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Chapter Text

 “That runic ring should be more aligned to the left. It must be the perfect mirror image of the deuteragonium or the flow will not work”. Managing the construction of a translocating portal was more tiring than I would have imagined. But I was proud to be part of this project.

“Alan-sama,” –said a voice behind me –“I have already finished charging the second sector”.

“Good job, Maria, I don't know what we would have done without you. These artifacts require an exorbitant amount of magical energy, and without light spells to generate their power, it could take months to charge only one sector.” I told the shy girl.

 “No, it's no big deal, really. I only dedicate myself to give it energy, it is you who is leading the team so that the results are ideal”.

 “Don't take merit from yourself, Maria. The only reason I was chosen is because I was the highest rated water wizard in the Academy. If the translocation school were not a facet of my element, you or my brother would be more prepared to lead this task”.

 “Me… me?” – Maria blushed almost instantly. – “No, no, impossible, I lack leadership capacity, I could not cope with the pressure. You are much more apt for it”.

 “Heh heh, I appreciate the compliment. But be that as it may, if this goes well it may be the revolution that our society needs. Imagine being able to travel instantly, without the need for carriages, boats or exhausting walks. Just cross a portal and appear instantly in another that is at your destination. We’d make history… but for now we will have to settle for being able to send something to a close distance”.

 “Time to eat, geniuses!” –Said that voice that evoked joy every time I heard it. I turned to see her, radiant as always: Katarina Claes. She wore an apron over her usual dress and carried two huge trays filled with glass bowls overflowing with food. I couldn't help but notice how her defined muscles standed out while carrying all that weight. No doubt her fondness for agriculture and the sword had endowed her with a remarkably well-worked physique, far removed from the typical delicate noble girls.

 “Katarina, it’s a pleasure to see you! And what have you brought us?” As soon as I went to greet her, Maria was already at her side. The young commoner is a beautiful person ... but I greatly envy her close relationship with Katarina.

 “Well, it is no secret that I’m a disaster with ovens and stoves,” –she commented as he left the apron on a fenced backrest – “so I opted for the only thing that I couldn't burn: salads. But they are made with vegetables from my garden, all natural and homemade products ”. She was simply charming the way she reflected in her pride when speaking. A noble woman who prides herself on tilling the land and preparing food with her own hands ... Katarina was undoubtedly an unique and unrepeatable miracle.

 “Katarina-sama, I am very sorry for not helping you, my presence here was essential." –Maria apologized. Her devotion to the eldest daughter of the Claes house was such that she felt guilty for not helping her in the kitchen ... I wondered if I would be able to reach such level of adoration ... I’ve been many years blind to my feelings.

 “What are you saying Maria? You know I love doing things by myself. Also, I wanted to check that I’m at least able to make salads. So I'm not a total good-for-nothing in the kitchen, ha ha ha! ” –Aaaaah, that laugh ... who would not fall for that laugh so full of optimism. –"Well, how is this going?”.

 “Perfectly, the main energy is charged and the alienation of the runic rings is almost over. According to Alan-sama, in a few minutes we will be able to start transporting objects to the translocator in the adjacent building”.

 “But so much work just to send objects between two buildings ... wouldn't it take less time to carry them by hand?”.

 Coming from anyone else, I would have taken this as an offense, but being Katarina, I couldn't help but laugh. “Hahaha! Katarina, you lack vision. As I’ve said to Maria, this is a starting point. You start by translocating objects a few meters and you end up traveling instantly to the other end of the world. Imagine that a flying machine was invented: just being able to rise a couple of meters off the ground would be considered a success!”. Strange, from Katarina's expression I would say that the idea of a flying machine didn’t amaze her at all.

 “Well I guess you're right. The truth is that the structure is impressing. Can I see it a little more closelyYYYYYYYYY! ”. –Suddenly, without warning, Katarina slipped (with, what we would later know, was an oily lettuce leaf that had fallen to the ground) and, to my horror, she plunged onto the main runic ring, prematurely activating the portal that, in front of her, began emitting light. “Katarina, get away from there!”.

 I started running as fast as I could, but Maria, who was closer, arrived before me. However, as she tried to move her friend, the light from the portal enveloped them ... and in an instant they were gone.

 “KATARINAAAAAAAAAA!”

 “You still haven't found anything ?!” The anger was not really directed at the other members of the project: it was directed at me, because of my helplessness in the situation.

 “Please be patient, Alan-sama. As we have already told you, in principle there should be no problems. Since all the security elements were in place, there is no risk that they had been disintegrated. Wherever the portal has sent them, they will be unharmed and safe.”

 “What if it teleported them to the bottom of a lake or to the sky, from where they have suffered a fall? Or in the middle of a forest, surrounded by wild animals?”. I couldn't help but imagining the worst.

 “Unlikely” –answered Sylvie, the runic engineer. –“The installed safeguards will ensure that they have been transported to a place as similar as possible to the starting point: artificial terrain and predominant human life. Also, they shouldn't have gone very far, even with the arrival portal disabled. Unless…"

 “ ‘Unless’ what?” I answered uneasily.

 “Well, Maria was at the epicenter. We cannot know how her light magic has interacted with an uncontrolled activation. In previous simulations there was no precedent. You know how light sorcerers are so hard to find…”

I was about to make a new reply when, suddenly, a voice behind us startled us.

 “Your Highness, the zeonic readings have already given results! We have located them!”.

 “Really?!”. I couldn’t hide the excitement. “Are they OK, where they are?”.

 “Well, you see… according to this they should be safe and sound, at least the trip shouldn’t have caused them any harm. But ‘where’… they are more than far away”.

 When my eyes regained vision, the first thing I could see was Katarina-sama, lying in front of me. “Katarina-sama, Katarina-sama, answer me, please!” Fortunately, she reacted to my voice and started to stand up.

 “Awawawawaw, my head, what a sickness... I think this time I screwed it up quite a lot. Are you okay Maria, aren't you hurt? ”. –Katarina-sama, being herself, cared more for me rather than for her own well-being.

 “I'm fine Katarina-sama, just a little stunned. And you?”

 “Ditto. I've already recovered a little and…” –Katarina-sama fell silent as we looked around. –“Maria, where are we?”.

 Katarina-sama's words made me look around us. We were between two huge stone walls, larger than the largest wall I had ever seen. They were very close to each other, leaving a space where no more than three people would fit side by side. So high were they that they obstructed sunlight. In the distance there was an exit, but I couldn’t understand the purpose of this structure.

 “Perhaps, since the exit portal was not activated, we have been translocated to a random point. Maybe this is an interior step between the city walls… but I don't remember them that high”.

 “Be that as it may, we'll have to get out of here, don't you think?" –I nodded and we headed for that exit. As we got closer to it, I could hear voices, human voices. Although I couldn't understand what they were saying, that familiar sound reassured me. But at the same time, there were sounds that were unknown to me. Those were not animal, bells, or carriage sounds.

 When we finally got out and were greeted by sunlight, I stared at the most incredible scenery I had ever seen. A city was erected before us, but it was a city like I would never have dreamed: the buildings were gigantic, exceeding 15 floors, glass towers rose to scratch the skies, pictures with animated portraits covered the facades, unknown runes were magically illuminated, and the number of people was higher than what I had seen in any capital. And all of them were dressed in strange clothes, in addition to having unusual physical features in Sorcier. It was clearly another country, but, I had never heard of a country with such a developed magical capacity.

 “What… what is this place?”

  I couldn't believe what my eyes were seeing... the buildings, the people, the technology (technology!). There was no doubt... we were in Japan. In the world of my old life. Had we died in the explosion and reincarnated? I looked at Maria... no, she definitely was the same Maria as always. And I could see my face reflected on a nearby surface... yes, without a doubt that was the familiar villainess face that I saw every morning in the mirror. At least I knew we were unharmed. But... how nostalgic. I looked again at this scenario that I thought I would never see again. I was so astonished that Maria had to shake me in order to bring me back to reality.

 “…tarina-sama, Katarina-sama!”.

 “ Oh, sorry Maria, it’s just that this vision had bewitched me”.

 “ We must be in some distant country Katarina-sama,” – Oh Maria, you can't imagine how distant, I thought. –“How are we going to get back home?”

 “ Well, to be honest, maybe we should hide...” I had barely finished the sentence and a familiar voice echoed in our minds.

 “Katarina, Maria! Do you hear me? It’s me, Alan. I’m using a distant speech spell through the portal readings”.

 “Alan, it’s a pleasure to hear you! But, where are you?”.

 “I'm still in the portal room. Listen to me, the presence of Maria had an unexpected effect on the artifact’s working and, apparently, you are in, incredible as it may sound, another world, some kind of alternate reality. Are you safe?”

 “Alan-sama! We are safe and sound, calm down. But another world? That explains what we are seeing. You should be here, it's incredible.” –I was afraid that people thought we were crazy, talking to no one, but nobody seemed to notice our presence, apart from some occasional look. I guess they’d think we were talking on the phone with a bluetooth headset”.

 “ I don't doubt it, Maria, but this is important, listen. We can reverse the portal’s translocation sequence in order to bring you back, but it will have to be charged using the exit one, and transferring power is a slow process. It will take us more than five days".

 “That muuuuuuuuuuch?! B-b-b-b-but, that’s madness. What are we going to do until then?”

 “Unfortunately, I can't help you any more Katarina. Please be very careful and keep yourself safe. I must get to work on bringing you back. I hope this adventure ends well. Take good care, please… my brother will kill me if something happens to you”.

 “Alan, wait, Alan!”. Silence.

 “Katarina-sama… what will become of us? Five days in an unknown world, alone…”.

  I hugged Maria to comfort her. Poor girl, she had reason to be scared. This was nothing like any previous adventure that we had experienced. While I was hugging her, I observed a screen in a nearby building showing the current date. It was September 17,…. really?! That was 10 years after my death in this world! At least, as I realized, I still remembered my Japanese, so we’d be able to communicate.

  As soon as Maria and I started walking, we found ourselves face to face with two girls who looked at us with admiration. They were be about our age. One had short black hair, with light eyes that reflected a rosy color; the other one had blue eyes and red hair tied back in a ponytail; their clothes suggested that they were high school students and with a predilection for confortable garments. Despite their "cute" accessories such as bows or a heart-shaped backpack, they looked like tough girls. Certainly an aspect I was no longer used to.

 “ Uwooooooo, what amazing cosplays!" –Said the second one –“You are portraying Maria and Katarina, from Fortune Lover, right?! You are identical to the ones in the game!”

 “Kyoko, they may not understand Japanese, didn’t you think about that?”.

  I tried to answer them in a language that I had not used in more than a decade and a half. “Ah, yes, I speak a little, we have come from Europe, is that convention close?”.

 “Hey, what a surprise, she does speak Japanese! A convention? Oh, of course, a cosplay one. Well, you have gone ahead, the closest is not until December. Have you seen Misako? These poor girls must have gotten the dates wrong”.

 “Ouchie, pretty sure they still haven’t mastered kanjis and have misinterpreted the month”.

 “They are not the only ones who still haven’t mastered kanjis." –Said the redhead with a mocking glance at her partner.

 “What have you said?! Repeat that if you dare!” –It was clear that they maintained a “healthy” rivalry. They didn't seem like bad people, just a little bitchy.

 “Katarina-sama, do you understand their language? What do they want?” –Poor Maria was scared; Surely, these two girls made the bullies at the Academy look like a flock of little lambs by comparison.

 “Oh? Oh yes, I studied it when I was a child” (technically, I wasn't lying) “it was some kind of ancient language; excellent coincidence that they speak it in this world, don't you think? And don't worry Maria, they seem dangerous but they are good people” I hope…

 “Well, excuse me girls, I'm sorry to interrupt your friendly quarrel, but do you know of any cheap place to spend a week?”.

 “Uh? Oh, excuse us, I hope you haven’t been scared, this is normal between us. Well, regarding your question, there are some cheap capsule hotels in this area”. –The price should not be a problem, because even though I didn’t have any Money with me, I was sure that if I sold any of my jewelry in a pawn shop I could get a good amount of cash. –“But we will help you under one condition”.

 “Eh? What… what condition? Nothing weird, right?”.

 “Take a selfie with us, please!”.

 “We love Fortune Lover and it's very rare to see cosplayers into that game, let alone foreigners! Also, your cosplays are super well crafted”.

 “A selfie? Well, if it's just that...” changing language I turned to Maria, “Maria, come here, it will be just a moment, they just want... to use an item that takes instant portraits.” I put my arm around Maria and pulled her close to my shoulders. Poor girl, I can notice how her pulse accelerates; she must be nervous to be next to two strangers in a odd world for her.

  In an instant, the two girls placed themeselves around us and took two selfies, each with their own smartphone (one of those very cute, with a bear cover and the other one... let's say that screen had seen better days).

 “It’s done, thank you very very much! But I insist, you are totally identical, not only in costumes and accessories, even your faces are similar to those in the game. If it weren’t impossible, I’d say that we are dealing with the real Maria and Katarina!”

 “Katarina-sama, I just remembered something that can be useful so you don't have to be translating for me”.

 “What, Maria?” I turned my face to her and, to my horror, light magic materialized in her hands. “Oh no Maria, not here!” Beams of light scattered from her, enveloping both me and the two girls and returning back to Maria.

 “Done” –said Maria in perfect Japanese –“I remembered studying this spell from the school of light; it allows its user to temporarily acquire the language of someone who is nearby, but I had used it in a practical situation”. –The two girls had their mouths completely open, looking at Maria motionless as statues. –“Oh, excuse my manners, I have not introduced myself” –She said addressing them while bowing –“my name is Maria Campbell, yours?” –Predictably, the two girls screamed in panic and ran away, away from us.

 “Oh no, I hadn't realized that light magic is very rare! Surely they are not used to seeing it.”

 They are not used to seeing any kind of magic, Maria…

 “Seriously Hasebe, we swear to you, those were the real Maria and Katarina from Fortune Lover! They were identical in everything!”

 “It's true Mami, they have arrive from the game world! We even saw them do magic!”

 “Ughhh, seriously? I think you should spend some time without playing video games...”.

 “At this rate you will end up believing that you will go to another world if you are hit by a truck”.

Chapter Text

 “But, Katarina-sama, do you really believe there’s no magic in this world? But, look around us. If it’s not magic that which creates all these visual displays, these lights, those vivid pictures... then, what is it?”

 “Ehm... I can’t say for certain, but I’m sure that is not magic.” –For some reason, she sounded unusually convinced of it. –“For the moment we need to get some money. If I sold my headdress they would surely give me a good amount”.

 “Se... selling your jewelry? But, if your mother finds out, she will be very angry, what will you tell her?”.

 “Well, the truth, of course: we were trapped in another world and we had to survive in any way. Alan will be able to corroborate the story and, knowing my mother, it will not come to her mind to doubt a prince’s word”.

 I had to admit it: that made a lot of sense.

 “Now we have to find a pawn shop. Where could be one?”

  Katarina-sama placed the her hand’s palm on her forehead and began to scan the distance. And, within seconds, her gaze was fixed on something and her expression became unusually serious. I turned my eyes to the same direction and, using this new language, I didn’t spot anything that looked like a trading store or anything like it. Turning my head back to Katarina-sama I realized that her gaze was not fixed, but seemed to follow a moving target. I looked in that direction again and I saw it too: it was a man. He was in his early thirties, tall, black hair, apparently squarely-built. “Katarina-sama, do you know that man from anything?”

  As her only answer she grabbed my wrist and said: – “Maria, run with me.” –Not understanding what was happening, I found myself chasing a stranger next to Katarina-sama.

 During that sudden chase, something unexpected happened: all the people around us stopped dead, and Katarina-sama did the same, gesturing for me to stop as well. I opened my mouth to ask what was happening when, suddenly, dozens of strange metallic carriages of multiple shapes and colors appeared in front of us, crossing at high speed from one side to the other. Those mysterious sounds that I couldn't identify previously came from them, thunderous like the roars of atrocious beasts, or strident like the hiss a mountain would emit when falling from the skies. Mysteriously, they lacked horses, oxen, or other beasts to pull them. Did they have any dragon trapped inside them, moving their wheels? That would explain that smoke emanating from them and their roar-like sound. Looking at Katarina-sama, I saw her with an expression of fear; I couldn't blame her, these vehicles were something that seemed to come out of a nightmare. Still, she kept her eyes on the man, trying not to lose his trail.

 When we were close to match up with him, he entered one of those gigantic houses. He must be a very powerful noble if he can afford such a huge dwelling, I thought. Before the door closed, Katarina-sama stopped it with her leg and entered inside it.

 “Ka-Katarina-sama, won't we be in trouble, entering someone else's house?” Its hall was very strange: there was only an ascending staircase, a pot with a fake plant and two doors with metal plates and a piece of glass next to them. On one of these pieces, various numbers were lit; Katarina-sama remained watchful to these.

 “Aha, seventh floor! Here we go! I haven’t seen office plaques at the entrance, so it must be his home. Perfect”.

  While speaking these words, she pressed one of the metal plates. The glass began displaying the numbers in descending order, until one of the doors opened. Katarina-sama entered without hesitation and urged me to do the same. Inside, this instance was very small, with mirrors on each side and a large metal plate full of smaller ones with multiple numbers. Katarina-sama pressed 7 and the doors closed, and, almost instantly, I noticed a sense of movement. Was the chamber moving? How could it be anything but magic?

 “Ka... Katarina-sama, I don't get it, what are we doing here? Is that man a sorcerer who can help u...?”.

 “Fresh footprints! Apparently, he had some mud on his soles. I can't believe how lucky I'm being, it's going to be a piece of cake to find him!”

 “B-but, who is him? I can’t understand anything”.

  Katarina-sama stood face to face with me and, smiling, asked me: –“Maria, do you trust me?” –“Eh?” I admit it, I wasn’t expecting that question so suddenly. “Yes, of course I trust you, Katarina-sama”.

 “Then don’t worry. Soon you will receive the answers to all your questions”.

 I nodded. Being Katarina-sama, I was sure that everything would have an explanation. Soon, the doors opened and a completely different interior was revealed to us: it was a narrow hallway that extended in two directions, with a door on each side; on one you could see a letter A and on the other a B. Katarina-sama looked at the ground and realized that the tracks were going to the second one.

 “I don't get it. What kind of person would have their home organized in this obsessive way? Why mark the rooms with letters?”.

 “Hahaha! Sorry Maria, I found that funny. You see, the thing is, each door is not a room, it’s a home. This building is an series of multiple individual houses”.

 “Eeeeeh? But then, he isn’t a powerful noble alter all? Does he only have a home that occupies half a floor? Even… even my commoner's house was bigger…”.

 “Yeah, that's how big city is. By the way Maria, do you have any of your sweets there?”.

 “Oh? Yes, I had saved a small portion of puff pastries, they were for dessert. Why? Are you hungry?”.

 “No, no, it’s that they can be our entry key. Listen to what I'm going to tell you. I need you to show your face, because with my villainess visage he will not trust me”.

 I never understood why Katarina-sama referred to her own face like that; she was beautiful as an angel! Still, I decided to listen to her plan: she helped me a lot and now she needed me to help her... although I still didn't know how.

 Katarina-sama pressed what appeared to be a small relief on the wall, which generated a shrill, high-pitched sound.  In a few seconds, the door opened and, on the other side of it, was that mysterious man. So, I spoke the words that Katarina-sama asked me to say.

 “Good afternoon gentleman, we are exchange students raising funds for a school play. We are selling handmade sweets for it. Would you be interested in buying a box from us, please? We offer a free sample.” I said this while offering him half a puff pastry. The man hesitated a moment but finally managed to speak:

 “Eh, well, I guess there’s no losing on trying it” –he said focusing his dark eyes on the candy. He brought it to his mouth and, for a moment, seemed to be ecstatic. –“For all that I’ve loved… it's delicious! I have never tasted such an exquisite sweet, it gives any pastry I’ve ever tried a thousand runs for it money! A box? Even ten I’m willing to buy from you! How much do you ask for? How can I get them?”

  Katarina-sama approached us, I could hear her whispering me ‘bingo’ and then, she started talking to the individual:

 “I'm glad you liked it, sir. Can we come in to formalize the order? We’re having more success than expected and we are overwhelmed, so we need to organize it properly”.

 “No problem at all, come in. And I'm not surprised that they were that successful: if you realltmade them, you would deserve the title of the best pastry chefs in the country”. –I must admit, hearing these compliments made me blush. I always believed that Katarina-sama was a bit exaggerated with the quality of my sweets, but perhaps it was time to start believing it…

  The interior of the man’s home was, to put it in some way, an accumulation of contrasts. On one hand it looked like a luxurious home, with carpeted floors, gleaming white walls, marble on its furniture... but a tiny room. In fact, the kitchen in my house was much bigger than that one. What a strange world this one was.

  We sat on a surprisingly comfortable sofa; the house’s host did the same in an armchair in front of us. I could better appreciate his appearance: his hair was as dark as his eyes but it seemed somewhat tousled and unevenly cut; his face showed a few days-old beard. He was certainly no noble, he did not have the glamorous and caring appearance of these.

 “Well, tell me, how much do you ask for each box? Is there a discount on large purchases? By when would the order be rea…?”

 “This is a very nice and cozy house” –Katarina-sama interrupted him, looking around –“Do you live alone?”.

 “Eh, yes, that's right”.

 “Oh, that’s a shame, such a beautiful house should deserve to be shared, with a partner, a friend or a little sister, for example”.

  As soon as Katarina-sama said this, the man's face darkened.

 “… I once had a little sister… she… she’s no longer with us”.

 “Oh my, I beg your pardon, sir, it wasn’t my intention. I suppose you two were very close”.

 “Eh?” – Said the man, clearly surprised by the comment –“Yes, truth be told, we were; you never appreciate what you have until it’s gone… but hey, let's stop talking about the pas…”.

  Without warning, Katarina-sama interrupted him again, this time, narrating facts that it should be impossible for her to know them.

 “You once built a sandcastle between the three of you; and once finished, she yelled ‘I'm princess of the castle!’ and threw herself on the sand construction, destroying it. You laughed a lot about the anecdote that afternoon”.

 “Also, on another occasion, she tried juggling using oranges; one of them fell directly on her face, exploding and filling her eyes with juice. You had to clean them while the poor thing kept crying”.

  Katarina-sama related these events as if she had seen them, which, I thought, made no sense. The man's face was stern, clearly showing he was uncomfortable.

  “I have no idea of how can you know those things; obviously you are not a friend of hers, you are too young, so I imagine someone told you. Nonetheless, if you have come to my house to open old wounds, I ask you to leave”.

  Katarina-sama was silent for a few seconds;  but far from being intimidated or withdrawn, she only looked down and continued speaking:

 “When you were 14 years old, you tried to catch a lizard running around on a wall. But, by surrounding it with your hands, the reptile climbed through them and entered through the sleeve of your shirt. You started screaming like crazy, full of fear, until your sister helped you take off your shirt and she caught the animal. As she returned it to freedom, she said while smiling ‘if dad had seen us, he would say that I have been promoted to eldest daughter and you would become my little brother’ ”.

