two people outside talking. We know that he is a type that doesn’t interfere most of the time with what's around him but he also stopped and went back to see what he has seen outside.

He knew he was familiar with that one person he had seen outside and if he was not mistaken, that one was the princess of electricity, Elesa and he also knew that he had seen two people before but when he returned, she was alone. Maybe he was imagining things.

Elesa looked back at the building and was about to walk inside but she also stopped and looked at the window but… she did not see anyone. She just walked in and was surprised to see Pearce leaning by the door.

"W-what are you doing there?" Elesa asked immediately in shock but Pearce ignored her.

"Shou-shouldn't you’d be with Yani right now and start the tour?" Elesa stammered.

Again, Pearce ignored her and just avoided looking at her but Elesa's face was obviously nervous. Silence passed between them not until Elesa just walked away. Pearce watched her go and thought to follow her. None of them spoke and even though Elesa was on her way back to her cabin, Pearce still followed her.

She suddenly stopped so Pearce also stopped.

"Why are you following me?" Elesa asked without facing him.

Pearce did not speak.

"Did you see anything a while ago?"

Pearce wondered at that question. He still did not speak because he did not know what she meant. Elesa turned to him.

"Why can't you answer—"

Pearce ignored her and just passed her which surprised Elesa and clicked her teeth.

"Ah. So you did see something?" Elesa asked seriously.

Pearce also stopped and the silence between them intervened. She faced Pearce showing his back.

"Answer me—"

"Do I need to see something?" he numbly asked back which Elesa stopped.

The silence intervened again and Pearce just continued walking. In shock and wonder, Elesa followed Pearce.

"Where are you going?" Elesa asked as she approached Pearce and Pearce still answered the same, not answering.

"Wait—"

"Pearce?" a voice called so they immediately looked at the speaker.

Yani ran closer to Pearce.

"You're just here. I was worried what might have happened to you and you might have continued to run away. Where did you go?" Yani asked worriedly.

Pearce just gave her a blank stare.

"He got lost," Elesa replied, so Yani looked at her who was just behind Pearce. "And he passed by me."

"Ah is that so," and also looked back at Pearce. “I already told you that you can easily get lost here so come. Let's start the tour,” said Yani and started walking but noticed that Pearce was not following.

Yani just took his wrist and pulled him.

“Please do not be stubborn. I'm just touring you and I have no bad intentions to do anything to you,” Yani said irritably while dragging him.

Pearce just let himself be pulled while Elesa was left in her place and watched them leave.

…

They started in the room where Yani showed the hologram of the whole nation. Pearce just watches at what he sees and listens. Yani made sure to show the places Pearce could go and his way back to his room.

She showed each cabin connected to the Main Cabin and also explained why there was a Main Cabin. Because Pearce can control all the elements, he can be toured to all the cabins. It was not obvious on Pearce's face but he listened to every detail that Yani said and was attracted to the thought of it.

After a simple introduction to the place, they also went out of the room and toured some places to somehow get Pearce familiar. Yani shows some important places that Pearce can go.

"And last of all, I want to show this to you," Yani said while pointing to a large door and opened it.

"Here inside we can see 16 rooms where each is a special room for a prince and a princess."

She looked at the visitor who was just staring at the top of the door.

"Do you want to go in so you can know whose room it is?"

You can see the reaction on the visitor's face and he immediately turned around and walked away.

“Of course. The answer is no. This is not important for you to know, right?” Yani said full of sarcasm but the person with her ignored her again.

"And of course if you are curious…" once walked closer besides Pearce. "…even though I know you’re not…" she whispered softly to herself. “…I showed you those rooms because most of the time the princes and princesses stay there just to pass time and relax,” she explained as her companion walked ahead.

Yani knew that the person she was talking to would not speak anymore so she let out a sigh again. There was only silence between them. So far she has become accustomed to the numbness of his companion but she also looked behind his guest full of concern.

She wanted to ask something but it didn't seem to come out of her mouth because even though they had only been talking for a few days, she thought that she might not be able to answer his questions again.

It didn't take long for Yani to stop walking and broke the ice between them.

"That's where our tour ends," said Yani, while Pearce stopped at his place and confronted her. “So uhm do you still have a question? Do you know how to get back to your room?”

Pearce just coldly looked at her and immediately turned around and walked away. Yani just watched him until he was gone by her sight. Yani turned around and started walking back to her office while the concern was still etched on her face.

She knew in herself the irritation she has for the new visitor because of his numb treatment but she could not be angry with him because she had experienced that too. She knew there was a reason why he is like that but she was afraid to ask because she didn’t want to interfere again. She once regretted it and she didn’t want to do it again…

She stopped in her place.

…but no matter how many times she said that to herself, she could not help but feel sadness and pity for him. Does she really know how to feel cold people?

Yani immediately turned around and ran to his room and when she got there, she was about to knock…

“Are you the one who ate it?!” shouts a voice.

Yani stopped and looked where it was coming from.

