*I should head back now. It's only a matter of time until Elise appears.*
After taking a moment to collect herself and regain her composure, Alya retraced her steps and made her way back to the opulent ballroom. However, as she entered the grand chamber, she was met with a scene of sheer chaos and confusion. The atmosphere was charged with hushed whispers and murmurs that seemed to ripple through the crowd like a whispered secret.
People congregated in small clusters, their voices filled with a mixture of astonishment and excitement. The news of the return of a girl, the emperor's long-lost daughter, was on everyone's lips. The ballroom, once a place of celebration and revelry, had transformed into a hub of intrigue and speculation.
*Don't tell me she's already here? Guess I missed her entrance after all*
Alya's frantic eyes darted through the bustling crowd, desperately searching for the familiar faces of her family. Anxiety gripped her heart as she struggled to navigate the sea of people that surrounded her.
There they were, in the distance, just beyond the throng. Determination surged through her, and she attempted to weave her way through the tightly packed mass of onlookers, her voice trembling as she softly implored, "Excuse me...?"
But it felt like an impossible task. The crowd seemed unyielding, a dense wall of humanity that threatened to keep her from reaching her loved ones. Frustration welled up within her, and for a moment, she contemplated giving in to the overwhelming odds.
However, just as despair began to take hold, an unexpected sensation washed over her. Alya was suddenly lifted off her feet, her body suspended in the air as strong arms encircled her. It was an astonishing and surreal moment, and as she looked around in bewilderment, she realized that someone had come to her aid, lifting her above the crowd and helping her bridge the insurmountable barrier that had stood between her and her family.
"ATTENTION, SAINTESS COMING THROUGH!"
*Who on earth is this guy? And what does he think he's doing?*
Alya's frustration bubbled over as she hissed at the young man who was deftly maneuvering them through the dense crowd. "Who do you think you are?"
With an audacious grin, the guy shot back, his voice filled with a cheeky confidence, "Your savior?"
Alya couldn't help but be captivated by his audacity even in the midst of their predicament. His dark red hair, disheveled and parted in the middle, added an air of untamed rebellion to his appearance. His eyes, intensely green and sharp like the venom of a snake, held a certain magnetism that drew her in despite her initial annoyance.
As they continued to navigate the chaotic crowd together, Alya found herself torn between irritation and intrigue by this enigmatic stranger who had taken it upon himself to be her unlikely rescuer.
With a few meters remaining to reach her family, the enigmatic young man finally lowered Alya gently to the ground, his grip loosening as they approached their destination. She felt a mix of relief and gratitude for his unexpected help, but the mystery of his actions lingered in her mind.
As they neared her family, the young man spoke with a sly grin, "Goal achieved."
Alya couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at his cryptic words, her curiosity piqued. Before she could respond or ask for an explanation, he smoothly bowed down before her, a gesture of respect that contrasted with his earlier cheekiness.
"If you'll excuse me," he said, his voice carrying a sense of finality. With that, he turned and began to melt into the crowd, disappearing from her sight as mysteriously as he had appeared, leaving Alya standing there, contemplating the strange encounter.
But Alya shouldn't give him too much thought after all she had to meet her lovely half sister which has finally returned.
"MY BABY"
The empress, her voice filled with a mixture of elation and relief, suddenly let out a heartrending cry that reverberated through the room. Tears streamed down her face as she fell to her knees, her arms outstretched to embrace a young girl with beautiful, raven-black hair. It was a moment of profound emotion as the empress held the girl close, her heart overflowing with joy and gratitude. Nearby, the emperor and the crown prince, their eyes glistening with unshed tears, shared in the overwhelming sense of happiness.
Alya, standing at a distance, felt an inexplicable tightening in her chest. It was a sensation that seemed to rip at her very soul, a pain that she had carried with her for the past 17 years of her existence in this alternate life. The sight of such heartfelt happiness, while beautiful, served as a cruel reminder of the life she had left behind, a life she could never fully reclaim.
Amidst the jubilation, the saintess, too, experienced a tear tracing a path down her cheek. However, it was not a tear of joy; instead, it bore the weight of regret, suffering, and anxiety. Her heart ached with the knowledge of what was lost, and she couldn't help but be haunted by the choices and sacrifices that had led her to this moment, a poignant contrast to the celebration that surrounded her.
*Get your act together. Now is not the time to cry..*
But no matter how hard she tried suppressing her tears she failed miserably.