  Suddenly, the man stood up. I thought he would be in the grip of anger at Katarina-sama’s insistence on digging into the past; instead, he was sweating profusely, showing confusion and stupor.

 “How do you know that?! I never told it to anyone, and my sister promised not to! We swore it would be a secret between me and… her”.

  Actually, I was also surprised. It's not just that we had traveled to another world, but how was it possible that Katarina-sama knew so much about a dead girl from this place? The answer would not be long in coming... and its impact almost made me fall to the ground in shock.

 “10 years ago, your sister died in a traffic accident, at the age of 17”. –As she spoke, Katarina-sama clenched her hands into fists and, although her eyes were not visible, I could see how tears dripped on her dress. –“But her story did not end there: her soul traveled to another world where she was reincarnated as the daughter of some dukes; At the age of 8, she suffered a blow to the head, a blow that instantly brought back all the memories of her past life”.

  The man stood motionless, his complexion pale as wax, his eyes wide as saucers, and his jaw dislocated. It was the face of someone who had seen a ghost... or a dead person rising from her grave. A single word, a name emerged from his lips:

 “Ch… Chi… Chihiro?!”.

 As her only answer, Katarina-sama stood up, raised her gaze showing her eyes brimming with tears, and outlining her best smile said:

 “Long time no see, Koji-niisan”.

Chapter Text

         “CHIHIROOOOOOOOOO!”

         “KOJIIIIIIII!”

        Katarina-sama and that man, named Koji, melted into a hug. They both cried abundantly, but their faces showed plentiful joy, so great it was that it invaded the entire room.

         “Is it true?! Is it really you, Chihiro?!”

         “I know it’s hard to believe Koji, but it’s true: I’m your sister Chihiro, in a new life!”

        I felt my body melting like a snowflake exposed to the radiant spring sun, trying to process all this information. Was it really true that Katarina-sama was the reincarnation of Koji's sister? Thinking about everything that had happened, things began to make sense: her familiarity with this world, recognizing its strange artifacts and how they work, its social rules, its language... and how she knew the details of someone's private life from here... there was no doubt: she truly had lived in this place.

        The implications of all of this bombarded my mind: so Katarina-sama had lived all this time with 17 years of additional memories? Behind that facade of happiness she had been hiding the pain of having lost a family? I couldn't even imagine how she’d have felt, getting up every day thinking that she’d never see them again... and yet here she was with her brother from her past life. I couldn't help but feel cheerful too, seeing her so happy; without any doubt, she had earned this moment.

        Although I was tempted to speak something, I thought it’d be better to not meddle with them at that moment: Katarina-sama deserved a bit of family intimacy, so I chose to wait for them to finish talking. But, because of how uncomfortable I felt watching them converse while holding each other, I decided to direct my gaze to another part of the house. It was really odd, so different from those in our world, with some objects whose function it did not understand, such as a huge framed painting with its own pedestal but, at the same time, it only contained a black canvas; what was its purpose and why did it occupy the center of a piece of furniture?

        But in one of those looks, I couldn't help but notice another piece of furniture that was adjacent to one of the walls, towards which I felt I needed to get closer. It was composed of two shelves: a lower one filled with various objects, including clothing, and an upper one, on which there were red fabrics with gold trim covering its surface and on top of these, a small platform that only housed a portrait, a portrait that showed the face of a girl of my age and, on its frame, some kind of black ribbon. I understood the purpose of that structure: it was a memorial, a remembrance of a deceased person who surely housed her personal belongings.

        I felt a chill with this realization: was it the memorial of the girl who Katarina-sama was in the past? I scrutinized the portrait (whose quality, I must say, was impressive, worthy of the best of the artists), trying to find familiarity in the face it presented. At first glance, this girl was completely different, with a more rounded face, more almond-shaped and darker eyes, fuller eyebrows, black hair with tousled bangs, and, in general, a more humble appearance. But among all those traits, there was one that was familiar to me: her smile. That smile capable of melting the coldest heart, which illuminated the darkest of days. There was no doubt: this was Katarina-sama. It seemed so strange to me, to see that person so unknown and at the same time, so familiar… and to think that she died so young filled me with sadness.

        I then took a look at those personal items, intrigued to know what kind of person Katarina-sama was in this world. Her clothes had a design I was unfamiliar with, but they didn't seem luxurious at all, which made me think that in this life she wasn't someone of a high rank; perhaps that is why she was such a humble person despite coming from a noble family: 17 years of memories living as a commoner had shaped a personality opposed to that of a lady of high society. Alongside these were several brightly colored accessories, but they didn’t look like gems, as well as some kind of black mirror. Further to the right I observed a series of narrow cases, similar to those used to store necklaces or documents; they had brightly colored drawings on their surface and... “wait a second...”.

★★★★★★★★★

        “A young duchess, betrothed to a prince… and in a world where magic exists! I still can't believe everything you’re telling me, but… without a doubt, you being here is some kind of magic”.

         “It was magic, in fact” I commented, “and I cannot but thank it for giving me the opportunity to see you again. Brother, I must admit it, there were nights when I dreamed of my old life, of you... and I woke up so sad, thinking that I had to live all my life with those memories full of regret. It’s a miracle”, I said as tears flowed from my eyes again “a real miracle”.

         “It feels so strange… your face, your voice, they’re so different; but speaking with you I can feel that there’s no other truth, that it really is you, my little Chihiro… oh, how did you say your name was now?”.

         “It’s OK, you can call me Chihiro if you prefer. But if you wanna know it, my current name is…”

         “Katarina-sama?”

        Oh, that’s right, I was so excited talking to Koji that I had forgotten about Maria! “Excuse me Maria”, I commented wiping away my tears, “surely you must be very confused by this situation... oh... oh no”.

         Maria was right in front of me, confusion drawn on her face. In her hands she held something that I feared she could see in this world: a copy of Fortune Lover.

         “What… what is this?”

★★★★★★★★★

TWO MINUTES EARLIER

        One of those cases caught my eye, having the feeling that I needed to examine it carefully to make sure I wasn't seeing visions. When I took it with my hands I noticed that it was made of some material that I couldn’t recognize, being neither wood, nor glass, nor metal; maybe some kind of hardened leather? On its surface was a brightly colored illustration, topped by a title which read as ‘Fortune Lover’. But under these letters I could stare at what made me focus on this item: a portrait of a girl; although the drawing style didn’t try to be realistic, those clothes, that hairstyle, those colors... was that girl me? “It’s impossible, it has to be a coincidence, after all, a commoner look can be pretty common”, I thought. But by flipping the case over, all notion that it was a mere coincidence disappeared from my mind, as I began to read the words that were written on there: – “Welcome to Fortune Lover. You are the heroine of the story, Maria Campbell”. –I could feel my blood freezing with fear. –“Find your love in the Magic Academy among your suitors”. –And then there were several familiar portraits accompanied by wrong descriptions. –“The prince with an angelic smile and a dark heart, Jeord Stuart. The adoptive son of the Claes house, a playboy who has not known love, Keith Claes. Jeord's younger brother, a young man with an inferiority complex and low self-esteem, Alan Stuart. And the Prime Minister's son, a genius over-protective of his sister, Nicol Ascart”. –But none of these was comparable to the one that came next, for there was one more portrait, of similar design, but a completely strange expression: –“And face the malice of the evil villainess, Katarina Claes”.

★★★★★★★★★

        The situation was terribly awkward. Maria was sitting in front of me, her eyes downcast, clearly puzzled. I had tried to explain everything as I could, from attempting  to define an otome game as an interactive story that appears visually through a “magical” artifact of this world. And above all, my relationship with it.

         “But... but I don't get it, Katarina-sama. Are you telling me that our world, our friends, our families, me, you... we are all part of some kind of story... of a game? But then, we are not real?”.

         “No, no Maria, of course we are real. It is just that our world is the same as the game, but although it’s not real here, there it is, and it’s not exactly like in the game and it’s not within it, but it is like the game and… to be quite honest, I’m not sure how it works, either”.

         “Do you mind if I suggest a theory?” –Koji commented. As in the good old days, he came to the rescue of his little sister (except when there was a lizard involved). “I think all of this has an explanation in the idea of parallel worlds. You see, imagine there’s a lake which, in its depths, harbors a city inhabited by water sprites. And next to the lake there’s a castle. One day, the sun’s angle causes the castle to reflect on the lake’s surface, and this reflection generates a projection on the bottom. A sprite sees it and likes it so much that he draws a picture of what he has seen. The castle is real but, in the world under the lake, it exists as a fictitious representation that is not exactly like reality ”. –It felt like the plot of a mystery manga, but I had to admit that this explanation was quite convincing. –“So I think your world is simply reflected in this one as a work of fiction, but that doesn't make it any less real. Perhaps, in it, there are novels about characters from this world, such as Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan or Napoleon Bonaparte”.

         “Napo… Napoleon?” –Commented Maria looking up and showing curiosity. –“I know that name… yes, in the Academy’s library, in addition to studying, I sometimes read fantasy novels, and I found one starring someone with that name. Napoleon was the self-proclaimed emperor of a fictional country named ‘France’, in a world where magic did not exist. Although his intentions were good, power corrupted him, and he believed he had the right to rule over all other countries, which he began conquering unstoppably. Until one day, he invaded another country called ‘Russia’, a harsh and inhospitable country whose winter decimated the emperor's troops. After that, the conquered countries rebelled against him and, finally, he’d be defeated in a battle, the 'Battle of Waterloo', after which he was stripped of his title and died in exile. Oh?”.

        Maria gave us a surprised expression, because when she finished narrating that story she noticed both me and Koji, who were gaping at her. “Maria… that, that really happened here. Napoleon was a real historical figure, France and Russia are countries that exist here, and those events, including the Battle of Waterloo really happened in this world”.

         “Whaaaaaat? But then, it wasn’t a fantasy novel but a historical one? But, why does it exist in our world?”.

         “Ha! What did I tell you?” –Koji commented in a triumphant voice tone. –“In both worlds events of the other one appear as works of fiction. Neither world is more real than the other. I must say, this is all fascinating; if the scientific community found out about it, it’d revolutionize quantum physics… but they wouldn’t believe us”.

         “Weeeeeeeell, then, everything’s cleared up. See Maria? Although our world is a game in here, that’s just an adaptation of a reflection, or something like that. It’s OK”.

        But Maria’s expression suddenly became quite severe. –“Katarina-sama, there’s something else. If I’ve understood this correctly, have you lived all this time fearing you’d end up as the Katarina of this story, dead or exiled? Every day that we saw each other, that you saw your brother, your fiance... did you think that this was going to be your last day? How… how could you bear such a burden? How could you face that fear with so much optimism, learning tillage in case of being exiled, making paper snakes in case the Third Prince tried to slay you...?”.

         “Uh? Well, what was I supposed to do? I had to try to stay positive, I couldn't just run away or hide. Also, it was worth it, because I’ve been able to meet you all, and you are all very precious people to me”.

         “But, that day when you were accused of bullying me... did you really think it was that ‘doom ending’? How could you even think that I was going to accuse you of hurting me?”

         “Eh…”, in Maria's eyes pain and some anger were reflected. Suddenly, she started crying and lunged at me, ending in a hug. –“Katarina-sama, you dummy, dummy, dummy! I would never do something like that, you are the most important person in my life! You have helped me so much, you have filled my heart with joy, you brought to my life the light that my magic could not, you even helped me recovering my relationship with my mother… if something happened to you, if I lost you, I would die of grief”. –Maria looked into my eyes, her face so close to mine that it almost seemed like we were going to kiss. –“Believe me Katarina-sama: I will never betray you. I will always be by your side, as you have been by mine”.

        I hugged her too and, once again, i started crying. “Forgive me Maria! You’re right, I’ve been an idiot: I was so blinded by the game’s story that I didn’t realize how much care enveloped me. I’ll also be with you, we will always be friends”.

★★★★★★★★★

        When we explained to Koji the whole situation, he offered us to spend these days at his house. –“Fortunately, I have a week off. I was thinking of going to a country house in the mountains, but I don't mind changing my plans. By the way, if you are going to stay here for five days you will need some clothes… the only thing I can offer you is some pajamas to spend the night”.

        Maria and I changed into the clothes he offered us. Long used to nightgowns it felt a bit strange to wear pajamas again, but its comfort made me forget about it quickly. Maria, on the other hand, commented that she felt strange wearing such “masculine” garments. Suddenly, I realized something: “Hey Koji, now that I think about it, why do you have women’s pajamas at home?”.

         “Oh, that… you see, since several times some girl ended up staying at my place, I ended up buying some of those so they’d have something to wear those nights”.

         I couldn’t help but to change my voice’s pitch into a mischievous one. “Oyoyoy, what are you telling me? You’ve ended up being such a playboy, who could have expected this?”.

         “Well, I’m a fitness instructor, girls find that interesting, apparently”. –He commented blushing.

         “Really?! Well, truth be told, clearly you’ve become quite a strong guy. And how is that you became interested in it? I don’t remember you being enthusiast about sports, much less about bodybuilding”.

         “Because hours and hours of intense exercising were the only thing that kept my mind clear and helped me stop thinking about your death…”. – An awkward silence invaded the room …

         “Well, shall we do something for dinner? I’d love to learn the cuisine of your world”. –Thank you Maria for being by my side.

★★★★★★★★★

         The next two hours were incredible. Katarina-sama and Koji-san taught me how to make dishes from that world, all of them with very curious names: ramen, oyakodon, onigiri, okonomiyaki, karaage… it was really fun and enriching; also, once prepared, their appearance was simply delicious.

         “Aaaaaaaaaah, what a tasty sight, I had already forgotten about these aromas” –Katarina-sama commented. I, on the other hand, was trying to find out how to use those chopsticks that they used in this world as cutlery. Katarina-sama realized my difficulties about this and commented to her former brother –“Koji, do you have a knife and a fork around here? Poor Maria is not used to handling cutlery from this country… ” –She had barely say that and the chopsticks she badly held in her hand slipped from her fingers, with a piece of foodstuff falling violently into the food bowl and splashing her clothes with broth. –“… do you also have a pair of those for me? Clearly I have lost practice”.

        The dinner was really pleasant; during it Koji-san asked us things about our world and explained aspects of his. For example, that mysterious black frame was something called a ‘television’ and was used to see something similar to theatrical plays, but they were recorded and could be seen again at any time; there were even animated illustrations or they could watch images of events that were happening at that exact time anywhere in the world. This magic was called ‘technology’, but it seemed to me as or even more magical than that of my world. Katarina-sama, meanwhile, displayed her great appetite, unable to focus on a single dish. Koji-san laughed and commented –“I must admit, I still had some doubt that you really were who you claimed to be… but seeing your way of eating I don't have anymore left: clearly, you are my little sister”. –But then, he asked the question that almost caused me to choke: -“Hey, and now that you've returned to the world of your former life… what are you going to do? Will you go back to that other world? Or… or will you stay here?”.

         To my relief, Katarina-sama replied: – “Koji, that cannot be. I don’t mean that I don’t miss you, of course I miss you. I kept thinking of you all: you, our brother Shinji, dad, mom, grandma... but this is no longer my world. In my new world, I also have a family, a brother who adores me and parents who love me, even though mom is somewhat strict. I cannot abandon them. Besides, legally I don't exist in this world, in fact, I’d be considered an illegal immigrant”.

         Sadness was drawn on Koji's face. Clearly, that wasn't the answer he expected to hear. –“Hey, don't get upset about that!” –Katarina-sama said quickly. –“I will be here for five days, we can be together, and we will have a farewell as we should have. Also, now you know that I’m alive and well again, you should not suffer for it. Even more, the fact that I was able to come here means that journeying between both worlds is possible! Maybe I can come back another time to visit you, or even more, you may come to visit me!” –“Do... do you think so?” –Koji-san commented. –“Of course, I’m sure there’s a way! Never lose hope”. –When Katarina-sama overflowed her optimism, it was impossible not to rejoice; her beautiful nature was a blessing.

★★★★★★★★★

         After dinner we gathered all the kitchen utensils in another of those ‘technological’ devices called a ‘dishwasher’, which according to what they explained to me cleaned all the dishes and cutlery by itself (this invention would be a revolution in our world. I had to remember to tell Alan-sama). Koji-san explained that we could sleep in his room, since the bed was bigger, and he would stay in the guest room, a small one adjacent to the main living room.

         As we got into bed, I felt the need to say something: “Katarina-sama, I must confess one thing: when Koji-san asked you if you wanted to stay in this world... I was scared you were going to replay ‘yes’. For a moment I thought I’d have to bid farwell to you...”.

         “Aw Maria, didn’t I tell you before that I’ll always be by your side? I won’t deny that I miss my old family, but I also love my current family; and I love you all a lot: you, my little brother Keith, Sophia, Mary, Alan, Nicol, even the proud Jeord. You all are precious people to me, I would not abandon you for anything. But these days I have to take advantage of this situation and visit my previous loved ones; when I died in this world, I could never properly say goodbye to them: now I have that opportunity and I must make the most of it”.

         “Katarina-sama… what… what is death like?”. Katarina-sama stayed silent for a few minutes.

         “It’s… quite hard to explain. I don't quite remember how it exactly happened. I remember receiving a blow and, almost instantly, I felt my senses fade, as everything vanished around me and darkness enveloped me... and the next thing I recall is being about five or six years old, being Katarina Claes, growing up like a spoiled and selfish girl. How I do appreciate that blow I received on the head; my memories of this other life helped me being a better person”. –Then she turned to me and took my hand. –“If it weren’t for that, I’d have grown to be like the game’s Katarina, a despicable villain… I would have become your worst enemy. Just thinking I’d have hurt you so much makes my heart squeeze”.

         I accepted her hand in mine and replied –“Katarina-sama, perhaps it was fate that saved us both. But what matters is that you are who you are and I feel very lucky that you are part of my life. Let's take advantage of all the opportunities that life has offered us, together”.

         “Thank you Maria”, –she answered me with her angelic smile. –“For the time being, we should properly rest. Mmmmmm, to tell the truth I didn’t remember how comfortable these mattresses were, I think I’ll sleep quite at ease this night. Good night Maria”.

         “Good night, Katarina-sama”.

★★★★★★★★★

        I can’t tell what time it was when I woke up in the middle of the night. It had been very difficult for me to fall asleep, not just because I was sleeping in the guest bed, but because the events of this day made me turn my mind as it had not happened in years. In fact, the very first thing I thought when I woke up was that I had dreamed everything, that I was going crazy. That’s when I realized that the light coming through the half-open door and the almost inaudible volume of the television had helped on clearing my head. Was it on? Getting up, I went to the living room and there she was watching a movie: Maria Campbell. Her presence reassured me, as it reminded me that what happened that day was not a dream: really, my sister Chihiro had traveled here from another world, reincarnated as a noble girl of European ethnicity.

         “Can’t you sleep either, Maria?”

         “Oh, Koji-san. I’m sorry if I woke you up”.

         “Don’t worry, it doesn’t matter, this is quite normal. So many things happened suddenly and you had to assimilate so much new information… and by the way, I see that you have learned fast to handle television”.

         “Its functioning is very simple, but I must admit that it’s an amazing device. I’ve been watching some of these ‘series’ and ‘movies’. Some I’ve found to be beautiful, others on the other hand, very unpleasant. But this animated story... was so beautiful; it is the story of a girl who is kidnapped by a witch who turns her parents into pigs and steals part of her name; but the girl ends up winning the hearts of her servants and even she and a dragon fall in love”.

         “Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi. I know it, it’s a classic. It really is a very beautiful story”.

         “The protagonist’s name was Chihiro. That’s the name Katarina-sama had in this world. Was she maybe named that because of her?”.

         “Ha ha, no, she had already been born for a few years. But we went to see the movie when it was released and, I remember her saying: ‘that girl’s name is the same as mine, is the same as mine’. How many memories”.

         “Koji-san. Did you miss her a lot?”.

         “You can't imagine how… my parents, in fact, never quite got over it. It happened so fast… she woke up half asleep, we joked about her habit of staying up late, she left quickly without getting ready, eating a cucumber from the garden… and an hour later they confirmed her death”. For the second time that day, my eyes couldn't hold back the tears. “And now, as if by a miracle, she’s here again”.

         “Do you want her to remain here?”

         “I’d be lying if I said no. But knowing the pain we suffered, would it be fair that her new family goes through it too? Do we have the right to take her away from them? I guess not... also, there are more people who appreciate her, as I’ve understood, including you”.

         “Yes, that’s right, Katarina-sama is a great friend of mine”. –Maria’s expression revealed a slight sadness, hidden behind that gaze.

         “She’s more than that, right? My sister was always very dense, but in that regard I was her opposite. I have observed how you look at her and when she called you ‘friend’ I noticed a sad grimace on your face. You love her, don’t you?”.

        Maria clasped her hands together and looked upwards. –“More than anything else. I don’t know anymore how to tell her that so she understands it. But I dream of being hers, of even getting married, even if her family would not accept it, of going on living together, with our humble house and our own garden. I want to get up every morning with her, that her ‘good morning’ is the first thing I hear, to be able to spend the winters hugging her covered by a thick blanket, to go to bed with the scent of her hair... but it’s not that she doesn’t notice it: I'm not sure what her feelings for me are; and I'm not the only one. Her fiancé, her adoptive brother… all of us who have known Katarina-sama have ended up hopelessly in love with her. Right now she has a whole harem of suitors and she hasn't realized it at all”.

        “Really? Has my dense little sister turned into a heartbreaker without meaning to? I suppose that with her radiant personality she ends up winning the hearts of others. Truth be told, she’s unique”.

         “And I have to admit that I feel bad because… a selfish part of me wished that she decided to stay here. So I could stay with her in a world without competition for her love, being  able to be together, to start a new life... I must sound like an idiot, don’t you think?”.

         “Not at all. I don't know you very well, but from what I've seen you are a charming girl and you seem to posses a heart of gold. I honestly wish you the best of luck with her”. While we were talking, the film's credits ended up scrolling up. “Hey Maria, since we are both awake, what do you think if instead of watching movies we play a game?”.

         “A game? Like the ones Katarina-sama played about romantic stories?”.

         “No, it’s another type of game. A game that is played between two, so we’ll play together, you and me”.

Chapter Text

         The morning light seeped through the blinds slits; I could hear the birds singing; the murmur of people and engines came from the street; my stomach began to growl, asking for breakfast... but still, I wanted to stay a little longer in bed. I had been used to the mattresses of my current world for many years and, although they were not uncomfortable at all, nothing could compare to a modern memory foam mattress: how comfortable I had slept last night!

         So, I thought about getting a little lazy and resorting to the classic ‘five more minutes’ to enjoy sleeping a little more.

         “… Hng! ... ooff! ... ouh! ... ah!”.

         Uh? What was that? Were those moans? The kind of breathy moans a person would make during some kind of effort. Did I dream of them?

         “… oh!... ye!... ohff!”.