She knew whose voice was it when she heard that but she had a hunch that something was wrong so she immediately went to where it came from and peeked to find out why.

She was immediately surprised to find out who he was shouting at.

“Why did you eat that?!”

Yani fell silent because of all people that Fuego can shout to and the one who ate the food he made, why the new guest?

“Do you know what you just ate?!” Fuego asked Pearce aloud.

Yani knew very much the answer of who Fuego was talking to so she immediately intervened between the two of them.

"Fuego, I think he didn't mean to eat it because it's out in the open and he thought—"

"I was trying to cool it down and called Callie to come as a surprise!" Fuego shouted.

Now Yani was the one who is being shouted at.

“Why does everyone always eat the food that I always left on the table to cool off?!”

Probably because of the fragrant smell and then no one is watching.

"Uhm isn't it great because they like your food even if they just smelled the aroma of it," Yani’s excuse.

Fuego stopped but there was still a trace of annoyance on his face. "You may have a point."

Yani sighed in relief because Fuego somehow calmed down.

"Still, that food he ate is for Callie—"

"Fuego," called a voice from behind Fuego so they both looked at the speaker. "Why are you shouting at Yani?" Callie asked coldly.

"Ca-callie," Fuego said in shock. “I-I… I wasn't shouting at her. It was just… uhm ...” Fuego said nervously while playing with his fingers.

"Why did you call me here?" Callie asked.

"Well uhm I… uhm I made you a pastry for a snack and uhm…" he looked at Yani while scratching his head in nervousness.

Callie just sighed.

"Then you're here to show me how to make that pastry?"

Yani and Fuego were both surprised by what Callie said and looked at each other.

"Well if that's the case, after you teach me how to make it..." Callie smiled at him. "...let's eat it together."

Fuego calmed down and in a blink of an eye, his anger disappeared because there was a smile engraved on his lips.

“Yeah, that's right. I'm here to teach you how to make it and we're going to eat it together. Well then, excuse me ladies because I need to prepare the ingredients,” Fuego said happily and immediately ran back to the kitchen.

When Fuego finally disappeared, Callie immediately bowed in front of Yani which surprised her.

"On behalf of Fuego, I apologize to you Yani for what he did," Callie apologized.

“Ah, it's okay. The truth is that he is not really shouting at me ”

Callie immediately stood up straight.

"How can you say that when you are the only one here?" Callie asked in wonder.

Yani was slightly startled at once, turning her back and finally surprised.

“Oh no! Where is he?!” Yani panicked while running away but she also immediately stopped and confronted Callie. “Ah, I’ll go ahead. Enjoy your time with Fuego,” and she ran away again.

Yani immediately came out and looked around because if her suspicion was correct, he tried to…

Rustle. Rustle.

Yani looked at where the sound of the moving leaves came from and there was a shadow that looked like him. She immediately ran where she saw it and followed the shadow.

She was sent to a dead end because there was no other way but a ravine. She looked around but she could not see even a shadow so she approached the ravine and was about to look down when,

"Are you going to try and jump down there?"

She stopped, turned around again and looked for where the voice came from because if she’s not mistaken, she knew that voice came from the person she was looking for but she did not find anyone.

"Who are you looking for?"

She immediately raised her head because that's where the voice came from. Finally, she saw who she was looking for, sitting on his knees with his feet on a branch of a tree and with his arms stretched out on his knees.

They just stared at each other for a few minutes and it only broke when Yani sighed in relief.

"There you are," Yani said and gave him a smile. Pearce just gave back a look at her. "I thought you uhm… well you…"

"You thought I ran away?" Pearce concluded with what Yani was about to say.

Yani paused for a moment while looking at Pearce. "Yes, that's right."

Pearce just looked up at the sky.

"Isn't it that when you get in here, it's hard to leave?" Pearce asked.

Yani was slightly surprised. "Who said that?"

"Them," was his simple answer.

"Who’s ‘them’?"

Pearce did not answer and turned his gaze back to her.

“Ah okay. Yes. 'They’ are right,” Yani said sarcastically but her face immediately became serious. "Even I, the princess of this nation, don’t even know how."

Pearce just looked straight ahead and Yani approached the tree.

"Can I sit on the other branch?" Yani asked.

"What right do I have to answer your question?" Pearce replied back in a cold way.

“Okay. So I'll take that as yes,” Yani replied while controlling the wind and flew to the branch and sat there.

Only a gust of wind could be heard between them. Yani looked at him and wondered how to start the conversation and it didn't take long for her to speak.

"Uhm Pearce—"

“Why haven't you left yet? Don’t you have a lot of things to do?” Pearce interrupted.

Yani paused for a moment. "Ah I want to stay for a while for a breath of fresh air," she replied.

There was silence again and…

"Pearce—"

"Why does it have to be here?" Pearce cut her off again.

Yani fell silent again and there was a bit of irritation on her face but she restrained herself first.