As Alya slowly turned away from her family, her steps faltered, her entire body trembling with a mixture of emotions. She couldn't bear to witness the joy and love they shared without her. The distance between them grew, and with each step she took away from them, a gnawing ache settled in her chest.
Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice the person in her path until it was too late. There was a sudden collision, and Alya stumbled, her knees hitting the ground. Panic surged through her, and she scrambled to her feet as quickly as possible. She couldn't afford to linger, not when her heart was in such turmoil.
Running away, tears streaming down her cheeks, Alya couldn't help but wonder,
*Why... why can't I just hate them...? Why can't I just stop loving them? It's not like they ever cared about me.*
The questions echoed in her mind, a painful reminder of her own vulnerability and the unrelenting love she felt for the family she had left behind.
Her frantic escape led her to a serene oasis within the chaos of her emotions. Alya found herself standing in a mesmerizing rose garden. Towering roses surrounded her, displaying a breathtaking array of colors - vibrant reds, soft pinks, cheerful yellows, and even rare and captivating blue blooms. It was a place of natural beauty and tranquility.
Alya closed her eyes, her chest heaving with the effort of taking a deep, shuddering breath. Her trembling fingers reached up to wipe away the tears that clung to her face, leaving streaks of salt and sorrow in their wake. It was a moment of raw vulnerability, alone in the quiet of the night.
The hour was late, and the moon hung high in the sky, casting its silvery glow upon the world below. Its gentle radiance reflected in the serene waters of a small fountain that stood just before Alya. The soft murmur of the water as it cascaded and danced in the moonlight created a hypnotic and soothing backdrop to her turbulent thoughts.
As Alya stood there, her mind heavy with the weight of her emotions, a dark and troubling thought crossed her mind.
*I'm tired... I'm just so tired. I don't want to live through this hell again. I should just end it.*
The idea lingered like a shadow, a haunting whisper that she couldn't easily dismiss. In the quiet of the night, she grappled with the profound weariness that had settled deep within her soul.
Alya's emotions reached a breaking point, and she couldn't contain her anguish any longer. Hysterical laughter erupted from her lips, but it was a laughter tinged with madness, a desperate outburst of her inner torment. Her laughter soon gave way to fresh tears, which streamed down her face, a painful release of the emotions that had been tormenting her.
"THAT'S RIGHT! WHAT'S THE POINT?"
She cried out, her voice cracking with a mixture of bitterness and despair.
"PFWAHAHah... what's the point?"
But just as Alya's despair seemed to reach its zenith, a sudden and ominous presence materialized before her. The demon, with her eyes blazing a fiery red and her teeth clenched in a menacing snarl, appeared in front of Alya. The air grew heavy with malevolence as the demon confronted Alya, her dark presence a stark contrast to the chaos of Alya's emotions.
"DON'T YOU DARE."
the demon hissed, her voice dripping with an eerie blend of authority and malice. In that chilling moment, the battle for Alya's soul seemed to hang in the balance, as she stood face to face with Gwisin.
"You still want your revenge, right? Remember."
The words echoed in Alya's ears, a haunting reminder of her burning desire for vengeance. It was a whisper from the shadows, a voice that refused to be forgotten. Gwisin, the demon, drew nearer to the saintess, her fingers closing around Alya's face. The demon's eyes, pools of crimson radiance, bore into Alya's soul with an intensity that seemed to pierce the very depths of her being.
Alya's confusion deepened as she blinked repeatedly, her gaze searching for the demon who had been so close just moments ago. The world around her seemed to shift, a disorienting sensation that left her questioning her own reality. It was as if the boundary between her inner turmoil and the external world had blurred, leaving her trapped in a nightmarish dance with her own desires and demons.
*What just happened? What were we talking about again?*
Alya's thoughts swirled in a fog of confusion, like fragments of a shattered memory. She struggled to grasp the threads of their previous conversation, but no matter how hard she tried, the only thing that echoed in her mind was the relentless desire for revenge. It consumed her thoughts, leaving little room for anything else. But wait... was there something else? A fleeting thought danced at the edges of her consciousness - exhaustion.
Alya's head throbbed suddenly and fiercely, a stabbing pain that radiated through her skull. Her vision darkened at the edges, closing in like a shroud of shadows. She fought to stay conscious, but the overwhelming agony and disorientation became too much to bear.
"ALYA!"
*Jungdea?..No, that's not him. Those eyes, I swear I've seen them before. Those green eyes...*
As her consciousness teetered on the brink of oblivion, Alya heard a distant voice, filled with panic and urgency, screaming her name. But the darkness swallowed her, and she slipped into unconsciousness.