         I heard them again. They sounded like the voice of a man and a woman. Neighbourgs, maybe? They weren't going to let me rest easily, I was afraid. How comfortable I was at that moment, on the bed with my arms and legs stretched out! Hold on, arms? Was I alone in bed? Opening my eyes a little I could see that Maria was not lying next to me.

         “Ooff oofffff! ... Wow, Maria! ... Koji, no!”.

         “Ohnononononononononononononono!” I got up from the bed as fast as I could, my hair wild, sweating nervously and my heart beating to the best of its ability. Running, I rushed to the living room and, as soon as I looked in, I screamed with all the force of my lungs: “Koji, don't you dare taking advantage of her!”.

         “Oh, good morning Katarina-sama”.

         “Taking advantage of her? But, she’s the one with the more victories”.

         Koji and Maria were sitting on the sofa, their pajamas in place, each holding on their hands a controller connected to a powered game console. I couldn’t see my face, but something told me it was redder than the ripest tomato. “Aaaah, yeah, yes, the thing is, she has never played anything like that...”. Earth, please, swallow me…

         “I couldn't sleep last night and, as we were woken up, Koji-san suggested that I’d try these games that are so trending in this world. They are so much fun! It’s a pity that we don’t have anything that resembles them at home”.

         Who could say, Maria would have been a video game fan if she had been born in this world. After the initial surprise, I got a little closer to see how they played. The controls they were using were strikingly large, jet black in color, with sticks that emitted a loud ‘click’ when moved and four buttons. I looked at the console they were connected to: ‘Neo Geo’ could be read on its shell. Digging into my memory, I remembered something with that name: it was considered a mythical console, expensive at launch and expensive in the collecting market. I also remembered how Koji used to say that he was excited to own it.

         “Well well Koji, in the end you fulfilled your dream of owning a Neo Geo, didn’t you?”.

         “Indeed!” –He commented with a prideful gesture. –“I have even achieved a quite enviable collection!”. –I don't think there is anything enviable about spending so much money, but if it makes you happy...

         Next to the console, multiple games were stacked over each other, all inside huge boxes. I observed some of the names that appeared most frequently: ‘Garou Densetsu’, ‘Samurai Spirits’, ‘King of Fighters’, ‘Bakumatsu Rouman’ among others. “Wait a minute, are all of these fighting games? Are these what you've been playing with?” I stared at the screen; In front of what looked like a humble jetty, two characters were fighting: a boy with red hair and abundant bangs in loose clothing facing a girl with brunette hair gathered in a long ponytail and whose inconspicuous outfit barely covered her exuberant physique.

         “That’s right; believe it or not, Maria has a natural gift for this genre”.

         “They’re very easy to play as soon as you have a grasp of their controls”. –Even in this situation, Maria did not lose that adorable smile. So pretty and also liked video games? Definitely, if I were a boy I would fall in love with her. But seriously, fighting? It’s the last genre that I’d expect Maria would like, even less, being good at it.

         “By the way Katarina-sama, don't you think you look like this girl when you wear that same hairstyle?”.

         “Now that Maria says it…” –Koji commented –“truth be told, yes, you do have a semblance to Mai Shiranui. I’m sure you could cosplay her”.

         “Me, dressed up like Mai Shiranui? Please, I’d be ridiculous, can you imagine what guise would I look like?” I noticed that Maria started turning quite red when I said that. The poor thing must have drawn in her mind the gruesome appearance I’d show in that outfit and she was holding back her laughter in order to not hurting my feelings. Oh, how nice this girl is!

★★★★★★★★★

IN MARIA'S MIND

         KATARINA: "Yes! Sorcier’s number one! ”

★★★★★★★★★

         “Ouch ouch ouch! This time you have been more aggressive than ever Maria; I think that after this defeat we should leave it for today. Now that the three of us are here, lets grab this opportunity to have breakfast together”.

         "Eeeeeh? Ah yes, breakfast, yes, of course! Katarina-sama, excuse me, I was so engrossed that I hadn't thought that you would feel hungry after sleeping through the whole night”.

         “Well, I will not deny that my stomach was already whining quite a lot after sleeping until so late. Since, in principle, we are not in a rush, what do you think if we make a traditional Japanese breakfast? Truth be told, I’d love to try it after so long”.

         “I think it's a great idea! That way Maria can also try it”.

         Before long, the three of us prepared our morning dishes: white rice, natto soy beans, rolled tamagoyaki omelette, miso soup and pickles, all accompanied by green tea. Of course, Maria's puff pastries were to be the sweet sweet dessert.

         “Katarina-sama, I must admit that these kind of flavors for breakfast are very different from what I am used to, but really tasty. I must remember the recipes for when we return home.” –Maria's words left Koji pensive for a few moments. –“Oh, excuse me Koji-san, it was not my intention”.

         “No, no, don’t worry. It’s normal that you think about going back. It's just... it's going to sadden me a lot. Anyway, better not to think much about what’s going to happen, we have five days. Ah, by the way Chi… Katarina…”.

         “Koji, I have already told you that you can call me Chihiro if it feels more natural to you. I'm not going to be picky about a name I already feel familiar with”.

         “Ah, right, excuse me; well, as I was saying, I phoned mom and dad about an hour ago, and Shinji too. I haven’t gone into details because they would think I was mocking them, but I managed to agree on a day to meet all together. It will be the day after tomorrow, Saturday”.

         “Really?!” I couldn’t help but to be excited and I sat up suddenly, hitting the table with my hands with such force that it was a miracle nothing were spilled. “Aw aw aw aw, I’m so nervous! I have to think what to tell them so they don’t think I’m crazy, I can’t appear saying ‘hello dad, mom and Shinji, I'm Chihiro reincarnated, give me a hug’. They’d throw a chair at my head”.

         “Well, I’m sure you’ll think of something, you managed to convince me. Also, they’ll certainly recognize your way of being. The only thing I hope is that they don't pass out from the shock… I still don’t know how I didn’t pass out myself”.

         “Excuse me,” –Maria spoke –“I was thinking that, being a family reunion, I should still be absent that day, right?”.

         “Being hawai yourself? Not at all Maria, even more, I’ll feel much calmer if you are by my side!” Maria's face flushed red. “Besides, I'm sure they will like you a lot. Nonetheless, be careful with Shinji, he may end up liking you a lot, hehe”.

         “Shinji already has a girlfriend, and even if he didn’t have one, he’s 33 years old. Maria is too young for him”.

         “Oh… that’s true, 10 years have passed, I didn’t take it into account… do you have any recent photos of them? I need to get used to their current faces so that the shock is not too strong”.

         “No problem, I have several on my phone.” –Koji gave me his mobile phone and opened the gallery to me in a specific photo: in the first one I was able to recognize my former parents; clearly, years had not passed in vain for them, but they seemed to be more aged than I expected: dad had lost a lot of hair, showing incipient baldness, gray hair on his sides and the appearance of suffering of poor sleep, with a careless beard and abundant wrinkles; large crow’s feet were visible on mom's face, and and dark bags under her eyes, eyes that seemed dull. Was it… was it as a result of my death? “Koji, did they have any kind of depression because of my accident?”.

         “In fact, they still have it, specially Mom, she has been unable to quit medication”.

         I felt the pit of my stomach contract. I had never thought about the consequences that my death had on my loved ones. How selfish I had been, I just thought about how badly I felt, and of avoiding my doom endings (although this was a matter of life and death); they missed me a lot and are still suffering; without a doubt, I must see them again and help them get out of the pit in which they are trapped.

         I went to the next photo: there I recognized the face of that man in his 30s. Shinji was more mature, with an expression of unease and a cigarette in his mouth. He used to be so happy… “he looks very serious”.

         “Yes, Shinji lost his sense of humor when we lost you. He has done well in business, being a director of an automobile branch, but he is so practical… I no longer remember the last time I saw him laughing”.

         More than ever, I couldn’t wait to see them again. Hopefully this reunion will allow them to return to being what they were before, or something as similar as possible. It’s terrible to think about what happens to our loved ones when we leave them. Our loved ones… I had forgotten one!

         “Koji! Has anyone kept my old mobile phone?”

         “Oh? Well, actually, I have it. It’s there, in your... your memorial”.

         I felt a chill run down my spine at those words. My memorial... it’s almost like visiting your own grave. I walked towards it and, for a few seconds, stood motionless looking at the photograph that was exposed there: it was me, the me of my old life, that face that no longer belonged to me. Trying to concentrate, I turned my attention to the lower shelf and, without much difficulty, I found what I was looking for: my mobile phone. In it was the phone number of A-chan, my best friend from my old life. I really wanted to see her again; how’d she react to seeing me? She’d have before her the real Katarina Claes claiming to be her old friend; and she’d also have to meet Maria... surely she’d be really excited. With impatience pounding hard in my heart I hit the power button and... nothing.

         “Dammit! I had not taken this into account, its battery is empty”.

         “Of curse, it hasn’t been used for ten years. You’ll need to leave it charging for a few hours, possibly 10 or 12. After so much time turned off it’d be a good idea to let its battery charge completely. ”

         Disappointed, I plugged in the appliance and let it resting on a shelf. After this I realized that Maria had already cleared the table by herself and ordered the dishwasher. Observing her good manners, anyone would say that among the two, she was the aristocrat.

         “Maria, you didn’t have to clear it all by yourself. I am also a guest here”.

         “Oh, Katarina-sama, it hasn’t been any problem for me, this is much easier than cleaning dishes with your hands”, –Awwwww, Maria was so adorable.

         “By the way, I was thinking, since today we have nothing to do, how about we go out to visit the city? I want to see it again after so long, and I’m sure you’re also inquisitive about knowing more about this world, right? ”.

         “Eh? W-well, I won’t deny that I’m a bit curious, but what will we do if we are stopped again by people who know that game? We attract a lot of attention and we may not have time for ourselves”.

         “Truth be told, Maria is right, you can’t always go for a walk in such pompous clothes. You will need some current clothes, something a little more discreet. What do you think if I drive you to the center by car?”.

         “Well, to be honest we’d greatly appreciate it, but we don't have money from this world, and I feel very bad asking you for it”.

         “Hahaha! Don't worry about it, it’s on me. What is family for?” Hearing these words brought nostalgia to my chest again. Koji… I had missed so much hearing that laugh.

         “Well, you’ve heard it Maria, we’re going shopping! Let’s get changed”. While accompanying Maria to the room, I explained her some details about the shops in this world, “… and there are entire floors dedicated to different types of products, and there are all kinds of clothing, very different from those of our world, and there are also leisure centers, restaurants and... Maria, have I confused you too much? You look like you were made of stone”.

         “Is... is not that Katarina-sama is that... I am used to getting changed in private and, with you here, looking at me, I feel a little self-conscious.”

         “Oops, excuse me Maria, how dense I can be sometimes”. Poor Maria sighed deeply. As shy as she is, no wonder she felt awkward, in fact, just standing there watching her change would have been something worthy of a pervert. “I’ll be in the bathroom, let me know when you’re done”. Going that way I also took my own clothes to get changed myself.

         Once we were ready, we went to see Koji, who was waiting for us already prepared. “Eeeeeek, what a thrill, I'm going to travel again by car after so many years. It’s not like riding a horse cart, you will see”. Maria simply nodded without losing her smile.

         But I faced an obstacle I hadn’t counted on when we went down to the garage. As the elevator’s doors opened, Koji and Maria got out of the it with no issues; But I took two steps and... I was completely petrified.

         “Katarina-sama? Is something wrong with you?” –I could not answer; for some reason, I felt my heart beating so hard that it seemed it was about to burst out of my chest, and I could feel cold sweats running down my forehead. –“Chihiro, what's wrong? You're turning pale”.

         I couldn't take my eyes off all those parked vehicles… my perception of reality started to distort: their headlights seemed to me to be threatening eyes of predatory beasts; their front grills, huge gaping jaws full of sharp teeth... I felt panic taking hold of me and I fell to the ground, hugging myself and gasping hard.

         “Katarina-sama?! Calm down, there’s nothing wrong here, what have you seen?!” –Maria hugged me again… her contact calmed me a little, especially when I closed my eyes.

         “Oh, of course! How stupid I have been, I didn’t think of that...” –“What do you mean, Koji-san?” Maria asked. –“Chihiro… Katarina… was killed by a vehicle like these. Being so close at the cause of her death must have awakened some kind of phobia in her”.

         “What?! Oh Katarina-sama, don't worry! Go on forward with your eyes closed, I will guide you”.

         “Thank you Maria. I don’t know what I’d do without you”. Maria guided me through that place. I was trying to imagine that we were walking, hugging together, through a marble field, with nothing else around us. My legs were shaking and I had a hard time standing, but Maria’s support allowed me to reach our destination. Once inside the car I said “Maria, do you mind if I don't open my eyes on this trip and stay with you a little longer?” –“Not at all Katarina-sama, I understand that this must be very difficult for you. You can lie on here”. –I noticed how Maria kindly guided my head until she laid me down on something soft and cozy; Was it some kind of pillow? No, this was... “Maria, am I lying on your lap right now?” –“That’s right, Katarina-sama. This way you’ll feel more relaxed”. –“But, but, isn't it uncomfortable for you? I mean, I'm using you as a cushion…”  –“Not at all, you can stay as long as you want”. –Maria said this while stroking my hair. How lucky I am of having such a good friend. .

★★★★★★★★★

         “We have already arrived”. I heard Koji. –“Maria, to open the door you have to pull that thing towards you, yes, that’s it, well done”. –The murmur of multiple people and a light breeze reached me. I still didn’t dare open my eyes, but Maria helped me getting out. Only when I was already on the sidewalk did I gather the needed courage. A huge building stood before me, nothing like anything existing nowadays in my current world. A department store, full of people going in and out, with its huge sign over the entrance. I directed my gaze to Maria who, as I expected, was fascinated by that sight, observing that colossus closely.

         “Katarina-sama... is this titanic fortress really a market?”.

         “That’s the best way to define it, yes. Here we will find everything, but the best plan is to the clothing first before more fans appear before us”, I jokingly commented “ this fame can be overwhelming”.

         “Ah, I almost forgot it, take this”; –Koji said handing me a wallet full of money –“you will need it to pay, don't you think?”.

         “B-but, won’t you be coming with us?”.

         “Little sis, you are going to buy girl’s clothes. I'm not needed there, you’ll need some privacy, don't you think?”.

         “Well, it may be possible, but I’d feel kinda sad that you won’t be with us, I mean, after so long without seeing each other...”.

         “Hey, take it easy, then we’ll meet at lunch. I’ll see you on the restaurants floor at 12:30 in the central area, okay?”.

         Although for a moment I felt somewhat downcast, joy would soon return to myself. “Okay, understood! We’ll meet then and I hope we’ll be wearing something more acceptable. Thank you very much Koji!”. Without giving him time to react, I planted a kiss on his cheek that made the poor man blush. After saying farewell I heard him wishing Maria ‘good luck’. I suppose it was because she was not used to move through such a huge place... what little confidence he had on me, I was going to be by her side all the time, she wasn’t going to get lost.

★★★★★★★★★

         The women’s clothing section was huge, and there was certainly plenty to choose from. It’s kinda odd how fashion fluctuated and classic styles re-imposed themselves; but hey, that made me feel not so out of place in an aesthetic sense after being absent for 10 years.         

         “Maria, since we have enough time, let's take the opportunity to try on a lot of clothes, it will be fun”.

         “But can we afford it all, Katarina-sama?”.

         “Hehe, take it easy Maria, here you can try on clothes without paying for it, you don’t just choose with your eyes. Then we will decide what to buy, but in the meantime, it’s time to have a good time” I commented, raising my thumb and smiling.

         Next, Maria and I tried different types of outfits, of which some examples were...

Long skirt, blouse, small vest and booties.

         I opted for a combination of blues, greens, and yellows. Maria, on the other hand, chose a mix of white and violet.

         “How does this combination suit me, Maria? You look lovely, you look like a modern princess”.

         “Y-y-you really think so? I don't think I can equate you Katarina-sama, you seem like a goddess from another world”. –She commented blushing; how humble this girl is.

         “I appreciate it, but I insist that this outfit suits you very well. Let's try something else”.

Office lady look, with blouse, jacket, pencil skirt, pantyhose and heels

         “To be honest, I don’t think this was a good idea after all... I don't remember how to do walk on this anymore…”.

         “Ka-Katarina-sama, how is anyone supposed to walk this waaaaaAAAH!”

         “MariaaaaAAAAH!”

         In a few seconds, we had both lost our balance and fell to the ground; Maria ended up on me, while the floor was my mattress.

         “Oh... shall we move on to another, on second thought?”.

         “I... I approve”.

Modern furisode, with short skirt

         This was quite a discovery: one more day-to-day version of a traditional garment. The skirt was short, and putting it on was much easier than the real one was. I chose a blue and purple one, with emerald trims and bird motifs on the sleeves; I felt like I was dressed up with the sea itself at sunrise.

         “Truth be told, I love this one, although it's still impractical. I would take it back home, but as soon as my mother saw it, she’ll have it burned. How about yours Maria?”.

         Maria pulled the fitting room’s curtain to the side: she wore a white and pink one with golden trims, with sleeves shaped like poppy petals. She had chosen to complement it with tights, possibly a little shy at the thought of showing off her legs.

         “It's very nice, but I don't think this is my style. But if you allow me to mention it, Katarina-sama, you look beautiful”.

         How adorable! Surely if Maria appeared in our world with this aspect, all the boys would declare to her at the very same moment. Instant harem ending.

Yoga pants and sports top

         “I’ll be sincere: this is very comfortable. Maybe a little chilly for the time being”.

         “K-K-K-Katarina... sama?” –Maria appeared all flushed, almost withdrawn on herself. –“What, what kind of garments are these? They are like a second skin! I almost feel naked…”.

         “Ah ha ha ... yes, I'm afraid you're not ready for this style”.

Bikini

         “Are you sure you don't want to try one on Maria?”.

         “It’s all right, Katarina-sama. I don't see the need to try on a swimsuit in the middle of autumn, besides, I don't see myself wearing any of these”.

         “It makes sense, truth be told... but it’s been so long since I’ve wear a bikini that I needed to try on one, and this blue and yellow one is beautiful. Tell me, how do I look?” As I slid the curtain off the fitting room, Maria saw me with that bathing suit on; but before she could answer, her skin turned red like Sophia's eyes, she began to wobble, and after a couple of swings she fell unconscious to the ground.

         “MARIAAAAAAA!”. I ran to her side to help her; Fortunately, she had landed on a nearby display that cushioned her fall, but she remained senseless, her eyes blank and her skin hot to the touch. “It must have been the heating, she’s not used to it. Oh poor thing, she must have suffered a serious blow, her nose is bleeding quite a lot...”.

★★★★★★★★★

        Hours passed quickly, but finally it was lunch time. In the end, I had decided on a denim look, with skinny jeans, a matching jacket, brown boots, and a plain white T-shirt with black motifs. Maria, on her part, opted for something more cute, consisting on a white pleated skirt, flat-soled shoes and a pink sweater. She was charming, looking like the protagonist of an urban shojo manga.

         “Katarina-sama, you are so… unique. Like a heroine ready to go on adventures to the rescue of her loved one”.

         “Do you relieve it? Well, here these are very common clothes, but I appreciate the compliment. You’re the one who’s beautiful”. Maria did not answer, just smiled and blushed.

         As we exited the elevator on the restaurant floor, we ran into Koji, who was sitting on a nearby bench.

         “Hey, here I am girls. Wow, how different you look, now you do seem like two normal tourists. Well, are we going to eat? I have thought, to have a little of variety, to book in an Italian restaurant, what do you think of the idea?”.

         “Oh? Well, I can't think what kind of food that could be, but if you think it may be  good…” –I couldn't help but interrupt Maria, because a thought came to mind, something I wanted to try again: “ Pizzaaaaaaa!”.

         And so, we had a great meal, with laughs and satisfied stomachs. But part of me was somewhere else: waiting for my mobile phone to fully charge so I could speak to A-chan again.

Chapter Text

         My name is Maria Campbell, and this was my second day in an unknown world. Over a span of just 24 hours lots of things happened: at one moment I was collaborating on a project led by Alen-sama, Fourth Prince of the Kingdom, and, in an instant, I was transported together with Katarina-sama to another place, a place to which she belonged in a previous life. Having met her brother from back then, I discovered that our world was portrayed here as a kind of interactive story and that Katarina-sama was the villainess of it... and to think that all this time she had that distorted idea of herself...

          There were still about four days left to go home, but I have to admit, it was an especially fun adventure. The initial fear I felt upon arriving in this world had completely vanished: being able to be with Katarina-sama and seeing her so happy was all I could need. And everything I saw was so exotic, so incredible. Right now, my usual clothes were stored in a paper bag, wearing something that was considered more discreet in this world in which we were moving. I will not deny that our clothing experience had been... something special , to say the least.

         We had finished eating, with a menu that was more reminiscent of the our home’s meals, although they had some dishes that I had never tried (and I hoped I could reproduce with my own hands). Katarina-sama had been explaining to me that she intended to contact her old friend from this world, someone named A-chan (strange name).

         “For you see, Maria, like I said, A-chan is the one who lent me Fortune Lover. Thanks to her I knew where I had been reincarnated, so I should thank her for the fact that you and I met, hehe. I’d like you to meet her too, you'll see, she is going to like you a lot.” –Katarina-sama spoke full of emotion, happy as a girl on her birthday. It was very comforting to see her like this. Despite everything, I couldn't help feeling a little nervous at the idea of meeting this person.

         “But, Katarina-sama, hasn’t it been 10 years? She’s now an adult woman, isn’t she? Also, will she believe you are her old friend? ”

         “Sure, don’t even have any doubt. As soon as I talk to her, she’ll realize that it is me. I can imagine it, I will say ‘A-chan don’t be scared, I am not a ghost, I am alive’ and she will be like ‘But you died, I went to your funeral!’ and I'll be like ‘I know it, but I reincarnated in another world, and I’m back here for a few days, we can see each other again!’ and she’ll say ‘How can I be sure that’s the truth, how can I be sure that’s really you?’ and I will say ‘Don't worry, as soon as you see me you will know it’s me...’ Maria?”.

         I couldn't help but laugh at the monologue that Katarina-sama was having with herself. Although I had covered my mouth with my hand, my laugh was audible. “Katarina-sama, the thing is you are telling yourself the story by your own”.

         “She’s being herself.” –Koji-san commented with a smile. –“She used to do that a lot, especially when she narrated the stories in her mangas out loud.” –“Kojiiiiiiiiii...” –“What? You did it. Ouch ouch ouch! Hey, don't hit me little sis.” –It was really moving seeing such a well-intentioned arguing between them, who never lost their smile during it.

         “But hey,” –added Katarina-sama after finishing her friendly quarrel, “truth be told, since we still have quite a long time to wait until night, we can take this opportunity to do something fun around here. What do you think?”.

         I nodded without hesitation. I had no doubt that we had before us an afternoon worthy of remembering for a long time and, although I did not know what kind of leisure we would be going to, I was sure it was going to be fun.