"All I know is that the air here is nice so I like it here," she answered the question.

Another awkward silence between them before she spoke again…

"Anyways Pearce—"

"Are you watching me?" he entered again so…

"CAN YOU LET ME FINISH FIRST?!" Yani shouted. "You rarely talk, most of the time ignore me and now you will interrupt me whenever I will talk to you?!"

Pearce ignored her as Yani let out a sigh to calm herself.

"Annoying," Yani whispered angrily and took a deep breath. “Sorry. Sorry for what I did. I just wasn’t able to hold back but I hope you will let me speak first before you enter…” she apologized. "Please?”

Pearce stopped talking.

“I just want to know why you are desperate to leave here when you just arrived. Do you have something to do back in the place where you came from and if I was right, in the Philippines right?”

Pearce did not answer.

"If it's as deep as that you left a family there—"

"I have no family," Pearce interrupted but Yani was not angry with what he did but she fell silent.

It took a while before Yani could speak again.

"Sorry to hear that," she paused. "If that's the case, what other reasons do you have for wanting to leave?"

The wind just blew between them while Pearce just stared straight ahead.

"Because I don’t belong here," he replied which surprised Yani.

Yani fell silent again and looked at Pearce in no time. Silence passed first as Yani thought about what to say.

"W-why are you saying that?" she asked nervously. "I-I don't understand. Did something happen?"

Pearce did not answer again while Yani realized something.

"Wait, is it because of what happened in Aes' helicopter when you just arrived here?"

Pearce closed his eyes.

“If that is the reason, just forget it because we know it was just an accident and we understand why you did it. Forgive us— “

"Maybe that…" Pearce entered. "…but that's just the beginning of everything."

Yani was silenced.

"Don't be too assured on the idea that just because someone can control the elements, they already belong here in your nation."

Yani was surprised.

"I know you don’t understand what I am saying but this is all I can say now that you can understand…" Pearce turned his gaze to Yani and gave her a serious look.

"…it won't be long that you yourself will kick me out of here."

Yani seemed to stare at Pearce and she just returned to her senses when Pearce turned his gaze back to the front. Yani just bowed her head.

Silence passed again when…

"Don’t worry, that's not all that I don’t understand from what you said," Yani said softly but it was enough for Pearce to hear.

Yani immediately stood on the branch and gave Pearce a serious look.

"You are right. You have a point that we should not just let in people who can control the elements here and as the princess of this nation, I know that is my responsibility," said Yani.

"I don't even know if you are threatening or you are an enemy with bad intentions but at first, we knew that it was a sin that we were suddenly kidnapping people to bring them here but..."

Yani still stared at Pearce and gave him a smile.

"...even if you are a bad person, I will do everything as well as other princes and princesses to prove to you that you belong here."

Pearce glimpsed at Yani and smirked at her. "Are you sure of what you are saying? What if I do have bad intentions in your nation or maybe..." Pearce gave her a smirking deadly look.

"...someone is using me to do what he is planning to do for your nation?"

Yani stopped for a moment but ironically, she gave him back a confident smile.

"In that case, why are you telling me this, Pearce? Is that how to act when you do have bad intentions?" Yani confidently asked him.

Pearce was speechless while Yani went down the branch.

"It looks like I can see now that you’re good at turning people around just by talking and honestly, I have been confused since you said that but if that is the case..."

Yani turned to Pearce and raised her head.

"...we will be ready to face all the trials that will come to protect this nation, whether from you or whoever you say that is controlling you."

Pearce looked down at her and smirked once again.

"Has it ever occurred to you now to evict me from this nation?" Pearce asked.

Yani smiled back. "Never. That will never enter my mind just to save this nation."

The grin was still etched on Pearce's lips. "How about we make a bet on how long I will last here in this nation, even if it’s just for a month?"

Yani was a little scared of what he did but she kept her composure.

"I will not take part of that," and managed to give back a smile. "You can tell me I'm a coward but in situations like this, I am not playing around..."

"Why dear princess... do you think I'm playing with you?" Pearce replied, still wearing a smirk.

Yani fell silent again but did not look away from him.

"This is not a bet but as you said, give me a month to prove that you really belong here," Yani said with her head held high and walked away.

The grin on Pearce's face was erased and he returned to being serious.

"But what if princess? What if I am really a bad person?" Pearce asked seriously.

Yani stopped and smiled. "Don’t worry, I already proved it that you’re not."

Pearce was speechless and surprised by her answer.

"If you are really a bad person, you should not have threatened me and told me those things or even answered me. In fact, the amount of help you did even though we just talked was really great and I know now..."

Yani faced Pearce and there was still a trace of shock on Pearce's face.

"...you are just a very helpful person."

After she said that, Pearce just closed his eyes while Yani finally walked away.

When she finally left, Pearce first looked at the sky and looked behind him. "You can come out now."

The surroundings were quiet as if Pearce was talking to no one but the leaves rustled and a shadow of a girl appeared.