         First we visited a ‘karaoke’, a venue where visitors can sing songs while their lyrics are displayed on a screen, using a device called a ‘microphone’ to amplify their voices. I have to admit, I was very impressed by how effective they were, because as soon as I started singing I ended up being scared of my own voice, so powerful it sounded.

         After that we visited an owl cafe. I thought the name would be metaphorical, but nothing could be further from reality: there were indeed live owls with whom you could enjoy a snack and even pet them. In fact, the one assigned to me landed on my head and played with my hair; it was especially charming. Katarina-sama, on her part, was not so lucky: her assigned owl was a bit rude to her, even threatened to bite her, to which she commented ‘no please, owls also no, it’s more than enough that dogs hate me’; Koji-san and I couldn't resist laughing.

         Strolling through that dreamy metropolis, Katarina-sama was thrilled to recognize a place from which multiple sounds arose. –“An arcade center! Shall we go too? Here you can put your new skills into practice, Maria! ” –I was about to ask what skills she was referring to, but I understood it when we entered: it was a center where you could play those so-called ‘video games’. Yes, the truth was that it was an interesting offer.

         In less than half an hour I had already earned an impressive reputation in the game center, easily defeating my opponents in every game I tried. –“This girl is incredible! She looks delicate as a doll but is lethal as a hornet.” –It was not the best comparison that I had recieved in my life, but it really didn’t bother me.

         “Hey Maria, I'm going to buy some snacks and drinks. Wait for me around here.” –I nodded smiling.

         “Love is a complex matter, isn't it girl?” –Said a voice behind me. Turning my head I could see the its owner: it was a man well into his forties, with dark hair, light complexion and brown eyes. His slanted eyes watched the direction Katarina-sama had headed. “Sorry, what do you mean?"

         “Your feelings are quite obvious. I have been a gamer since childhood, I can recognize how people express themselves through games; and it is quite clear that you feel something special for that girl, but you have difficulties to communicate it to her, don’t you?”.

         “W... what ?! Am I that transparent?”.

         “HAHAHAHA! You see, the thing is that years ago I was in a situation similar to yours. I met the love of my life in an arcade center; I know, it's not the most romantic place in the world, but we were both passionate about it. As a matter of fact, for a long time I believed that she simply was my rival. I closed my heart on my own and didn't want to see what I really felt. In your case, however, something tells me that the problem is in her and not in you, am I wrong?”.

         “N-no, you aren’t wrong...” It was amazing how he could read my feelings. Was this the famous ‘voice of experience’ that adults used to talk about?

         “Well, I advise you not to give up, let her know it as soon as possible, because if not, you will end up regretting it. I almost saw myself in that very same situation. Ouch!” –The man shouted when a fist hit him in the arm. It belonged to a woman of similar age, whose dark hair had violet reflections and his maroon eyes showed a certain degree of seriousness. Without saying anything, just emitting a light grunt, she pointed to another game. –“What, a rematch already? The one time I win, and won't you let me enjoy my victory for five minutes?” For her only answer, the woman nodded. –“Very well honey, do not think I will have mercy.” –“As they walked away, he gave me one last look and said ‘cheer up’ with a thumbs up. Behind that tough facade, I could sense that their relationship was true love ... I wondered if one day I’d have something like that.

★★★★★★★★★

         Woaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! So many snacks of multiple flavors; it made me want to buy a whole shipment to bring them home with me. Flavors of wasabi, red beans, squid, salted caramel ... the essence of Japan within a bite.

         With bags full of food and drink I was heading back to Maria when something caught my attention: the back of the game center connected directly to a video game store. And in one of the exhibitors I could see there I recognized something. As I got closer, I was able to verify that I had not been wrong: in said exhibitor there were multiple copies of the same game, which, according to the accompanying poster, was a recent release: Fortune Lover, Souls of Unity. I couldn't help but to feel curiosity, I needed to know more.

         As I got closer I was able to read a note that appeared next to said exhibitor: ‘The fifth installment on the successful Fortune Lover series!’ Fifth?! It was a great game but had it really been that successful? The next thing that would demand my attention will be its cover: I could observe what looked like a black haze which contained a pair of menacing green eyes, several characters were present on both sides and, occupying the center, back to back with an expression of friendship… Maria and I were there; or rather, the Maria and Katarina from the game. What did this imply? As if fate had heard me ask said question, the answer came in the form of two girls who threw themselves on the display stand: one with violet-dyed hair gathered in long low twintails and the other with short curly, oxygenated hair.

         “The new Fortune Lover is finally out!”.

         “Finally, I really wanted it. I remember that at first I didn’t like the introduction of  mystery and exploration traits, but now I love them”.

         “Well well, I'm reading that this time there are segments where you take control Katarina”.

         “It was about time, since her redemption arc it was a shame that she was relegated to being a NPC”.

         Redemption arc? Even in the games Katarina did have a story where she was redeemed? And here I had been thinking I was destined to be a villainess like her ... Maria was right, I was silly believing that the story of a game should dictate my fate. Lost as I was in these thoughts, I didn’t realize that one of those girls had noticed me and had reclaimed her partner’s attention: they both were staring at me with inquiring eyes.

         ‘Why are you looking at me like that, is something weird with my face?’ were the words that I was about to say when, suddenly, I remembered a detail: Of course there’s something weird with my face, it’s the face of Katarina Claes! Quickly, I turned around and tried to walk away discreetly, without much success, since I could hear them whispering. –“Katarina-samaaaaa! It is time to go.” –I could hear Maria's familiar voice calling me. No Maria, do not say my name, and even less with that honorific, they’ll suspect more... “I'm coming Maria...” Damn it, I made the same mistake and said her name! I had to speed up the pace to get out of there before raising more suspicions.

★★★★★★★★★

         - “Hasebe... were those two who I think they were?”.

         - “It seems so, Mami”.

         - “Do we owe an apology to the dorks?”.

         - “I'm afraid so”.

★★★★★★★★★

         It seems incredible how time passes when you are having fun. By the time we got back to Koji's house, it was almost 8 PM. Of course, Maria had to guide me through the garage again while I kept myeyes closed. It’s great to have someone close to help you through difficult times.

         As soon as Koji opened the door to his apartment, I threw myself at full speed inside, heading for my mobile phone. I picked it up in my hands, which trembled like puddings due to the emotion, and unplugging it, I started to turn it on. The seconds in which the screen remained black seemed like hours, the hours days ... but, finally, the logo lit up.

         As it started, my heart was beating so hard that my chest ached, I gasped as if I had run a marathon and my legs turned to molten jelly; It was so difficult for me to keep the balance due to the emotion deluge I was experimenting that I needed to lie down on the sofa, and I was so absorbed in what was happening that I barely heard Koji's voice scolding me for not taking off my shoes before entering… it’s been years without doing it, forgive my lack of habit .

         At last! Finally it asked me for the unlock pin. Fortunately, I could remember its goroawase code: 4651, yorokohi, which sounded similar to yorokobi, ‘joy’. A squeal of excitement escaped from my mouth when that familiar screen appeared in front of me, with my apps, my shojo manga wallpaper, my icons... it was like going back in time... A-chan, we are about to talk again.

         With trembling fingers, I opened my contact list and soon found my old friend. There were two phone number, her cell phone and her home phone; of course, the ideal movement would be to call her on her mobile phone. But of course, I could no longer use a phone whose contract had been long time canceled. “Koji, can I have your phone, please?” Koji had no problem about it, lending me his. I carefully checked the numbers on my phonebook, slowly pressing them on Koji's, checking once, twice, five times even that they matched. Once I was sure it was the same number, I pressed the call icon, activated the speaker so as not to bring the screen closer to my sweaty skin and, suddenly, that discouraging message was heard throughout the room: –“The number you have dialed doesn’t match any active client”.

         Silence enveloped the room. At the time I didn't realize it, but Maria and Koji were looking at me, confused her, concerned him. “No... nonononononono!” I pressed the same number again, making sure it was A-chan's, checking the numbers one by one ... same answer... again, again, again!, again!, againagainagain!

         “Chihiro ... I'm afraid that's not her phone number anymore”.

         “No, no, something must have happened, perhaps after so many years some data has been corrupted and some digit is wrong. I will try to change one number for another, I will hit jackpot in of them”.

         “Chihiro” –Koji repeated, with a firmer tone of voice, but not with an aggressive feeling. –“That phone no longer exists”.

         It couldn't end like this. I couldn't accept it! Then I remembered that I still had her home phone. I repeated the process, dialed the numbers, checked them, pressed the call key and ... contact! The phone was calling, soon I was going to hear A-chan's mature voice, I could notice someone picking it up and... a male voice answered: – “Hello, who is this?” –Do not be alarmed , I thought, sure it's her partner. “Hello good evening. Sorry for the inconvenience, but could I speak to Atsuko?”.

         “With whom?” –Never before two words had hurt me so much. I tried to keep my composure. “Atsuko, Atsuko Sasaki, we were friends years ago. Doesn't she live there? ”.

         “How many years ago was that?” Although I couldn't see myself, I knew I was turning white as snow. “W-well... ten years”.

         “Girl, I'm sorry, but we have been using this phone number for more than three years. I'm afraid it's not your friend's anymore”.

         “Excuse me,” I said with an obvious feeling of anxiety, “I don't want to bother you much more, but could you help me confirm that I dialed the phone correctly, please?” I named the digits one by one, the man agreed in each of them, a voice inside me repeated continuously pleasetellmeitiswrongpleasetellmeitiswrongpleasetellmeitiswrong. After his last statement, my spirits fell to the ground: I had correctly dialed the number.

★★★★★★★★★

         24 hours ago, we had a very lively dinner in this world. Katarina-sama, Koji-san and I had been chatting with great joy, exchanging questions and curiosities. I felt especially welcome and her smile shone with a passionate glow. Today however, the situation was completely different: I could barely hear anything but food been chewed, Katarina-sama showed a lost gaze, her face ashen and she ate slowly and without appetite ... moreover, I’d have sworn she was eating her rice on a grain by grain rythm. What could I say to cheer her up? I still didn’t understand how those phones worked. Koji-san had explained to me that they serve to talk to people who are far away, but each person has a personal numerical code; and apparently, those of Katarina-sama's friend no longer belonged to her, she probably had changed them. Katarina-sama… no longer had a way to contact her.

         “Hey Chihiro, I was thinking ... if you remember where your friend lives, we could go there tomorrow”. –As soon as Koji-san finished speaking, Katarina-sama sat up, hitting the table with her hands, opening her blue eyes wide; her smile returned to her face little by little.

         “Of course, there was that possibility! Owww, Koji, come here, lemme hug you”. –It seemed that she was back to being the same one as always.

         At night, already getting ready to sleep, Katarina-sama was very excited. “Katarina-sama, you must relax, if not, you will not be able to keep an eye on the whole night”.

         “I know Maria, I know. But I really want to see A-chan again… what will her life be like? Maybe she’s married? Will she have any children? I hope she doesn't own a dog, dogs hate me”.

         “You shouldn't think about it too much for now, you will only manage to make yourself unable to sleep”.

         “Yes, you're right. Tomorrow will be another day”. –And saying this, she turned to me and, joining her gaze with mine and taking my hand on hers, she said to me with that voice that sounded melodious like that of a harp played by a goddess –“Good night, Maria”. –And with this I didn't need anything else to feel relaxed and calm. Unlike last night, in this one I slept like a dormouse.

★★★★★★★★★

         With the excitement of a new day, we quickly ate our breakfast (well, I quickly ate my breakfast and I encouraged Maria and Koji to follow my rhythm), in order to head to the car as soon as possible. Although I had to be guided by Maria again, this time I dared to remain with my eyes open inside the vehicle. Possibly, the thought of seeing A-chan again kept my mind busy. “I think you two are going to get on well, Maria, you’ll see! Surely she will ask us questions about our world, for her it will be like meeting a famous individual in person. I cannot wait for it!”. Maria was just smiling with her usual charm and commenting on how nice it was to see me so happy. And in this way, we spent an hour travelling.

         When I got out of the car, I only had to turn the corner and ... there it was: A-chan's house. Here I had visited several times the one who was my best friend in this world. We were finally going to see each other again. So excited was I that I didn’t even notice the name on the mailbox or the plate, I directly pressed the intercom button; It didn’t take a long for a female voice to answer me: –“Yes, who is it?” –“Hello A-chan!”. There was silence… had she passed out? I hoped not... maybe I was too direct, maybe she thought it was a bad joke... and that’s when the front door opened, and there, on the inner courtyard was... a woman who I didn’t recognize. This woman was neither A-chan, nor her mother...

         “Oh my, if you look like two fairytale princesses. Do you speak Japanese?”.

         “A... A-chan? Does A-chan live here? Atsuko Sasaki?”.

         “Oh my, you do speak it. But no, I don't know that person, you must have gone to the  wrong house”.

         “No, this was not his house, I am sure. She was my friend…”.

         “But, how long have you not seen each other?”.

         Swallowing, unable to look at this stranger’s face, I mumbled “about ten years”.

         “My goodness! We just moved here 15 months ago. I'm afraid the girl you were looking for is not here”.

         Why was destiny torturing me this way? Why couldn’t they allow me to have a piece of happiness? Did I ask for so much? I could notice how tears welled up in my eyes.

         “Oh, poor thing, don't cry. Listen, I can give you the phone number and address of the real estate agency that sold us the apartment. There you can ask them, maybe they can help you find your friend”. –I showered that woman with thanks. Maybe I still had hope...

★★★★★★★★★

         “What do you mean you are not authorized to give that information?!” I have never seen Katarina-sama so angry. It seemed that at any moment flames were going to erupt from her eyes, her frown was so furrowed that her skin seemed rock, her mouth had turned into a grimace of anger... I never believed that she was a villainess as she thought of herseld, but I have to admit that I felt terryfied of seeing her like this.

         “Sorry miss, without a relative’s authorization or a legal order I cannot give you the details of a client, those are the rules”.

         “This cannot be, I demand to see a person in charge!” –She yelled, hitting the hall with her fist. –“I need to find her! Please…”–Her voice began to lose strength, sadness replaced anger, her eyes became soaked. –“…please…”.

         “Sorry, I already told you, I can't do anything. Those are the rules”.

         It seemed like this world was playing a cruel joke on her. Outside of that compound, she and Koji-san began to speak; Katarina-sama was desperate to find a solution.

         “The high school! It is the last option. They can help me get in touch with A-chan”.

         “It won't work either. They are not going to give the data of an old student to a stranger…”.

         “What do you mean ‘stranger’?! But, I used to be a student!”.

         “Yes, you were... as Chihiro. Katarina never studied there”. –Her face became petrified when she realized that he was right.

★★★★★★★★★

         So great was her grief that she was able to get into the vehicle on her own, without any trace of panic. On the trip, she wouldn’t stop crying ... and I couldn’t help but crying either. I couldn't bear to see her suffer like that.

         “I was so excited… I wanted to see her again… I wanted her to know that I’m fine, to see how I’ve progressed in this new life. I owe her a lot…”.

         “Katarina-sama, I ... I don't know what to say”. I wanted to help her in some way, but I didn't know how. This was out of my reach.

         “Don't worry Maria, it's not your fault. I guess… I guess not every story has a happy ending.” … “Do you mind… do you mind if I sleep on the way back? I’m so exhausted” –She said leaning back her face on my lap. On any other occasion, this would have been joyous to me, but it was not. I suffered for her, I felt so sorry for her...

         Please, if there are gods, if one of them is listening to me, help her. She has a heart of gold, she does not deserve to go through all of this... please...

★★★★★★★★★

         The noon light filtered through the windows of the cafeteria. People went in and out without stopping, chatting animatedly… and I was enjoying a delicious infusion of red fruits, a triple sandwich and delightful crepes with chocolate, blueberries and candied pear, with a touch of cream cheese to give it extra flavor.

         “I'm finally here, sorry for coming so late!” –Said a familiar voice. –“I suppose you really wanted to see me again”.

         “A-chan! It was about time, I've been waiting for you for more than half an hour; although this delicious snack has helped me endure it”.

         “You always being yourself. Tell me, did you manage to advance in Fortune Lover? What route have you unlocked?”.

         “Wow, you won't believe it! I have reached the friendship ending. Maria does not choose anyone, everyone become good friends with each other. At first I thought it was a boring ending, but when experienced up close is very beautiful… ” Wait… experienced up close? Why did I say that?

         “By the way, did the villainess give you too much trouble?”.

         “Oh, not at all, I never saw her ... I never saw her ... why didn't I see her? I don’t get it…”. I was trying to figure out the answer to this mystery while caressing my face with my gloved fingers. Wait, since when do I wear silk gloves? It was then that I began looking at my body, wrapped in elegant clothes, completely different to what I used to wear. Instinctively, I switched on my mobile phone, activated the front camera, and on its screen, it appeared: the face of the villainess, Katarina Claes. I looked up at A-chan again, who for a moment seemed to have white hair waving around her and a red glow in her gaze. “This is a dream, right?" She just nodded her head. “It’s the second time that we see each other in my dream! Oh A-chan, listen, yes, I reincarnated in a world that is like that of Fortune Lover, I am Katarina Claes, but I changed the story, I am no longer a villainess, we are all friends... and I’m now in Japan! I’ve arrived by accident, I will leave in two or three days... I am running out of time here, you have to tell me where you are, how to contact you. A-chan… I want to see you again”.

         “And so do I, Chihiro, my precious friend... but this is not the time for it”. –“Eh?” I felt like my heart had received a direct hit. “A-chan ... you don't want to see me anymore?”.

         “Of course I want to, but we can't see each other, not yet. Trust me: I promise we'll meet again, we'll talk together again. But now... I can't explain the details, but now it's impossible”.

         “How can I be sure you really are A-chan? This could be a figment of my imagination. The first time, you told me how to find Maria and Rafael’s real name, it was proof that it really was you. But now... this could only be part of my dream. And you would not be more real than them” I said pointing to the customers who were moving around the cafeteria; now, being aware of the truth, I could see that their faces were devoid of features, being little more than mere shadows.

         A-chan smiled and said to me –“Your doubts are understandable, but I can prove to you that I am who I claim to be: go to a store where you can buy old magazines and look for the number 108 of the magazine ‘Otome Heart’; once you have it, open page 47. There you will see proof that I really am Atsuko Sasaki”.

         Suddenly, the table we were at began to lengthen; not just the table, the entire stay: A-chan was moving away from me, the dream was ending. Desperate, I stretched out my hand and yelled “A-chan! I want you to know that you’ll always be my friend! No matter how many new friends I make, there will always be a space in my heart for you!”.

         “I know Chihiro, Katar... ama... geth... ur si... phia”. I couldn't hear her voice anymore. Everything turned white for an instant; I felt vibrations all over my body, a cozy softness under my face and a hand in my hair. Then I remembered, I had fallen asleep on Maria's lap, we were in Koji's car...

         “Koji, let's go downtown again!” I yelled getting up suddenly. Poor Maria was so frightened that she screamed as if the ground was sinking under her feet.

★★★★★★★★★

         When I opened my eyes I noticed moisture on my face. Had I been crying?

         “Sophia, are you alright? You fell asleep and I didn't want to disturb you, but a moment ago you were sobbing”. –Said that figure in front of me, with jet black hair and delicate features like a porcelain doll.

         “Onii-sama; I'm not sure, but I think I had a very sad dream ... and at the same time, beautiful”.

★★★★★★★★★

         "Katarina-sama, why have we come here? What did you say you were looking for?”.

         “The number 108 of ‘Otome Heart’; It is a magazine for girls, full of articles about fashion, accessories, music, shojo manga and otome games, among other things”. The Otome Heart bookshelf was large, but some numbers were missing. I hoped number 108 wasn't one of them. Fortunately, it wasn’t: there were 9 copies.

         Koji was waiting for us outside, when he saw us appear, Maria was walking next to me and I was ripping off the plastic that wrapped the product. Both were confused and asked for explanations. “I can't explain why, but in my dream I was instructed to get this number”. As expected, they looked at me with expressions of even greater confusion. I didn't understand it myself, but I was about to know it. I observed the date on the magazine: 10 months after my death in this world; whatever was in here, it was impossible for me to know it, not even on a subconscious level. Determined, I opened page 47 and...

         It was the 'fan arts' section, where readers sent drawings made by themselves. And among all of them, there was one very big and beautiful: in it you could see two girls on top of a tree with a rainbow over it, holding hands together... and I could easily recognize them: those were A-chan and myself, my ‘me’ from my past life; Beneath the drawing was a handwritten text in gold letters, imitating the Fortune Lover font style: –“Dedicated to my dear friend Chihiro Yamane, whom I miss every day of my life. Wherever you are, I want you to know that it’s thanks to you that I knew happiness and that you were the most beautiful gift that life could have given me. Hopefully someday we'll be together, somehow. I love you with all my heart, forever, your friend, your partner, your soul sister, Atsuko A-chan Sasaki”.

         My legs failed to hold me. When I was able to realize it, I was on my knees on the floor, with the magazine tightly pressed against my chest… I couldn't resist it anymore and I started crying like I had never cried before.

★★★★★★★★★

         “Oh Katarina-sama, welcome back”. After the magazine incident, Katarina-sama only wanted to eat a little and take a nap. When more than an hour had passed, she got up, in her pajamas in the middle of the evening, but with that smile on her face again. “How are you?”. I had never seen her cry as she cried this morning; Koji-san and I had to help her getting back to her feet and try to calm her down. She explained to us what happened when we got home. Had her friend really communicated with her in dreams? And twice. But without a doubt, that dedication was so beautiful ... there was no doubt that Atsuko loved her in a very special way.

         “I feel much better Maria. I don't know why A-chan told me that we still couldn't meet, but I trust her word: I don't know how or when but I know we'll be together again. ” –She was once again the Katarina Claes so full of life that I knew. –“Hey, since we are here and I’m in my pajamas, what do you think about organizing a video game tournament? That way we can spend the evening”.

         And so, little by little, our third day in this world came to an end. That night Katarina-sama confessed to me that she was nervous; It was no wonder, the next day she would see the rest of her former family, her brother Shinji, her parents and her grandmother.

         “I wonder, will they believe me? How will they take it? Oh Maria, this is so complicated… I feel like my two lives are fighting for me”.

         “I can only tell you one thing: be yourself. Your heart is a gift, you can win people over only with your personality. They will understand you”.

         “Thank you very much Maria; whenever I talk to you I feel so much better”. –And in a completely unexpected way and causing me to be stunned, she kissed me on the forehead. –“Good night Maria”. –Good night Katarina-sama I thought, because my lips couldn't even move. But without a doubt, that was a night that I will never forget.

Chapter Text

         I woke up with a sensation of humidity and cold crawling throughout my body; it didn’t take me long to realize that it was the result of my own sweat, which had assaulted me at night. I didn't know what time it was, but there was no natural light source yet, so I couldn't see if I had caused Maria to wake up; however, my ears revealed that she was still asleep, with that soft and melodious breath of hers; without a doubt, the person Maria chose as a couple would have the most relaxed and comfortable dreams in history. "Fitting for the heroine of an otome game" I thought, but I immediately discarded those thoughts: no, Maria was not the heroine of an otome game, nor was I the villainess; we were two real people in a real world, not subject to the dictatorship of a video game script. I had finally understood it, after so many years behaving stupidly.

         I sat on the bed, not knowing what to do. Clearly I couldn't sleep due to the excitement, and my wet pajamas and sheets weren't going to help. In fact, I had to do something or I’d end up having a cold on the worst possible day for it. Although my phone could no longer be used as such, it did have its multiple functions, including a flashlight, which helped me into grabbing a blanket from the closet, always trying to make the least possible noise so I wouldn’t wake up Maria.

         I had gone to the kitchen covered with the blanket, because due to not being able to sleep, hunger had attacked my stomach. It was 5:40 in the morning, but I did not picture myself able to sleep again, so I thought about eating something and watching television to distract myself just so slightly. Preparing a warm cocoa and, for the lack of something sweet, some peanuts, I turned on that device that had been my usual companion at night so long ago. The programming at dawn was ... mediocre, to say the least: stupid contests, tele-shopping programs, news programs, ... I did not imagine that Koji was going to be subscribed to a certain type of channel (thank God that I have the volume set at low, I thought; I wouldn’t want Maria's innocence to be tainted). After spending a while going from channel to channel, something familiar appeared on the screen: it was a live action show, where a superhero dressed in black and green armor could be seen fighting against a purple humanoid monster with golden horns. "Ooooh, Kamen Rider W, I remember this show, I saw it as a child." Sipping some cocoa from the mug I decided to relax and let myself be absorbed by a pleasant and nostalgic session of tokusatsu re-runs.

★★★★★★★★★

         "Ka ... Katarina-sama?" When I woke up I realized that I was alone in bed; Katarina-sama waiking up before me was nothing sort of strange or out of place... what I did not expect was to find her as I found her in the main room: she was asleep on the sofa, badly wrapped in a blanket, her head lying backwards, with her face facing the ceiling and a string of drool running down the corner of his lips; an almost empty bowl, except for a few peanuts, lay half-overturned on her legs. The television was on and in it I could watch what looked like some kind of warriors in colored armors fighting a monstrous creature.

         Carefully, trying not to startle her, I approached her and, placing my hand gently on her shoulder, I proceeded to shake her with delicacy, calling her without raising my voice too much."Katarina-sama, wake up; this is no place to sleep."

         "The tiramisu is mine ... oh, hello Maria!" –I could see some remarkable dark circles under her eyes. Clearly, she hadn’t spent a good night.

         "What were you doing sleeping here? Perhaps…? Oh, don't tell me that ...! Do I snore in bed?”

         "What? No, no, not at all, I could barely hear you! I was the one who couldn't sleep out of nervousness; the emotions made me sweat a lot and my heart was pounding really fast. Also, I’d have moved a lot in bed trying to find a comfortable position, and I didn't want to disturb your sleep, that's why I came here. And it seems that by clearing my mind just a bit, I was finally able to rest a little. How have you slept, by the way?

         "Me? Oh, perfectly, in fact, I'd say it’s been a long time since I’ve slept so well,” I said as I sat next to her, watching her smiling face. "Katarina-sama, I'm glad to see you happy. Yesterday ... yesterday I came to fear that sadness would overflow you; I must admit that I had a hard time recognizing you.”

         "Don't worry Maria, don't give it any more thought," she commented, stroking a lock of my hair. Katarina-sama… if you really knew how much this gesture means to me… -“It was a very strange day, there is no doubt, but I am already facing it in a new way; Yes, I am very sorry that I could not see A-chan again, but I believe in her words. Perhaps, in the same way that we ended up in this world, she was transported to ours. Can you imagine it? Perhaps she’s living in a distant kingdom, having become the court’s chief scientist, the architect of its amazing advances... oh sorry, I think I'm being delusional."

         I couldn't hold a slightly audible laugh. “Yes, you are undoubtedly the usual Katarina-sama. And do not worry about it, it’s this attitude of yours, so full of joy that fills us with jubilation. Please, don’t change ever." She just gave me her beautiful smile.

         "Ouch ... now I'm nervous once again. Today I am going to see my family again, my old family. I can’t even get used to the idea of how they have suffered all this time. Just imagining them here makes me want to throw myself onto them and hug them. It’s... it’s so complicated... ever since I recovered my memories of my old life I repeated to myself every day that I had to overcome it, I had to turn the page over: I would never see them again, I could never say goodbye to them and tell them that I loved them one last time… and now, suddenly, this opportunity presents itself before me. All these feelings that I had locked inside myself are coming out, all at once.” As she spoke, she tightened her arms against herself, clearly overcome with emotion. And when she looked at me again, she said -"Maria, are you crying?"

         "It is nothing to worry about, Katarina-sama," I replied as I dried my tears; "It just is that I’ve tried to imagine how you have lived all these years, with such pain and guilt that you could not even externalize or show... and at the same time you were so positive. Your will is admirable, without a doubt. But I am very happy for you, I hope you have some precious moments today”. I went to the kitchen while I kept on speaking. "By the way, surely the emotion will have whetted your appetite, right?" I knew her well enough to know that the answer was 'yes'. "I will prepare something for breakfast, do you want any specific dish?" -"Well, I’ll let you choose Maria: surprise me." –She commented with that wonderful smile of hers. I decided to make a fusion of both worlds, combining rice, fish, pancakes, eggs... resulting in an attractive mosaic of smells, shapes and flavors.

         "Yahooooooo, what a good look! Nothing like a full stomach to make you forget all your worries." –Just after sitting down and starting to eat the rice, Katarina-sama turned her gaze to the empty chair next to her. -“Wait, now that I think about it, what about Koji? Is he still in bed?”

         “Now that you mention it, I haven't seen him. Even more, wasn't he supposed to sleep in that room? ” I pointed to a room whose door was ajar, showing an interior lit by the morning sun. "It looks like he woke up before us and went out."

         "Do you think so? I wonder what he was going to do... well, it's a shame but we will have to eat breakfast without him. Itadakimasu!" –It’s funny how my spell to learn languages worked: there were expressions, like this one that Katarina-sama had used, that instead of me understanding its exact meaning, I had a grasp of the idea that they meant to imply; perhaps because there is no specific equivalent in our language.

         But while I was eating breakfast, I realized on an important detail: Katarina-sama and I were alone, in privacy. There was no one to come between us... I could be honest with her; and I was determined on her understanding me. "Katarina-sama, what do you plan to do with your engagement to Prince Jeord?"

         "Eh? Why are you asking me that, Maria?”

         “Well, I’ve been thinking, what will you do when the time comes to get married? Do you love him?”

         "No Maria, that will not happen, you see, Jeord is using me as a shield to scare the rest of her suitors, waiting for the moment to marry who she truly loves."

         I couldn't believe it... her density was adorable, but at the same time, frustrating, very very frustrating. She still hadn't realized the situation. "But tell me, if that doesn't happen, in the hypothetical case that he doesn't fall in love with someone else, what will you do? You will have to marry him and become queen…”. Katarina-sama was starting to get nervous. It was clear that she had not taken this into account.

         "Bbb-but... but I'm sure he already has someone in mind, I know he's already in love..."

         "Are you thinking that the one who occupies his heart is me?" Katarina-sama was speechless ... I felt guilty giving her this hard time, but I needed to open her eyes. - "I... well yes... I thought that... that is, that he... you..." –I sighed deeply. "Katarina-sama... I thought you understood that our life is not like that game. I want to make it very clear, that there is no room for misunderstandings or double meanings: I do not feel any kind of attraction for Prince Jeord beyond friendship; and I can assure you that his feelings are the same as mine.”

         Katarina-sama's jaw dropped, staring into nothingness... I guess she was trying to process this information.

★★★★★★★★★

ALARM! ALARM! THIS IS NOT A DRILL, I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT A DRILL! ALL STAFF, GO TO YOUR POSTS! THE SITUATION IS CRITICAL, I REPEAT, CRITICAL!

         "Order, order! Please, everyone present yourselves, take your seats. Presiding over, this one, Chairman Katarina Claes. Summarizing this new information that has been provided to us; apparently, all our plans were based on an erroneous premise: according to Maria, she is not in love with Jeord, and likewise, neither is he with her. This situation is complicated, since this entails that Jeord is not going to break our engagement to marry her, at least not to marry Maria.”

         “Spineless Katarina Claes requesting the floor. With your permission, now that we have no reason to end up as the Katarina of the game, perhaps we shouldn't be scared of this situation. Jeord is not going to try to kill or exile us, we are friends. So there should be nothing to fear."

         "B ... but ..." -"Go ahead, Timid Katarina Claes." -“But, this poses new problems for us: if Jeord is not in love with Maria, that means he has not yet found anyone and, if he doesn’t found anyone in a future, we will end up getting married. Are we ready to be queen in a loveless relationship? Jeord is very attractive, but would we be happy like this?”

         “With permission, speaking now, Intellectual Katarina Claes. Jeord is very insistent on not breaking the engagement, too. There’s something we have not considered. It’s not just to keep other suitors apart, his reluctance indicates that it is in his best interest to have us as a fiancé... possibly he already has someone in mind; and now we know that’s not Maria.”

         “It must be someone close to us, that's why he wants to remain our fiancé! If it’s not Maria, maybe it's Sophia, or even Mary! ”

         “With all due respect, Happy Katarina Claes, both options are unlikely: Jeord would not be so despicable as to try to take his brother’s fiancé, especially not with the good relationship between them. In addition, Mary has expressed on multiple occasions that she does not see herself as queen. And if it were Sophia, given that she is single and without a fiancé, Jeord would have long since canceled our engagement and asked for her hand, especially if we consider her friendship with the Ascarts. I think there is one more option that we have not contemplated.”

         "And what option is that, Intellectual?"

         "Let's look at the situation: we now know that Jeord is not interested in Maria, we have dismissed Mary and Sophia, and he flatly refuses to break our engagement instead of looking for a new wife. This indicates that: 1 – he’s already in love; 2 – he wants to keep us close”.

         "Wait a minute ... are you suggesting that...? -"Yes, that’s is."

         "It cannot be! All this time, how have we not noticed it?”

         (ALL IN UNISON): "Jeord is in love with Anne!"

         "It makes complete sense! The Third Prince cannot break his engagement with a duchess to marry a mere maid, it would be a dreadful scandal. Even though she has noble blood, she is only the illegitimate daughter of a baron, and was disowned by her father. Not to mention that she is eight years older than him.”

         “But, it is such a beautiful love story. It would be the ideal plot of a romance novel: The Icy Prince and the Silent Maid. I cry tears from the emotion of just thinking about it!”

         “There is only one question left: what does Anne think? Does she knows the situation, does she reciprocate his feelings? Maybe… maybe they already have a secret romance!”.

         “I wouldn't dismiss that possibility, Spineless. I think with this, everything has been clarified. When we return we will have to help these two lovers to be together, and make it clear that we will never come between them. Especially for Anne: the poor girl deserves to be happy, and we will help her. Having said all this, this meeting is adjourned.”

★★★★★★★★★

         "Katarina-sama, are you alright? You've been thoughtful for a few minutes, looking at nothingness. Your breakfast is getting cold, in fact.” I was beginning to fear that her mind had gone out due to confusion. She used to stay in these pensive trances, but this one had lasted longer than usual.

         "Oh, I’m sorry Maria. It just was that… I had been with this preconceived idea for so long that it was difficult for me to assimilate this new reality. I can't believe I’ve been blinded for that long. Definitely, the game's story had clouded my sight. Even more, do you remember the other day in the arcade center? When I went to buy the snacks, I found that Fortune Lover is already in its fifth installment. This morning, while struggling with my insomnia, I wondered if, perhaps, I could look for information from their story, some strategy guide, plot summary, that kind of things."

         "Oh ..." I thought that once again she was allowing herself to be influenced by the games, as if they predicted the future in an infallible way. But to my relief, she replied with encouraging words. -“But I decided not to. They are games after all, with stories that are similar to our lives, but not identical. If I have already changed the first one so much, imagine the following entries. Who can claim that they will be right? Maybe I would end up blinded once again, or worse... so I preferred to ignore them completely. It’s already enough knowing one detail that I found out that day, so, as far as I am concerned, whatever happens in the game stays in the game. Whatever has to happen in real life, we will face it all together.”

         A tear escaped my eye and with a smile I replied: “Katarina-sama, you have matured. I'm so glad to hear you say this.”

         “And I am also very happy, Maria. I feel a weight has been lifted off me, I feel freer than ever. Also, I already have my head pretty busy with what is going to happen in a few hours... I’m thinking what to tell them to make them believe me. Hey, wait a minute, now that I think about it: if you say that I have matured, does that mean that I looked childish to you before?”

         Her slightly whiny tone inspired tenderness, but I didn't notice her being furious at all. “Ha ha, no, not at all Katarina-sama. It is true that you have your eccentricities, but I would not call them being childish. It's just that I'm really glad that you finally see things differently.” I decided not to tell her what I wanted so badly to say with all my soul. She already had too much to think about. If everything went well, tomorrow I would tell her, when she was more relaxed.

★★★★★★★★★

         I was clearing the table with Maria when the apartment door opened, Koji showing up with a shopping cart that was apparently loaded.

         "Nii-san!" I screamed as I ran to hug him. Truth be told, I wanted to use that expression again: sometimes just being the big sister can be boring. With a friendly tap on his shoulder I said, "Hey, how could you go shopping without telling us? You had us worried."

         "Hahaha! Well, today family is coming, we had to have food for everyone, don't you think? Also, I saw you sleeping so comfortably that I didn't want to interrupt your rest.”

         “Oh, that's right, you saw me asleep on the sofa! Owwww, what a shame! I just couldn't sleep due to nervousness and… ”

         “I already imagined it, I can't blame you. Well, if you want to distract yourself a little, how about we tidy up all that I’ve purchased and prepare the food? Because they will arrive here at 12:00, more or less.”

         "So soon?! Aw aw aw aw, I still don't know what to tell them… yes, it will be good for me to keep my mind occupied.”

★★★★★★★★★

         With the food ready and the expected time already approaching, Katarina was getting more and more nervous, with Maria trying to calm her down. I couldn't blame her, after all. I couldn't help but feel nervous too: how would our parents take it? Maybe I should stay close to Mom in case she passed out...

         After a few minutes that felt eternal, the intercom buzzer sounded, causing a deathly silence in the house; looking on the screen, there I could see my family... our family. "It's them," I said, pressing the open button. -"Ooff, ooff, I’m so nervous, okay, we will do as planned, we wait in the room, you introduce us, then I try what I had in mind, and then I hope they don't call a madhouse..." -"Katarina-sama, please calm down, and try to breathe, you are going to lose consciousness at this rate!" –Maria accompanied her to the room, where they would remain until the time came. It was not even ten seconds since the door was closed when the doorbell of my house rang.

         "Dad, mom! Come here, give me a hug!” I was not surprised by the slightly confused reaction of my parents, who surely did not expect to find me so loving.

         "Son, what is wrong with you? Not that I have complaints about this reception, but I'm not used to seeing you like this.”

         "Your mother is right Koji, what’s the point of so much joy?"

         "Is there something wrong with me saying hello to my parents? Eyyy, how are you feeling Shinji?" I greeted my brother with a very energetic handshake, which, predictably, he felt somewhat uncomfortable.

         “Koji, calm down, you don't control your strength. Well, are you going to explain me why did you insist so much on making a strictly family meal? Hotaru didn’t take very well that I’d came here without her, she thinks that you dislike her or something like that…” Shinji looked at the table. Observer as he was, he soon realized something special in it. -"Wow, six dishes and there are only four of us... let me see if I guess correctly, you are going to get married and your girlfriend and one of her parents are also coming, aren't they?"

         "Koji! Is that true? Oh my son, what a joy, come, let me kiss you!”

         Calm down mom, calm down. It’s nothing like that, it’s something very important, but it’s not related to that. Make yourself comfortable, sit at the table and I'll explain everything to you.”

         I took care of arranging them in a specific way: mom in the center of one end, tilted by dad and Shinji. I was sitting in front of them, with the center and left chairs unoccupied.

         "Well, let's see, what is that so important matter and why do we have to sit like this? And who is supposed to sit in the remaining two seats? "

         "Well, Dad, you will know it right away, but I insist: please, don't jump to conclusions and listen to everything." And turning my eyes towards the room I shouted "you can enter now!". You could hear whispers, mainly Katarina gasping and Maria exhorting her to calm down. As expected, confusion ran through the faces of my family.

         When the door to the room opened, they were waiting expectantly, showing bewilderment as they saw the two girls appear. They stood standing in front of the table and Maria was the first to act; making an educated bow, she introduced herself: -"Nice to meet you, my name is Maria Campbell." –Katarina remained motionless, flushed, her gaze downcast, not daring to cross her gaze with those present; Maria had to tap her lightly to make her react. -"Ah! Yes, yes, my name is Katarina, Katarina Claes. It’s my pleasure to be here." –With those words being said, they both took a seat, with Katarina in the center facing Mom. The three guests directed their inquiring gaze at me.

         "Koji, what does this mean, who are these girls? Son, I'm used to you being a Casanova, but aren't they a little young? You haven't get yourself involved in trouble, have you?”

         "Your father is right! Son, what have you done? For my soul, what have you done? I was not expecting this from you."

         "And on top of that they are foreigners... let me guess, in their country they are below the age of consent and now you have a serious legal problem, isn't it, little brother?"

         “Wait a minute, please calm down! I did not imagine you had such a bad idea of me. For starters, let's be clear: we haven't done anything, understood? Absolutely nothing, and I haven't run into any legal problems. It's just that one of them has something to tell you, something very important."

         "Koji, understand it, what idea do you want us to have of you? You should learn from me and settle down, even though you are the one being flirted with”. –As soon as my brother finished speaking, a female voice replied: -“You have become so serious, Shinji; it seems unbelievable that you are the same one that one day exchanged the nikuman from dad's lunch with wasabi-filled ones.”

         Hearing these words, Dad turned an angry look at Shinji. -"Was it you?!" -"Wh-what, no, n-no, wait, how did you know that, girl?" -“So it was you! All these years thinking that some joker at work was the one behind the prank, and it had been my own son! Do you have any idea how I left the company toilet that day?”

         "Mister Yamane, you should calm down. By the way, are you still subscribed to the magazine 'Love in Apron' to this day?” –Katarina had calmed down at last, and spoke with ease and mischief.

         “What do you mean 'Love in Apron'? Isn't that a fetish magazine of girls dressed only in a maid's apron?” -Mom’s face had reddened... I understood that Katarina needed to use something personal as evidence, but I wished that this would not end in a divorce.

         “I… I don't know what you're talking about, this girl couldn't know… I mean, she shouldn't know any secret about us! I mean, she knows nothing, that is, she knows nothing!"

         I admit that I needed to hold back the laughter seeing the situation. But things suddenly changed when, softly, Katarina began to sing ... a song that we knew very well.

When you see the night fall

And the birds get quiet

You know that silence will come

In the forest of dreams

The sun says goodbye

And your hair you feel caressed

By the skein as it passes

Through the forest of dreams

It's time to rest

Says the bag upon waking up

Because the night is close to arrive

In the forest of dreams

Another day will surely come

But now you have to protect

And tomorrow you will say hello

To the forest of dreams

         That song... that was the lullaby that our mother used to sing to us... but some words were different. Instead of 'wind' (kaze) he said 'skein' (kase), 'bag' (fukuro) appeared instead of 'owl' (fukurou), and instead of 'sleep' (nemuru) she used 'protect' (mamoru). I thought she just remembered it wrongly... but nothing was further from the truth, because when she finished singing, Mom stood up, gripped by what seemed to be a mixture of fear, surprise and joy. Slowly she approached Katarina, her hands open as if hesitating to hug someone; the young woman stood up and remained impassive in front of her.

         "That... that song was the lullaby that I used to sing to my children. But those mistakes... she liked to sing it with me and made those same mistakes. How come you…?”

         "I still remember the last words you said to me." Katarina smiled as she closed her eyes, eyes from which tears began to flow. -“I have never seen a schoolgirl dressed like this! Don’t you have any shame?”

         Mom put her hands on her head, screamed as loudly as her lungs would allow, and suddenly hugged Katarina, who reciprocated the hug. Bursting loudly into tears, Mom said those words so full of emotion: -“CHIHIROOOOO! MY CHIHIRO, YOU ARE BACK, YOU ARE BACK!”. Katarina's only answer were two words: -"Hello mom."

         My father and brother were speechless, incredulous at the situation. They both looked at me. -"Koji, what does this ... this pantomime mean?" -“Is it some kind of cruel joke? You know that our mother has yet to fully recover.” –Impassible, with my arms crossed but unable to hold back my tears, I answered: “Dad, Shinji, I know it’s hard to believe, but for three days since we met, she has been residing here and, in this time, everything has become clear to me, without any doubt remaining. Incredible as it may seem, I can assure you that this girl is truly Chihiro's reincarnation.”

         Speechless at the revelation, it would take a few seconds for them to react, standing up without saying a single word; finally they managed to start the step, approaching the two women, hesitantly but without pause. It was only when they were close that Katarina that she looked back at them and, opening her arms, said: -"Dad, Shinji ... you can't imagine how I’ve missed you." Almost without realizing it, I also joined that family hug, the five of us together again. Please time, make this moment last forever.

★★★★★★★★★

         I never imagined that someday I would live this moment again: my parents, my brothers, my family from my old life... we were together again, eating at the same table. Many questions flew, especially from Dad and Shinji, who were still somewhat skeptical of the situation, but their doubts were gradually cleared. Mom, for her part, constantly challenged them, concatenating my answers with a -"See? This is really her!" I explained many things to them: my life as a duchess, the world I lived in, magic, my friends... although I noticed a gesture of bitterness when I mentioned my current family. On the other hand, Maria was an excellent companion at the table who was very good in conversations. Mom didn’t take a long time to ask if she was the princess of Sorcier, because her beauty was worthy of one; at these words, Maria merely blushed heavily and commented on how much she had flattered her.

         But after finishing dessert, I remembered what my older brother told me in the morning: “By the way, Koji told me that grandma couldn't come to eat with us, but that we could visit her in the afternoon. We will go, won’t we?” Suddenly, a black mist clouded their faces. And I felt my heart crushing as if a giant was squeezing it with all its might.

Chapter Text

         We’d been inside the car for about 20 minutes, but it felt like a whole day had passed. Katarina-sama had decided to go in the same vehicle that her former parents were traveling in; once again, she needed a little help getting on it, offered by her past life’s mother, although it pained me to think that the reason she seemed to be able to fight her fear was that sadness wielded more power over her.

         I concluded that she deserved this moment of privacy, so I got into Koji-san’s vehicle, in which Shinji-san was also sitting. The scene that had occurred just half an hour before was freshly burned in my mind...

★★★★★★★★★

         “What… what happened to Grandma? Why are you making such faces? Don’t tell me that…” –Katarina-sama was completely pale, her breathing accelerated and her body trembling like the last maple leaf blown by the autumn winds.

         It was then that her father from her previous life managed to speak. –“No, it’s not what you’re thinking… but I’m afraid it’s not good news either. Grandma… sometimes we go to visit her. But she can’t hear us anymore…”. –He raised his face and, looking at the one who once was his daughter, concluded: –“A little over two years ago, she was, as was her custom, working in her farm when, later, was found unconscious: she suffered a stroke and has been in a coma ever since.”

Katarina-sama’s face was completely devoid of noticeable feelings, as if her mind had been completely emptied... until little by little, tears came back to her eyes.

         “No no no! It cannot be! It’s a lie, tell me it’s a lie! Please dad, tell me this is a lie!”

★★★★★★★★★

         And this is how that cozy and endearing table talk gave way to that evening so full of consternation. We were heading to a hospital where Katarina-sama’s grandmother from this life was admitted.

         “So, Maria, what is your relationship with Chihiro?” –The person who had spoken was called Shinji, he was Koji-san’s older brother. With dark brown hair, very similar to what Katarina-sama had in her portrait as Chihiro, and a much more discreet physique than that of her younger brother. Koji-san had mentioned that since the death of his sister, the smile had escaped from his face, as if he had banished any semblance of joy from his being... which I could not reproach him, since losing a sibling has to be one of the most painful experiences ever.

         “Well, we met at the Magic Academy. As one of the best students in the school, I became part of the student council. And, although Katarina-sama was not part of it officially, the fact that most of its members were close friends of hers allowed her to attend it as an honorary member. You see, they couldn’t bear the idea of spending hours there without her around.”

         “So, are those the members of Katarina’s famous harem?” –Koji-san said suddenly.

         “What; harem?! H-hey, Maria, what kind of immoral rules does your world have? Besides, Chihiro is no pervert!”

        “Koji-san! Please don’t provoke these misunderstandings!” Koji-san didn’t hide a soft laugh. I supposed he was trying to generate some humor in this sad situation, but I think he did not expect that reaction from his brother. Turning to the later, I started to explain the context: “You see, Shinji-san, it’s a bit strange, for lack of a better word. Katarina-sama, Chihiro, is someone with a charming and very loving personality. She is always ready to help others, to see the best in people, to judge them by who they really are, not by what the crowd sees. She has been there when we’ve needed her the most, always so positive, so radiant, so loyal... but her way of being so selfless ended up having the effect that all those whose lives she has filled with light... have become madly in love with her. Her fiancé Jeord; Alan, his brother; Keith, her adoptive brother; the Ascart siblings, Nicol and Sophia; Mary, Alan's fiancée; Rafael, ex-president of the student council; and even myself.” I had no doubt that my face was heavily flushed; Shinji-san, for her part, just looked at me inquisitively, though without the initial hostility.

         “She… she was always like this. I see she hasn’t changed at all in that way. But the idea that so many of you have fallen prey to her charms… I still can’t imagine her being such a skilled seductress. That’s a part of her that I find unrecognizable…”       

         “Oh no, it’s not what you’re thinking at all! Katarina-sama is unaware of our feelings. She has never tried to conquer anyone, it always happened spontaneously, thanks to her way of being and her big heart. But she is unable to see it, as if she believes she is unworthy of receiving anyone’s love. And now here, I have been able to understand that the cause was the game.”

         “Game?” –Shinji-san asked without understanding what I was referring to in that sentence.

         “Oh right, you don’t know about it. You see, it turns out that, somehow, our world is portrayed in yours as a video game. And in said video game, Katarina Claes is the villainess. Apparently, Katarina-sama played that game before her death and… she has lived all this time convinced that her destiny was to be the villainess, which only has doom endings. She was so blinded by fear that she was unable to realize the truth: that she was not a villainess, she’s never been one, she never behaved like one. But… but panic clouded his judgment. Maybe I shouldn’t blame her, I don’t know how I would have reacted in that situation...”

        “Eh?! Wait, are you telling me that... my sister lives in a video game?! And you are a character from it?”

         “No Shinji, it is a real world, a dimension parallel to ours; and Maria is a human being like us… well, except for her magical powers. To put it simply, in here that world is reflected as a video game. It’s a bit complicated, I’ll explain it to you in more depth later, this isn’t the best moment.”

         “I’m having a hard time assimilating all of this… a part of me still thinks this is a dream. My sister, reborn in a world like that of a video game, with magic and fantastic creatures… it looks like the plot of a light novel…” –I was about to ask him what a “light” novel is, when he was the one who asked me a question: –“And by the way Maria, how do you travel between worlds? It would be great if you came to visit often, or even if we visited that other world. It must be a unique experience, and the air is surely much purer than ours.”

         “Oh… you see Shinji-san… we came here by pure accident. The portal that brought us to your world was intended to travel only a few meters. It was an unforeseen mishap that caused the magic circuit to malfunction and send us to a parallel world. Although they can remake the circuit to take us back… I can’t assure you that we can reproduce the translocation again. There is a possibility that once we return home it will be the last time we see each other.”

         “Whaaaat?!” –Shinji's face reflected a combination of surprise and disappointment… as well as traces of anger. –“Are you telling me that… that I am going to lose my sister again… that she is going to dissappear, that she is going to leave us, her family, even though we may not see her again! That... that can’t be. I can’t accept Chihiro vanishing from my life again!”

         I didn’t know what to say... I was intimidated and, at the same time, I could empathize with him. If I had lost a loved one and had the opportunity to get them back, I don’t think I would act differently. “Shinji-san, please me, I can’t decide for her. I understand your feelings, but…”

         “Shinji, calm down!” –Koji-san firmly exhorted her brother. –“You cannot force Katarina to stay here, not when there are other people waiting for her return.”

         “But… Koji, how can you say that ?! It's your sister, our sister! We lost her once and now that she’s here again, are you willing to let her go? And another thing, why do you call her Katarina?”

         “Because that’s her name. Shinji, it’s been hard for me to accept it, but the truth is what it is: Katarina was Chihiro, but not anymore. Yes, we lost her very soon; yes, it was unfair and painful; yes, I wish she had never left... but that’s what happened. She has a new life, a new family that loves her too, many friends who long for her return. If we forced her to stay, we would be causing those people the same pain that we suffered. We would be their ‘reckless driver’. And that is something that I cannot accept.”

         Shinji-san was speechless at his brother's words. With his downcast eyes he looked like being trying to weigh the situation, unable to prevent the feelings from overwhelming him.

         “At least” –Koji-san continued –“we have one consolation: she is alive again, maybe not with us, but she is. And she is happy. And for me, that’s what really matters.”

         Although I couldn’t see his face, there was emotion in his voice. I thought it might be a good idea to change the subject to ease the grief. “How was the relationship between Katarina-sama and her grandmother?”

         “Uh?” –Shinji-san said, clearly unprepared at my question. –“Ah, our grandmother was always a very loving and hard-working woman, an example of optimism and positivism for everyone. Even at her age, she still enjoyed working in the farm. Chihiro... she loved listening to her lessons on how to plant seeds, how to apply fertilizer, how to properly water the crops... the truth is that they were very close. I don’t even want to think about what she must be going through. We have been used to the idea for a long time.”

         “If I didn’t misunderstand anything, has she been unconscious for more than two years? But how does she stay alive? How does she get nourishment?”

         “Science. The same one that has allowed the construction of vehicles that do not need animal traction, gigantic buildings, flameless lights, televisions, electrical appliances… all the technological advances that you have experienced.”

         Magic may not exist in this world, but without a doubt, this technology had nothing to envy from it. In fact, I considered the possibility that some of the devices available here could be adapted into our world as a magical artifacts. It was something that people in the Ministry could find of interest…

         “However, science has limits, it cannot perform miracles; unfortunately, the possibility that our grandmother will ever wake up is completely out of the question. And with each passing day she grows a little weaker. Actually... it may sound cruel, but sometimes I wish for this to end at once so she can rest in peace. At the end of the day... continuing on surviving in this situation is not life.”

         Koji-san’s words came loaded with sadness and pain. I couldn’t help but reflect on them. I tried to imagine that situation. Sleep forever, unaware of the world around me, deteriorating little by little... No! It was a horrible ending, I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. I couldn’t imagine the pain that Katarina-sama was suffering. I was wondering, how was she? What was she talking about with her former parents?

★★★★★★★★★

         I was leaning on Mom's shoulder, who had offered to sit next to me in the back seat. Her touch helped me calming down. Her voice… it was a voice that I had not heard for so long, full of tenderness and nostalgia. When she called me “Chihiro”... I couldn’t hold back tears. And even less so when I thought that I would never hear certain person say that name again.

         “How did it happen?” I asked them. “How did dranma suffer that stroke?” I could notice how mom increased her hug’s strength.

         “It was a day in June. It was very hot and she was working on her farm, as always. That day she was alone in the house. Your father was working, Koji and Shinji were already emancipated and each of them was busy that morning; for my part, I was attending… therapy.” –I didn’t need to ponder much to deduce what was the reason of she was attending it. –“Apparently, she probably felt tired and leaned back a little on her lounger and fell asleep. Unfortunately, her hat must have fallen to the ground and she was exposed to the sun for too long. When I got home, I greeted her and she didn’t answer me. I insisted more on it but, when I realized that she was not reacting, I called an ambulance. In the hospital, after subjecting her to the relevant tests, they diagnosed that she had suffered a heat stroke which, at her age, was disastrous: she had been unconscious too long with a brain hemorrhage. What’s more, if she had been unassisted for another twenty minutes, they might not have been able to save her.”

         I noticed how saliva gathered in my pharynx, being unable to swallow it. How was it possible? How could something like this have happened to such a good woman? She deserved better than a premature hospital bed.

        “Perhaps… perhaps he was absent-minded trying to forget… my death. Maybe it was my fault. If only I hadn’t stayed up late playing games… if I had been more aware when crossing the street…”

         “Chihiro, sweetie, don't say that! Of course it wasn’t your fault! It’s true that grandmother went through a lot of hardships after we lost you, it’s true that the farm helped her clearing her mind, but she already had that habit before that. Besides, even if your passing had influenced somethow, it still wasn’t your fault! That truck was traveling over the speed limit; the judge said so!”

         “Judge?”

         “Well of course, my sweetheart. We took the driver to court. The tests confirmed that he was driving too fast. Furthermore, according to the expert, if he had been driving at the right speed, the impact would not have been so severe: you’d had survived!

         Mom hugged me even tighter, but I didn’t have the courage to tell her to loosen her grip: I wanted to feel her embrace, I wanted to feel her. You’d had survived ... those words echoed in my mind. Was it really a cluster of circumstances? Did this world want my death? Had fate decided that I should be reborn as Katarina Claes?

         “One more thing, Chihiro” –Said Dad; –“There is something I wanted to ask you, that I can’t stop thinking about since lunch. I know this is a bad time, but I need to know: are you happy with your new family?”

         “Oh? W-well, yeah. It’s a very different life, but they are very loving to me. My mother, Millidiana, is a woman of high society; at times she may seem severe and even terrifying, but in reality she is a very affectionate and solitious person, she’s just a bit obsessed with protocol. Then there is my father, Luigi” when he said this, I could notice a snort from dad, as if he were stifling a laugh, “who, since I was little he has treated me with a lot of love... although he pampered me too much and, as a result, I ended up being somewhat spoiled and capricious”. And I fall short describing myself. “And there is also Keith, my little brother. Well, we are not blood-related brothers, he is adopted, but he’s as if he were my real brother: he has always been with me since he became part of the family and he cares a lot about me; he is a very handsome boy, even the maids of the mansion yearned for him. Oh, and speaking of maids, there's Anne; she’s not exactly family, but she almost counts too: she’s my personal maid and has always looked after me since I was a child. But she’s more than an employee: she really loves me and I love her. I already consider her more of an older sister than a servant.” It felt really good sharing one family with the other, it was like trying to reconcile my two lives. I thought it would be great if they could meet.

         “So… are you happier with them than you were with us? Or vice-versa?”

         “What…? Dad… how can you even ask me that question? It’s a comparison that I refuse to even contemplate. You have both been great families, each with your good and bad things. That’s like asking parents which of their childrn they love the most.”

         “You see...” –Mum spoke, –“ Chihiro, understand us, please: suddenly you come back and have a new family... during all these years we have not stopped missing you, thinking about how we could have avoided that day’s misfortune... there were nights that I dreamed of going back to that day and calling the high school to tell them that you were sick, avoiding your accident; and then when I woke up I became aware of reality: you were no longer with us, we would never see you again; and then I cried, I cried like I didn’t think I could cry.”

         This morning, however, when you sang that song, when you said those words to me... I felt my heart burning with emotions, I felt that fate gave us a new chance, that my little girl had returned to us. But when you explained what happened… I feel very guilty about it, but when you mentioned your new family it felt like icicles were piercing my chest: I felt jealous. You seemed so close and, at the same time so far… you’re right sweetheart, it's not a fair comparison.”

         I hugged mom tightly, my tears falling onto her back. Not only did I die that day: a part of them also died. 10 years suffering. “It’s OK mom, it’s OK. You are still my family, that has not changed.” I continued embracing her, feeling her patting my back with affection... until the intensity of the blows increased and I realized that it was not an affectionate gesture, but one of alarm.

         “Chihiro... I can't breathe...” I quickly loosened my grip on her. “Oh, I'm so sorry mom! I was so excited that I didn’t control my strength.”

         “Well... oofff... okay, ooffff, it’s over. But how do you have such strength? What are you eating?”

         “I suppose it’s because since I was 8 years old I have practiced with the sword and I have dedicated myself to working in the farm, following... following the advice of grandma.” And at that moment, I remembered where we were going.

★★★★★★★★★

         Both vehicles arrived almost at the same time. When I saw Katarina-sama get out of hers, I looked at her face: nervous and downcast, directing her gaze to the building that loomed before us. Imposing, about 8 stories high, completely white except for its glass windows ... this was a hospital of this world. And there was her grandmother.

        I had never been to a hospital in my world, but I was sure they weren’t like this: the corridors were incredibly wide, like those of a mansion, so many people came and went from their multiple rooms, I could recognize the medical staff (who like that at home, were dressed in white)… the place was quiet, but somehow, that tranquility was oppressive to me. In the group no one dared to speak, especially Katarina-sama, who remained silent and thoughtful, hugging her former mother (whom she surpassed in height).

         Finally, after a few minutes walking through corridors and going up floors in the elevator, we stand in front of room 79. –“Here it is.” –Said Mr. Yamane, while while he opened its door… I was not prepared to see what I saw. Its inside was spacious, with little furniture, but what really stood out was a bed in its center, a bed in which an old woman was laying, with an almost cadaverous face, a sickly and malnourished appearance... but the most disturbing element were all those multiple machines around her, from which cables and ‘tubes’ (was that its name?) arose, all of them connected with her in one way or another, either stuck to her skin or piercing it, as well as her face. This was the science that kept her alive… but it was as if her life required a score of crutches to keep from falling to the ground; what a terrifying sight.

         Katarina-sama was soon standing next to her, watching her, her eyes flooded with tears.

         “It’s not fair… I left so suddenly; I couldn’t say goodbye to her; and now that I’m back, she can’t hear me anymore… It’s not fair!” –Her family tried to calm her, hugging a body that suffered spasms due to frustration; I felt my soul falling as a result of seeing her so full of sadness and helplessness... and then her gaze crossed with mine.

         “Of course, Maria, you can do something!”

         “Who, me? What do you mean…?”

         “Your magic! Light magic can cure wounds and heal the sick, you could heal her!”

         “What? But, but, do you realize what you are asking me, Katarina-sama?”

         “It will surely be piece of cake for you, you’re the best at it, you’ll see, it’ll be like a miracle! You will do me an immense favor… ”.

         “Katarina, stop it, please!” And for the first time I was forced to put aside the honorific. Katarina-sama was stunned, gaping at me.

         “I appologize. The thing is... you are asking me for something impossible. Even for the best light mages, repairing a damaged brain is very complicated, even more so if we are talking about an elderly person who has been in this state for so long.” She said nothing, only showed sadness on her features. I clenched my fists and, staring at her, I added: “Still, I’m going to try it, but I beg you: don’t get your hopes up.”

         I placed my hands on the old woman’s head and invoked the magical energies that swam through my being. I felt currents of light running through my astral map, emerging from me and entering the person lying in front of me. I could feel how they were trying to repair every flaw they found, trying to adapt it to the astral impression of the past... but the damage was great and well settled: even her incorporeal being had already forgotten what her state used to be in a better time. I kept trying, pouring more and more zeon in the process, feeling like my reserves were depleted and my own physical body resented it… until I couldn’t take it anymore and fell to my knees breathless. As I struggled to breathe, Katarina-sama stood next to me, helping me to stand on my feet. With a glance I observed how the rest of those present looked at me stunned. “I have done my best, but I am afraid it is not enough. I’m terribly sorry; I already told you that it was too difficult of a task.”

★★★★★★★★★

         What had I done? Maria almost lost consciousness because of me, because I did not want to accept reality. Helping the poor woman to sit down, I decided that I would at least try to say goodbye properly.

         Grandma... how much did it hurt me seeing you in this state. I wish I were here with you that day. I wish I had accompanied you to sit down, to rest inside the house, to bring you some cool drink... but I was not there. Because I died, because I no longer existed in this world.

         Determined, I gently took her hand in mine and began to speak:

         “Grandma… it’s me, Chihiro. I know it sounds like a joke, but it’s really me. Surely, you are wondering how is it possible. Well, it turns out reincarnation is real. Crazy, isn’t it? And not only was I reincarnated, but I did it in a parallel world. Now I am very different, even my name is different; now they know me as Katarina Claes. And, you will not believe it, but I am the daughter of a duke and I am engaged to a prince. Amazing, isn’t it? Your granddaughter a future queen… Oh, and there is magic in this world! Well, I’m not very good with magic, I can only create an earth bump, and I trained a lot for years just for it. And, can you guess what I did to connect with earth? What you taught me: plowing. And although it has not helped me to improve my magic, it did helped me on greatly improving my ability with agriculture; and I really like it. I would love to have been able to show you my garden... I’m sure you would be proud of me.

         I can’t... I can’t even imagine how you suffered the day you received the news of my death... I’m so sorry. I wish I could have said goodbye to you, to everyone, in a decent way. I have not stopped thinking of you in my new life, in the moments we spent together, in the happiness that overwhelmed us. Grandma, I love you very much... I’m sorry that our reunion was like this; but I need to tell you something: thank you very much; thank you very much for having been my grandmother, for being with me, for everything you taught me. Thank you.”

         I finished these words with my eyes full of tears, to suddenly notice that the hand resting between both mine was making force, holding me. I looked at my grandmother's face and behind the respirator she was smiling… it was a smile!

MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!

         And, as this shrill sound flooded the room, my grandmother’s hand lost all strength and lay limp between mine.

★★★★★★★★★

         Dead... the doctor said she was dead. I had seen Katarina-sama’s grandmother die at the time. The emotional blow had to be devastating for her... her family had already assumed it, they knew that at any moment it was going to happen. But she, until this morning, hoped to meet the old woman again, to talk together; instead, she found a person on the brink of death.

         She was hugging her parents, with her siblings also attached to the family hug at the sides. But I noticed something on Katarina-sama’s face: there was a hint of joy. Something like that was impossible for me to understand... until she spoke.

         “She heard me.” –His family responded with a gesture of surprise. –“Grandma heard me: she was smiling, holding my hand. You said it seemed like a miracle that she had survived so long in her state. Somehow, I am convinced that she clung to life with all her might in hopes of seeing me again one day.”

         Even with tears welling up in her eyes, Katarina-sama smiled with intoxicating tenderness as she looked up. And then, she uttered those words drowned out by crying:

         –“She’s gone in peace... she’s gone in peace!”

★★★★★★★★★

         “So, is everything settled dad?”

         “Yes, they have said that the funeral may be delayed for up to two days.”

         “What a relief. It would not have been acceptable if the last day that Katarina could spend with us consisted of attending a funeral event.”

         Dad didn’t say anything, but I noticed him giving Koji a scolding look. It seems like he was uncomfortable with Koji having decided to use my current name. This was a detail that I had not overlooked.

         “Sweetie, how are you feeling? Poor thing, you must feel devastated.”

         “I would be lying if I said I’m fine mom. This is certainly not the reunion with grandma I was hoping for. But…”clenching my fists I tried to push away all sadness from my being to the extent possible; “But I'm not going to let myself sink. I could see her smile once more, I could feel how she was saying goodbye to me. Somehow, I can finally close the page over this regret. Wherever she is, I know she’s at peace. And, let it be said, I refuse to spend tomorrow sad: I want to make the most of it, I want to be with all of you, enjoy it together. After all, the next day to tomorrow I have to go back to my new world.”

         “Don't worry my daughter, we would love to have this special day, but you don’t have to stress about it. We can always prepare something special for the next time you come, can’t we, sweetie?”

         “Of course! Pay attention to your father Chihiro. What’s more, we could visit your world ourselves. I would like to meet your current family, especially your mother: it would be very interesting to have a mother-to-mother talk.”

         The words that I should say to them refused to form on my lips. They looked so excited… I hadn’t dared to tell them, but I couldn’t continue like this.

         “Katarina, you still haven’t told them?”

         “Tell us what? What do you mean Koji?”

         Koji sighed and had to speak for me: –“Katarina came to this world due to an accident with a magic portal. It was a coincidence that perhaps cannot be replicated. There is no guarantee that she will be able to return here once she leaves.”

Chapter Text

         Dinner that afternoon was not what I had in mind. Unsurprisingly, my previous parents hadn’t taken the news well at all. I felt guilty for not having explained it to them from the very beginning… but they looked so happy that I didn’t find the courage to do so. After endless minutes of awkward silence, Mom decided to speak:

         “Chihiro… are you sure about it? Are you really willing to risk never seeing us again? We were bad parents, is that it?”

         Those who know me know that I have a surprisingly big appetite, that I enjoy eating delicious food to such an extent that it is necessary for someone to stop me or I end up suffering from severe stomach aches. It’s very rare for me to lose my yearning to eat, it would take a very strong and negative stimulus for it; this was one of them. “Mom...” I replied looking into her eyes, feeling painfully hurt by her words; “How can you even suggest that? Of course you weren’t bad parents, you were the best parents I could have wished for! Even with all the inevitable frictions that happened from time to time, I was very happy with you.”

         “But sweetie, if that’s true, then why do you choose your other family? Why do you prefer them? Why should they be happy while we suffer?”

         I dropped my face on the palms of my hands, covering my eyes: I couldn’t meet her gaze, not at that moment. I responded trying to contain some anger mixed with sadness: “Mom! Are you aware of what you are suggesting? Do you realize what your words imply? You can’t ask me to choose between one family or another! I am not ‘choosing’ to live with them, it’s the life I have now! Of course I love you, of course I miss you, of course I’d give anything to be able to stay in both worlds at the same time! But…” I finally looked up; everything was so blurry… I was crying again and could hear the sound of my tears falling on the table, “…but the reality is that I died in this world. The girl named Chihiro Yamane perished, she ceased to exist here. Now I am Katarina Claes, my life is that of Katarina Claes. And it is the life that corresponds to me to live now.”

         “But we were your parents before! Doesn’t that count?”

         “So I must abandon my current family?! You're being selfish!”

         “Selfish?! Is it selfish to want to get back my daughter who was unjustly taken from me? Is it selfish to not want to lose her a second time?”

         My throat ached, I didn’t remember ever screaming with such fervor. But it was a trivial pain compared to the one that afflicted my chest; I didn’t want this, I didn’t want to argue with mom this way... mostly because I could empathize with what she was feeling, but could not approve of it. I was about to make a second reply when a loud bang resounded in the room: Koji, who was near a sideboard, had hit the door of one of his drawers hard, destroying it. A strong frustration could be guessed on his face, vigorously clenching his teeth and his eyes barely visible from the shadow cast by frowning so hard. I must admit he looked scary.

         “K-Koji... the drawer...”

         “It’s my furniture, if I break it, it’s my problem. That’s not what matters now, mom. What matters is that you are putting on an embarrassing show, and you are not realizing the damage you are causing to Katarina.”

         “But she’s my daughter, your sister! Should I just accept that she is going to leave and I will never see her again?”

         “Then answer me this question. If, when I was 10 years old, some people had come from another world, claiming that I was the reincarnation of their son, and I had decided to go with them because they had been my parents before you, how would you feel?”

         Mom paled in such a way that it looked like her skin was going to turn blue. Dad, who hadn’t participated in the discussion, coughed awkwardly and snorted as he ran a hand over his face.

         “I... I.... Mom said, hesitating to speak, as if doubting to concoct her words. –“... what have I... I said things...” –Turning her gaze to meet mine, she hugged my hands with her own and, without hiding her tears, continued:. –“Chihiro, sweetie, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…”

         I didn’t say anything, I just let my face rest on our hands. “Mom… I know this is not easy… not for you, not for me, not for anyone. But…” I sat up, directing my gaze to all of them,“…but I don’t regret going through this moment right now! Because I am here, I have been able to meet you again; and I am not willing for the day of tomorrow to consist of regrets and sadness! And that goes for everyone, tomorrow I want you all happy, we’re going to have a great time! Whatever happens, we are going to face it together, with positivity. Agree?” Smiling was very normal for me, but for the first time my face hurt when doing it; and to be honest, I couldn’t remember ever having smiled with such strength. But it seemed that I managed to connect with them: they all looked at me with eyes that once again exhibited brightness, and in a few seconds, returning their smiles to me they nodded with me.

         But the mood changed slightly as they turned their gazes into the space to my right, seriousness showing on their faces. Then I remembered who was sitting next to me: Maria. She was separated from the group, sitting with her back facing us, and sobbing. I moved next to her, placing my hand gently on her shoulder. “Maria, are you okay?” At my words she directed her stare towards me, looking at me with those beautiful blue eyes in which great distress could be witnessed.

         “Katarina-sama… this discussion… I’ve had such a hard time. I wanted to help, wanted to say something, but the words died on my lips. I… after the cold relationship that my mother and I had for years… I’m very sensitive to family quarrels. Seeing a mother and daughter argue like that, attacking each other verbally… I couldn’t bear it. Forgive me, you’d probably think that I am a weak-willed coward.”

         Maria, sweet Maria. Always so pure of heart, so kind, so attentive. Almost without thinking, I hugged her affectionately, stroking her hair with my right hand while my left one held her back. “Maria, you are neither weak nor a coward. You are one of the kindest people I know, always thinking of others. There is nothing wrong with your reaction, what’s more, I appreciate your concern and empathy. Listen to me Maria,” I said, slightly separating myself from her, my hands on her shoulders, looking at those beautiful fragments of heaven that she had for eyes; “Although this is not a game, you have all the qualities of a heroine. Do not ever change.” Maria reacted by hugging me, overcome by my words. Poor thing, she didn’t deserve to have a bad time for a cause that was alien to her. I watched how my previous family stared at us: dad had his arms resting on the table, with a surprised expression; mom covered her mouth with her hands, looking at us with her eyes open in such a way that her eyelids seemed to have disappeared; Koji was crossed of arms, with a mischievous smile; Shinji directed his gaze in our direction thoughtfully, rubbing his chin with his fingers; they certainly did not imagine that I could have a friend as magnificent as her.

         “Maybe we should rest. This day has been exhausting and, tomorrow, it would be convenient to get up early. Don’t you think?”

         “You’re right” –said dad –“we’ll be seeing early tomorrow, and our homes aren’t exactly close to here. Honey, Shinji, what do you think?”

         The three agreed to withdraw until the next day. At first they wanted to stay and help us clear the table, but I had to insist that they should not stay much longer or it would become late for them. As we said goodbye, mom hugged me in such a way that I thought she wouldn’t want to part with me. After a few kisses and several ‘see you tomorrow’ the door closed. And for a few moments I was immobile, watching it, reflecting on everything that happened in just 10 hours. The more I thought about it, the more it seemed like a dream; a dream from which I would never want to wake up.

★★★★★★★★★

         “You noticed it, right? I already knew it, Maria told me about it on the way to the hospital.”

         “How could we not have realized it? Didn’t you see the way she was looking at her? Not even in the romantic movies your mother and I watched in our youth had I seen a gaze so full of love.”

         “As a woman I can tell you that I could imagine her dressed as a bride right there, with the veil and the corsage. And, really, does Chihiro not realize it? This daughter of mine... doesn’t change at all, not even in another life.”

★★★★★★★★★

         “Are you feeling better, Katarina-sama?” I asked her, trying to clear some of the tension that still remained in the environment.

         “I'm not 100% well, not gonna lie. The last thing I expected is this discussion. And I can partly understand her… all these years and she still loves me so much…” –A lonely tear ran down her cheek to, at once, direct her eyes towards me and, smiling as only she knows how, ask me: –“And you, how are you feeling?”

         “Oh, much better. I greatly appreciate your words from before: I know you’ve never realized it, but you really are able to ease the most afflicted heart just by being yourself. And, to some extent, I can empathize with your mother. If I were in her place... I can’t be sure if I would have acted differently. But she certainly went too far with her words. I can’t imagine how  you felt, possibly no one else can. Having two families in different worlds…”

         “Yes, it is very strange, I cannot deny it. And yes, my mother went a bit over the line in what she said, but I am not going to keep on being angry with her; it would do nothing but embitter tomorrow. Besides, she has suffered a lot all these years, she doesn’t deserve more pain.”

         It was then that, from the bathroom, a certain person with an imposing figure appeared, with his hand bandaged.

         “Oh Koji, how is your hand? Let's see, let me take a look,” –she said these words as she took in his hands that of who once was his older brother. –“Offff, it must be full of cuts, does it hurt too much? I hope you don’t have an internal injury, the last thing I wish is you having suffered a dislocation or a fracture. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, because of me you have done this damage to yourself, and on top of that part of your furniture is now broken.” –This was so typical of her: the moment someone close to her was unwell in some way, she forgot completely about herself and only thought about others. I don’t think there is someone that altruistic in any world.

         “Don’t worry, I’m not feeling bad or something, it was just a few scratches and it doesn’t hurt anymore. After all, this piece of furniture is made of fine chipboard, nothing too hard; besides, Maria’s magic has worked very well, it’s really effective. The important thing is that you are better. I couldn’t imagine my mother being able to say those things... I felt a lot of cringe.”

         “Chssssss! No!” –Katarina-sama suddenly placed her finger on his lips, commanding him to be quiet. –“We are not going to talk anymore about the subject. It has already happened and it has ended well, that’s all that matters. What we have to do now is planning for tomorrow. Where could we go? It has to be a nice place.”

         “How about a tour around the city? There are many places that you have not visited in years, it is a good time to see them again, don’t you think?”

         Katarina-sama’s face lit up in an incomparable way, with her glowing eyes brighter than ever and her smile simply overwhelming.

         “That’s a great idea! I don’t know how many places we’ll have time to visit but the more the better. But let’s go by train! I want to re-experience train traveling; besides, Maria has to try it.”

         “Traveling by… train? Is it some kind of vehicle?”

         “It is, it is. But it’s different: you’ll see.”

         The mischievous look she gave me with these words made me wonder what kind of surprise she was expecting for me. I tried to imagine another type of vehicle and my mind devised one capable of jumping like a frog; would it be comfortable?”     

         “Well, Maria, Koji, today has been an exhausting day, I still have a bit of a headache from everything that happened and I need to rest. So I’m going to sleep now. What will you do?”

         “Oh, I’m not sleepy yet Katarina-sama, I guess I’ll go later. Maybe I should change now so I won’t wake you up later.”

         “Pfffff, Maria, you underestimate my ability to stay asleep: I assure you, you would need a tuba to wake me up. Anyway, as I have already stated, I am retiring to get some sleep; good night and see you tomorrow.”

         And so, Katarina-sama said goodbye until the next day. I, who still was not sleepy, decided to keep having a talk a little more.

         “Koji-san, are you okay?”

         “Perfectly, I don’t feel any discomfort in my hand. As I have told Katarina, your magic is very useful; maybe in the future you could become a doctor.”

         “I thank you for the compliment, but I was not referring to that: I was referring to your state of mind.”

         “Ah, that… well, today I have not had the most pleasant family experience of my life, not by far, but it’s already something of the past. What I do have to admit is that it’s hard to think that tomorrow is your last day here. It’s kinda funny… it’s only been four days, but they have been so intense that I feel like it’s been a whole month. But this reunion... I feel as if all these years I’ve had a dagger stuck in my heart, which I have finally been able to tear off. Being able to be with my sister again during these days has been, in a word, liberating.”

         “You can’t imagine how glad I am to hear that. We have not known each other for a long time, but you’ve given me the impression of being a very nice person. Katarina… Chihiro was lucky to have siblings like you and Shinji. I am an only child, I never felt what it was like to grow up with someone else, someone with whom to share the vicissitudes of childhood, who could entrust my sorrows...”

         “Truth be told, that we were very close. When we lost her... everything changed. I just hope my family can go back to being a little like they were before. It won’t be the same, that’s impossible, but I wish we could finally move on. I feel prepared for it, at last.”

         “I do hope so, too. And Katarina-sama, without a doubt, feels the same. Hopefully… hopefully one day we can contact you again. And I wish you’ll then tell us that everything has going on for the better.”

         “Do you think it may be possible to re-open that portal?”

         “I cannot say for sure, but I trust that Alan-sama will be able to somehow reproduce the events that brought us here. And I will collaborate with him as much as I can. The problem is that we’ll not be able to dedicate much time to it, because any work on the portal concerning the trip to this world… I am afraid it must be kept a secret.”

         “Oh? Why a secret?”

         “The Ministry of Magic is a very powerful and influential organization. They work for the good of the kingdom, but… human ambition may know no bounds; if they find out that we have visited another world, a world with such an incredibly advanced scientific development compared to ours, a world that achieved such a level of technological progress without resorting to magic... without a doubt they will be interested in acquiring its secrets. I once read a philosophical phrase that made me think: ‘power corrupts’ oh?” To my surprise, Koji-san completed the sentence at the same time as me. “Does that saying also exist in this world?”

         “That’s right Maria. And the fact that there were two philosophers in a different world who came to the same conclusion makes it clear to me that the humanity of your world is not that different from the one in here. I think I understand what your fear is: you want to avoid the possibility that Sorcier, with the advances obtained from this world, will become such an advanced military power that nothing will prevent them from subduing other countries without opposition. Am I wrong?”

         I nodded. “Indeed, it’s the idea that assailed me. In what you call ‘news’ on television I’ve been able to behold how some of the weapons of this world are like. I’ve watched staffs able of firing metal shards at lightning speed, winged vessels capable of flying faster than the winds and armed with explosive flying spears, armored cars with elongated metal mouths that spew fireballs... and all of that without magic. If in my world the adequate knowledge were acquired to reproduce these contraptions and mix them with magical science... the hypotetical result terrifies me. That is why we must not allow anyone to find out about this trip.”

         “And will this Alan be discreet? I'm afraid he already had communicated what happened…”

         “I know Alan-sama. He, sometimes, can be somewhat obtuse, but is also very responsible: I fully trust that he’d not have revealed the event to the higher echelons of the Ministry. As for the rest of the collaborators, they are under oath of secrecy until the completion of the project, and considering that the director of the project is a prince, I don’t think they dare to betray him. Of course, I must remember to warn Katarina-sama that, just in case, she’d have to report that this world is not very advanced. Any small precaution matters.”

         “You are a very responsible person.” –Koji-san giggled, which seemed to carry irony. –“It feels incredible that you are the same age as Katarina; you are so opposite to each other, like night and day…”

         “It’s a very accurate comparison in more than one way.” It was more of a thought out loud than an answer.

         “Isn’t it? Well, if you’re not sleepy yet, do you feel like having another game competition?” –I would only need to see the expression on my face to know that the answer was positive. –“This time we can try other franchises, to see how well you get on with 3D games.”

         “If you say that thinking about games like Soul Calibur or Dead or Alive I consider it fair to warn you that I could try them in the arcade the other day, so I will not be a rookie.”

         “Even better, that will make it more exciting. Let’s see what I have around here.”

         Koji-san picked up various games from a shelf, which he would place on the table to select among them. While he was separating the chosen ones, I spent my time looking at their colorful covers and such striking art. I was convinced that a canvas reproduction of these would become works of art at Sorcier.

         However, two of those games would attract my attention, although not because of what was drawn on them but written. Holding both in front of my eyes, I commented somewhat confused: “Koji-san, I was looking at the titles of these games and...”

Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[cl-r]

Guilty Gear XX Λ Core Plus R

         “... I’m doubting that they are readable in a human language.”

★★★★★★★★★

         The morning decided to let me know that it had arrived, because the light that came through the cracks was directly aimed to my eyes, at the same time that the noise of birds and vehicles became intense.

         “Okay, okay, I get it, it’s time to wake up,” I mentioned, half-opening my eyes, letting them gradually get used to the lighting. As I adjusted my vision, I was able to realize that I was not alone in bed: Maria was asleep next to me, completely lost in her sleep. I couldn’t help but contemplate her, as if I were caught in a spell; Maria’s natural beauty and charm were powerful and enchanting: her hair shone like gold threads under the sun’s rays, her skin was the color of strawberry meringue, smooth and flawless, her features were harmonious, like the magnum opus of a master sculptor; all in all, it was such a beautiful sight that she kept my gaze locked on for several minutes.

         Maybe I should wake her up, today is going to be a busy day. I thought  Maybe, I should do it softly, without startling her, whispering her name while stroking her hair; or maybe a kiss ... Hey, what am I doing ?! I probably look like a pervert old geezer, staring at a sleeping girl and having such depraved ideas! This is very dangerous, I’d better get up quietly and dedicate myself to doing something useful.

★★★★★★★★★

         Little by little, reality began to drag me towards itself from the world of dreams. I was still asleep but a part of me was beginning to be aware of the world around me; that part was my sense of smell: a strong smell was waking me up. It smelled strongly, in a penetrating way. My nose started to itch as my mind struggled to escape the dream and try to recognize that smell. It was a smell of barbecue, charcoal...

         “Fireeeeeee!” It was the word that I screamed when I woke up suddenly, jumping out of bed. I went to the source of the smell, planning to use the shower to turn it off… and I came across the funniest and at the same time adorable scene that I had ever observed: Katarina-sama in an apron trying to deal with a burnt pot of rice.

         “Noooooo... why? It was just rice, it was just white rice... am I not even capable of cooking something so simple? And here I wanted to surprise Maria…”

         Katarina… she had gotten up earlier with the intention of making me breakfast… she didn’t need to see my face to deduce that I was blushing like the sunset sky. I tried to compose myself and greet her smiling; “Good morning, Katarina-sama.” Surprised by my words, Katarina-sama was so startled that the saucepan almost fell to the ground.

         “Ah, Maria! Don’t give me those jumpscares please. And I wish I could return your good morning, but it has’t started well at all. Look, I wanted to make you some breakfast and the only thing I did was burn this rice. I’m a complete disaster without any talent.”

         “Please don’t say that! You have many talents, do not be discouraged by this misfortune; what’s more, just the intention has been a very nice gesture. And not only that…” I added while looking at the table; it was perfectly prepared and organized, with the cold meals already arranged and distributed: dishes with pickles, seaweed and natto salad, croissants already opened and filled with butter… “you have already done a lot. The fact that cooking hot dishes is not something you are good at, doesn’t mean that you are clumsy or anything like that. Or do you think me to be so stupid that I see talent where there is none?” I said, displaying a mischievous smile, possibly the first time I had shown this expression in a natural way; without a doubt this adventure had helped me to change.

         “You... silly?! Nononono, never! You are a very intelligent person and… yes, if you tell me this like that, you are most certainly right.” –She said these words with a smile re-appearing on her face and her eyes shining with pride. –“Besides, it’s true: if I have shown something these years, it is that I have multiple talents. I may not be a good cook or an example of a refined lady, but I am worth a lot.”

         And in an instant, she had gone from feeling down to lifting her face and showing off, her hands resting firmly on her hips. Although, it wouldn’t take long for her to break the pose when she took a look at the saucepan again.

         “Of course, Koji is going to be upset: burnt rice has stuck to the bottom; I will have to clean it.”

         “Oh, that’s right, Koji-san. Was he gone before we got up, like last time?”

         “Oh, not at all, in fact,  he’s still sleeping! I got closer to his bedroom’s door and I could hear him snoring.”

         “Oh? Seriously? That’s weird, he didn’t look that tired yesterday. Maybe he had a nightmare that prevented him from sleeping well?”

         “Well, honestly, I have no idea. But maybe it’s time to wake him up, give me a moment.”

         With that said, with that confidence and courage of hers, Katarina-sama went to the door of the guest room, where her previous brother was resting. And as soon as she was placed in front of it, she began hitting it energetically.”

         “Kojiiiiii! It’s     not time to sleep now, get up we have to get prepared!”

         After a few seconds, the door was ajar and Koji-san made his appearance. His dark hair was tousled, his eyes were narrowed, still adjusting to the morning light. But noticing his clothes I had to look away in embarrassment; I was still not used to the fact that the standards of this world regarding modesty were more lax than in ours: he was dressed only in short shorts that barely reached the middle of his thighs, as well as a tiny shirt that did not even cover his shoulders. And the worst thing is that this had exposed his marvelous and titanic physique.

         “Uaaaaaaah, good morning girls. Sorry I didn’t wake up, I was just as relaxed as I’ve never been, with an amazing urge to sleep. I think it’s your magic Maria, it has a calming effect that helps to eliminate stress and nervousness… ehm, Maria, I said good morning.”

         Still facing away, I returned the greeting, my voice cracking with embarrassment. “G-good morning, Koji... san.”

         “Hey, what’s wrong with you, what are you doing facing the other way?”

         “Koji”, –said Katarina-sama’s voice –“Have you not realized?”

         “Well, I’ve just got up, but I don’t think I look like a monster...”

         “I’m not talking about that. We come from a world where it’s not custom to show a lot of skin.”

         “Eh?... oh, my goodness! Sorry, I’m sorry, I’m changing right now!”

         And the door to the room slammed shut. It was then that I dared to turn around, to see Katarina-sama with a proud smile, showing her pearly teeth. With a sigh of relief I began to speak: “Thank you very much, Katarina-sama. I was dying of embarrasement.”

         “Well, that’s what friends are for, don’t you think? Oh, this Koji, to think he didn’t realize how you were feeling…”

         I’m afraid he’s not the only one ...

★★★★★★★★★

         “Seriously, you don’t need to apologize anymore, Koji-san, everything is settled.”

         “But for you it must have been like if my neighbor appeared before me in lingerie or half naked! The thing is I’m dying of shame, how could I have commited such a mistake?”

         “There there, that’s all Koji, don’t think about it anymore, no reason to beat yourself up so much.” I commented giving him a nice pat on the back. “If you have to get angry with someone, do it with me because I have burned your saucepan.”

         “That again? It’s just an old saucepan, and it’s not ruined either, it can be washed. Geez... if you take things so seriously I don’t want to imagine how you have been able to spend all these years in fear of those... ‘elimination flags’ you called them?”

         “It’s ‘doom flags’. And no, you can’t even grasp how much I feared them. I was always under the impression that any action could trigger them.”

         “You know, Katarina-sama, that is kinda true. Ever since I’ve known you, I’ve noticed a strange behaviour in you: sometimes you gave the impression that you were terrified of your own words, as if whatever you said or did could be used against you; now I see what it was: with the idea that you were destined to be a villainess strongly welded in your mind, you feared that your actions would be misrepresented as acts of evil. I understand that you thought that game was some kind of prophecy, but did the idea that you have changed your destiny never really crossed your mind? I mean, you were always a kind and charming person, you never acted like someone who was villainous.”

         Analyzing Maria’s precise description I felt, to put it mildly, stupid. “Ow Maria, don’t remind me. Now that I analyze it with a cold mind, I realize how short-sighted I was. It’s true that there were events that happened as in the game, but I did not relapse that my actions had altered the supposed ‘script’. Can you believe that the first time Prince Jeord saw my garden I thought he was going to exile me for doing something unworthy of a lady?” My words created a silence that was broken by the laughters of both Koji and Maria. “Hey! I really had a bad time with that! …” and with that said, I also joined in the revelry. Laughing at yourself, at your own mistakes, was really therapeutic, especially in the company of my loved ones.

         We hadn’t finished breakfast yet when the intercom signal rang. “They are already here!” I yelled getting up to answer them; and there on the screen appeared all three: dad, mom and Shinji. “Come up here!” I spoke over the communicator, without even saying hello; it was something I’d rather do in person.

         “You look excited, Katarina-sama. I hope that today is a day that you’ll enjoy a lot.”

         Oh Maria, sweet Maria. That angelic smile… it was impossible to resist her. Any hint of sadness disappeared in her presence. She was so charming that, for a moment, I felt like I was about to introduce her to my family as my fiancee.

         Spellbound by Maria’s charm, I barely realized how the minutes had passed, until the doorbell rang and, swiftly and quickly, I went to open it.

         “Good Morning!” I said with a hug. Hug that they would soon give me back, especially mom.

         “Good morning sweetie! Have you rested well?”

         “Perfectly, nothing to worry about mom. What about you?”

         “Well, to be honest, it’s been a long time since I slept so comfortably.”

         “I corroborate what your mother said. It’s the first time in years that we rest so calmly.”

         It was working; I was helping bringing peace to their lives. How long had they suffered my absence...

         “Oh, what about you, Shinji? Hasn’t your girlfriend come with you? What was her name... Homura?”

         “Hotaru, is Hotaru. And no, she hasn’t come; I told her it was a family reunion related to you (which is true). I couldn’t bring her, what was I supposed to say her? By the way Hotaru, this girl is my sister, who was reincarnated in another world and has come to visit us. She’d think we are making fun of her.”

         “The truth is that, seen it from that point of view, it wouldn’t have worked, no. It is a shame, I’d have liked to meet her.”

         “Well, when we go visiting your world, I’ll introduce her to you.”

         Had Shinji make a joke? Was he smiling? According to Koji, since my death here he had become a serious and taciturn guy; and yet there he was, using humor and irony. ‘When we go visiting your world’, he said, as if he was sure it would be possible one day... which, to be honest, I wished could happen.

         “Ha ha, it’s a deal, onii-san!” I answered continuing the joke. I could tell that Shinji winced slightly at that term. I suppose that was to be expected: it had been ten years since he heard me call him that.

★★★★★★★★★

         “It’s… it’s amazing, Katarina-sama! This carriage is simply gigantic, and it’s moving fast like lightning!” Without a doubt, the image that I had formed in my mind of a ‘train’ could not be further from reality. Apparently, they were vehicles intended for public usage, so that multiple people could make use of them at the same time by paying a toll. But I could never have imagined its magnitude: it was made up of multiple sections, each one long and wide like a corridor. Constructed of metal, like other vehicles in this world, it turned out to be much faster than you would expect for its volume; moreover, it surpassed those I had already experienced in speed. But that was not all, as it was driving on paths designed for its movement, which were elevated from the ground, supported by columns, resulting in a kind of high bridge, very narrow and at the same time resistant, capable of sustaining such a portent’s weight. 

         “Chssss, Maria, keep your voice down, you’re standing out too much. In this country people try to be quiet in public spaces. In addition, they’ll think that you come from some isolated town far away from civilization if you are so amazed with just a train.”

         Coming from someone else, that would have been a severe reprimand, but Katarina-sama said it with her smile and joy so typical of her. “Well, truth be told, it’s not so far away from reality.” And a few seconds after she said these words, we giggled in sync.

         And so began that day of visits and trips through that country called Japan.

         Our first destination was Mount Fuji, a mountain of imposing size. We were in front of it, ready to begin climbing it. That’s when a male voice addressed us.

         “You are lucky, this year the summit has not yet been covered in snow, so it’s not so cold. You will still need something to keep yourselves warm: here, we have prepared them, they can still be used perfectly.”

         The one who was once Katarina-sama’s father offered us a cloth bag, inside which were various soft-textured garments, apparently made of wool and other materials that he could not identify. As I watched them curiously, I could hear a sob next to me.

         “Katarina-sama, what is the matter?”

         My companion was staring at those warming items, with her eyes moistened and a grimace of emotion.

         “These mittens, these coats, these scarves… they are mine. They are the ones I had in my past life. Have you kept them all this time?”

         “What could we do? We were not going to throw it away, it was a memento of yours, it would have been disrespectful to your memory.”

         “But they are in very good condition! Have you been cleaning and taking care of them all these years?”

         “That was your mother’s thing.”

         “Mom?”

         The woman blushed slightly and spoke smiling:

         “It may seem silly but… washing, ironing and taking care of your clothes, I felt that a part of you was still with me. Maybe... maybe in the long run it was worse for me, I wasn’t able to continue on; you must think I’m stupid…”

         Without letting her finish her sentence, Katarina-sama hugged her energetically.

         “Of course not! don’t say that, even as a joke! It’s a touching gesture, a great example of the affection you had for me. You were the best mother I could have had in this life; let no one say otherwise, not even yourself.”

         And so they remained for a few minutes embracing, without any of us daring to interrupt that moment between a mother and a daughter.

★★★★★★★★★

         “Ka… Katarina-sama… we are flying!”

         Poor Maria can barely keep her emotion at bay. She was trying not to raise her voice, but it was taking a titanic effort for her to speak softly.

         “You see Maria, we are not flying, just hanging. See that wire rope? The wagon is attached there.” I couldn’t deny that I found it really cute seeing her get excited while riding the cable car.

         “But, but still, this is amazing! This carriage, despite its weight, moves at this height, attached to a metal rope... I would never have imagined that this world had such wonders.”

         “Wow, you haven’t seen anything yet, there are even more surprising things. Do you remember when you mentioned those gigantic thunderous insects to me?”

         “Oh right, I remember when I first saw them, I thought they were monsters. But thanks to what I have seen on television I have been able to know that they are vehicles. They were called… heliotopters?”

         “Helicopters, it’s helicopters. And yes, they are flying vehicles.”

         “I would love to be able to fly in one. Do you think we could try it?”

         Maria looked at me with eyes full of emotion. For someone from a world without technological advancements, all these new experiences must have been overwhelming.     

         “That will not be possible Maria. Renting a helicopter for private use is, let’s say, expensive, very expensive. And as you know, in this life I was from a humble family.”

         “Oh.” –Maria’s eyes showed a slight disappointment, but it wouldn’t last long. – “Well, it doesn’t matter. I guess it is asking too much to see all the wonders of this world in one day. It’s enough what I’m experiencing right noOOOOOOW!” –When directing her eyes to the window, Maria pounced on it, planting her hands on it and gazing in wonder at the landscape that was presented to us. –“We… we are getting closer to the clouds! It’s wonderful! And we’ve gotten so high in such a short time!”

         Approaching her, I placed my arm on her shoulder, feeling a slight startling on her part and, looking proudly at Mount Fuji, I spoke: “welcome to Japan”.

★★★★★★★★★

         Mr. Yamane wasn’t kidding about the warm clothes: it was really cold! We would not go to the summit, as that was already considered a terrain more suited for professional mountaineers, but even so we were at a high point, with wonderful views.

         “It’s beautiful to be able to see the clouds up close, and how small the city is! In an adventure story, this is where a god would reside. Don’t you think, Katarina-sama?”

         “In fact, in the novel The Last Son of the Broken Rose, the protagonist has to ascend a mountain that rises above the clouds in order to meet the Goddess of Chance.”

         Without a doubt, that was the story of one of those novels that she loved so much. She looked so happy... her parents from her past life were next to her, commenting on previous excursions to this same place. And seeing her overflow with joy, it also filled me with happines.

         After an hour of hiking on that majestic mountain and after having descended again, Katarina-sama approached me to say in whispers:

         “Maria, I need you to accompany me.”

         “Why? Is something serious happening? Have you argued with your mother again?”

         “No, no, it's nothing bad, it’s just… I need to pay a visit to the well.”

         “Which well? I don’t understand, don’t they use a running water system in this world?”

         “No, no, I mean it’s time to change the water of the fish tank.”

         “I swear, I understand less and less at every passing second. I don’t remember seeing you carrying a fish tank, even more, I didn’t even know you had one.” This is when Katarina-sama sighed, with a gesture of resignation.

         “Maria... I want to pee and I hoped you to could accompany me to the bathroom.”

         I could feel blood rushing to my head when I heard a dirty word coming out of her lips. I used to think she was dense, but of course, this time I had been up to par with her. After communicating her intentions to her former family, we went to some public baths.

         “I swear I was about to burst. I had been holding on since the descent on the cable car.”

         “I’m not surprised, you have had a lot of those flavored drinks.” On the other side of the door I stood, holding her bag of groceries, which, predictably, was heavily loaded. To this day I still wonder how she can have such an appetite.

         “What could I do? Do you know how I was missing these flavors? Calpis, kinako mochi, ramune, amazake… at home there is nothing like them.”

         Laughter washed over me, a laugh full of admiration. “Whatever happens, you don’t change. But I envy your way of being, without fear of acting and always ready to say and do whatever your heart asks of you.”

         “It’s not that weird Maria, I’m just a little unconscious, nothing more, nothing less. Well, I’m done.”

         Katarina-sama came out of the bathroom, heading to wash her hands. However, after this process, when we left the venue, something caught our attention. Or rather, someone. A man in his fifties, in uniform, with a mop in his hands, was leaning against the wall, crying heartlessly. From the way he was dressed and the items next to him, he looked like a cleaning clerk. True to her caring nature, Katarina-sama went to talk to him.

         “Excuse me sir, are you okay? Has something happened to you, have you perhaps been mugged? Do you need us to call someone?”

         Startled, the man looked confused at Katarina-sama and, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket, hastily wiped away his tears.

         “No, no, don’t worry, nothing like that. It’s just that I suffer from chronic depression and soon I have to take medication. But when the effect of the medicine is at its lowest point, these episodes assail me.”

         “Oh… that’s horrible. Nobody deserves to go through something like that.”

         That individual remained silent for a few seconds to answer sharply: –“I do."

         “Oh, don’t say that sir, what makes you think that?”

         “... I killed a girl.”

         Katarina-sama and I froze at that statement, which came out in a thin voice choked with pain.

         “It was an accident… but it’s still my fault. It happened ten years ago; the night before I went out to party with my friends, it was Masaru’s birthday; I didn’t control myself, drank too much, and didn’t leave at a reasonable time.

         The next day, the alarm rang like every day, except that I had not slept for even two hours and had a hangover. My solution? Coffee, lots of coffee. And under those conditions, with total recklessness, I went to work. I found myself performing a delivery in my truck, barely aware of the world around me, my head spinning, caffeine making my nerves burn. I did not notice the speed at which I was going and, without warning, riding a bicycle, she appeared, crossing my path. I reacted too late and, even though I hit the brakes with all my might, her body crashed with the truck.

         The blow was so intense that I felt the vibration going through my seat and… I can still see it. Those seconds seemed to slow down, watching as the poor girl flew through the air, her body broken like a rag doll, just to fall dry against the ground. I froze, unable to believe what I was seeing. A few meters from me was that poor girl, in the middle of a pool of blood, all of her self twisted in a way that no human being could do in life.

         She was 17 years old… she was only 17 years old and I killed her! Her family took me to trial, unsurprisingly. I ended up spending 3 years in prison for negligent homicide. I lost my job, my wife left me... but none of that was enough punishment for what I did.

         I still dream about her, you know? I see her bloodied face, crying, asking me ‘why?’ I wish I could backtrack, I would have preferred to lose my job, even take my own life, anything for allowing her to live that day. If only I could say I’m so sorry, Chihiro Yamane. I’m truly sorry. It’s all I could do now…”

         The story was fraught with tragedy, but there was a certain familiarity to it; but hearing that name, I understood everything. I recognized it, I had heard that name. I turned to direct my gaze to Katarina-sama: she was completely paralyzed, her complexion pale, making efforts to breathe.

        “May we have a moment?” Quickly, I grabbed her arm and led her away to another point, in a corner where there would be less visibility from pedestrians. “Katarina-sama, breathe! Calm down, you must calm down, get hold of yourself.” Taking advantage of the relative discretion, I used a spell to try to calm her mind. In a few minutes she was more relaxed. “Katarina-sama, welcome back.” Without letting go of her arms, I turned my stare back to the public restrooms.

         “In that story, that name... Katarina-sama, is it possible that...?” I had barely finished speaking and she answered, her voice unbelievably serious.

         “Yes Maria: that’s the man who killed me.”

Chapter Text

          “What am I supposed to do?” Several ideas raced through my head, none of them felt suitable. “Here I am, a few meters from the person responsible for my past life ending abruptly… and I don’t know what to feel. Do I hate him? Do I hold a grudge against him? Blame him for what he did? Or should I forgive him? Or just ignore him?” With each sentence, my tone of voice increased and became harsher. “What am I supposed to do?!” Maria just looked at me with sympathy and pity.

         “I… I don’t know what to say to you. This is such an impossible situation to imagine...” 

         Gathering my strength, I took several deep breaths, leaning my back against a wall. “Forgive me Maria. You don’t have to deal with this situation, much less decide what to do.” With these words, I remained almost immobile, unable to look away from the place where the person who caused my first death was. “I've never considered it, you know?” My words seemed to confuse Maria, who asked me a question next.

          “Eh? What do you mean?”        

         “Before this trip, I used to wonder what would I do if I went back to my old world. What would I tell my family, what stories would I talk Acchan with, what places I would like to see again... but I had never considered meeting the man who killed me. What’s more, until yesterday when my mom mentioned it, I hadn’t even thought of a person as the cause of my death; I considered the truck as an impersonal and unbridled force... but there was a person inside, in whom I had not reflected. And now… now he’s here.        

         This is so unreal… I am so close to my accidental killer and I’m only wondering how I should act about this. A part of me wants to ignore him and get away from this place; another wants to forgive him; and another… another wants to reprehend him for his negligence, obtain a verbal revenge…;” I had not finished saying these words and my hands were covering my face. Again, tears welled up between my eyelids, not out of sadness but out of fear: fear of uncertainty about my actions. And suddenly, I felt something: I felt a warm sensation enveloping me, delicate arms squeezing my shoulders and the fragrance of spring flowers invading my nose. Without undoing her embrace, Maria spoke:

          “Katarina-sama, I cannot help you in the decision you are going to make. All I can tell you is that I know you will choose the best option. Believe in yourself, as I believe in you.”

          Reciprocating Maria’s hug, I reconsidered her words. Believing in myself… I realized then that, until recently, I didn’t believe in myself at all. I considered myself mediocre on all levels: intellectually mediocre, socially mediocre, physically mediocre, emotionally mediocre… and all because I believed that, as the villainess of an otome game, I was bound to failure. How blind I had been! 

         Gently, I pulled away from Maria until her beautiful blue eyes fixed on me, giving me the determination I needed. This time I wasn’t going to act on a predestined script or plans designed to avoid catastrophic endings: I was going to act like myself.

                   “Yes, I have no doubt: I need to talk to him. If there is a wound from my past life that I must heal, it surely is this. Maria, if you want you can accompany me, I wouldn’t like leaving you alone.”

          “Oh, it would not be a problem for me, but if you prefer so, I will accompany you; but I will keep a little distance during your conversation, because I do not think it would be something I should meddle in.” 

         Oh Maria! What a little angel this girl is. And with these words, I went to face the last fear I had in my past life. 

★★★★★★★★★

          The man was at work cleaning the bathrooms, his face denoted being absent, like in a trance, as if he were ignorant of reality. Only when Katarina-sama spoke to him, he finally reacted. 

         “Hello... excuse me, that moment before we left in a somewhat abrupt way, without saying goodbye properly or anything...”

          Although she was trying to show being in good humor, I could easily tell that she was nervous, both because her somewhat high-pitched tone of voice and a slight trembling running through her body. That man, however, did not seem to notice; looking impassively at Katarina-sama, he would reply in a monotonous tone:

          “Eh? Ah, it’s OK. Alter all, you don’t have to show courtesy to a piece of trash like me…”

          Katarina-sama sighed, and, after a small pause, uttered new words.

          “You don’t have a very high opinion of yourself, am I right?”

          “How am I supposed to have it? Remember what I told you, girl. Remember what I did...”

         “I remember it... I remember it very well... but you regret what happened, don’t you?”

         “Of course I regret it! I… I have never been the same again after that day... I will never be able to forgive myself for what I did.”

          Without answering immediately, Katarina-sama sat on a nearby bench and slowly raised her gaze, resuming her speech when her eyes and the man’s were at the same height. 

         “It was definitely wrong; really wrong. Sometimes we make mistakes, we commit irresponsible actions; and we are not the only ones who pay for those actions… other people suffer them too. But... I wonder, what do we gain by looking at the past with regret and self-contempt?”

          As she said these last words, I could see how she looked up, her eyes full of melancholy. Her interlocutor would soon issue a reply: 

         “What do you mean by that? Are you suggesting that I should forget about it, pretend that nothing happened? I can’t do such a thing! It would be an insult to her memory!” 

         “No, not at all, I don’t mean that. But, we cannot ignore the ‘today’ and think only of the ‘yesterday’. We cannot focus only on the hypothetical if I had done this, if I had made this decision, if that day I had said those words... it’s okay to theorize about our actions back then, but the mistakes of our past should be used to help us building our present, not devouring it.”

          “Building a present... how?”

          And with that last word, he buried his face in his hands. Katarina-sama remained watching him until she broke the silence by speaking again.

          “If Chihiro were here right now, in front of you, what would you say to her?”

          That phrase startled him. He clearly wasn’t expecting it.

          “What would I say? I would tell her that she has every right in the world to hate me and that I feel sorry for what I did with all my soul. I’d say her Chihiro, I deserve to be cursed by you.”       

          “And what would happen if she answered this? But I don’t want to curse you. Nor do I want to hate you. I thought so at first, but after reflecting I realized: what would I gain from that?”

          “Heh… role-playing therapy? My psychologist already tried it, but if it makes you feel good, I’ll play along. You’d win being able to vent the damage I did to you, release all the accumulated resentment!”

          “Resentment… did I really feel resentment? All this time, when I remembered my past life, I felt longing and some sadness, but, resentment? There were many things in my life that were worth remembering, but my death was not the one that was among my priorities. It was the happy moments that were present in my mind most of the time.”

          “With more reason... by any chance didn’t you hate me for having taken them away from you?”

          “To be honest, I’ve never thought about the person who was driving the vehicle. I only blamed myself, for my clumsiness and irresponsibility. Now I know that you were also at fault for it; but I see no point in accusing you. After all, several people suffered because of my death; and from what I’ve been able to see, you are not an exception.”

          “Why would you care about me? For you I am just a stranger, a rando who should never have crossed your path…”

          “Then let’s start by changing that: what’s your name?” 

         Those words from Katarina-sama left her interlocutor speechless for a moment, who would finally reply: 

         “Takeda... my name is Hiroshi Takeda.”

          “Very well Takeda-san, or, can I call you Hiroshi? I need you to understand why I am doing this. My death here has left a painful legacy: my family suffered my loss, my best friend mourned my departure... and this is not how I want them to feel when they remember me. It’s terrible that when they think of me grief would fill them, it’s not what I want, I don’t want my memory to evoke pain and distress in anyone. And that includes you too.”

          “But... but I...”

          “No, don’t start again. Don’t keep destroying yourself anymore because of your guilt. You know you made a mistake, you regret it and you already paid for it. It doesn’t make any sense to keep punishing yourself in this way, or using my death as an excuse.”

          “E-excuse? Excuse for what?”

          “Excuse for not trying to move on with your life, for not making an effort to get out of the dunghill in which you have sunk yourself. If you really want to honor my memory, don’t continue using me as a symbol of misfortune; please, I’m asking you.”

          Takeda didn’t know how to answer, remaining motionless, not looking away from Katarina-sama. She approached him, step by step and, still smiling, placed her hand on his shoulder and added:

          “Hiroshi Takeda, I, Chihiro Yamane, forgive you.”

          The man couldn’t keep holding back the tears and, between sobs, he spoke:

          “How did you do it? How is it possible? You made me feel like she was really the one talking to me! I really feel like a burden has disappeared from my soul! But, but that’s impossible! Are you a medium, have you channeled her spirit or something like that?”

          “Something like that… yeah, you could say it’s the best way to define it. But those details are not important now, the important thing is that you understand what I want to tell you: we must learn from the past, not live in it; because, if we stay anchored in it, we will have no future. It’s something that I have also learned these days, and I would like you to do it too. Chihiro would have wanted it that way.”

          “I… I’ll try. I think now I understand my therapist’s words: Takeda-san, I can only help you if you allow me to help you. Perhaps I was truly so blinded by guilt that I considered myself unworthy of continuing having a life. But still… it’s going to take me a lot.”

          “It will certainly not be easy, but as long as you have the will, you will always have the chance to get ahead. But if you let yourself sink, you will never advance.”

          “… Until now, people ignored me when I suffered one of my episodes. I never thought that someone could feel sympathy for me after what happened… without a doubt you must be an angel or a saint.”

          “Haha! Nothing like that, I’m just a little clueless girl who doesn’t stand out in her studies.”

          “Be that as it may, I can’t help but be grateful… what’s your name? I don’t think you told me your name.”

          “Katarina. Katarina Claes.”

          “Nice to meet you, Katarina Claes. And again, thanks a lot for your help.”

★★★★★★★★★

          We had only travelled a few meters when I felt the need to stop and sigh deeply, after which I could feel how my body was filled with calm. Maria, always attentive and dedicated, would not take long to worry about me:

          “Are you okay, Katarina-sama? I can’t even imagine how you have felt. Were you scared? Uneasy, perhaps?”

          Crossing our eyes, I outlined a smile with the aim of calm her. “No, none of that Maria. I find myself… relieved. I feel that I have managed to close a chapter of my past life that I had unfinished. Those words I spoke to Takeda… they weren’t just for him: they were also for me.” Maria showed a surprised expression on her face.

         “For you? In what sense?”

          “When I recovered my memories of my past life, I was unable to realize that my future as Katarina Claes had changed; I really believed that I was facing a pernicious fate, a catastrophic outcome… and all because I let my memories of a game cloud my judgment.

          I really believed that at some point you all would turn against me, that you would want to get rid of me for seeing me as a hindrance, an obstacle... I am so ashamed of having thought that... how stupid I was. But still, I won’t gain anything by torturing myself with this failure; instead, it will be my life lesson.

          Now, more than ever, I understand that I must look ahead, and not allow the past to blind me. And although I still regret having died in this world, having lost a family, that does not mean that I should ignore all the good that I have gained too. I am very grateful to have loved ones in my new life, to have met you all…” and as soon as I had finished speaking, Maria hugged me vehemently, leaning her face on my shoulder; even without seeing her, I could feel how she started crying.

          “I also thank you so much for being part of my life, of our life! And I’m so happy for you, for having been able to finally look forward! I want you to know that if you need me, for whatever it is, I will always be by your side.”

          In the face of such warm words, I could only hug her back and whisper a discrete thank you. And like that we remained, oblivious to the passage of time, until a familiar female voice reminded us of reality.

          “Chihirooo! Mariaaa! You had us worried, what’s the reason you were taking so long?”

          “Ops, sorry mom. You can’t imagine how much time I needed in the toilet…” Mom stared at me with a mischievous smile. On one hand I was glad to see her jovial, but on the other I was intimidated.

          “Are you sure that was it?”

          It was then that I remembered they took Takeda to a trial, so I concluded that it would be best to get out of there soon. “Yes, yes, nothing to worry about! Come on Maria, we have to visit another place.” And with these words, we move away from that place where Katarina Claes’ last insecurities had disappeared.

★★★★★★★★★

            “Hey Hiroshi, I'm already here. Haven’t you changed yet? It’s time for a turn shift.”

            “That was her…”

            “Uh?”

            “That was her! That was her mother, I heard how she call her...! The things she said, the feeling she gave me… it was really her!”

            “Hey Hiroshi, calm down! Hey, are you crying? Have you forgotten to take your medicine? Or have you changed the dose? Why are you smiling like that?”

“It’s a miracle, a true miracle! He forgave me… he forgave me! She’s an angel, it has to be that!”

            “Hiroshi, relax! Are you fine?”

            “Fine? Of course I’m fine. For the first time in years, I’m fine!” 

★★★★★★★★★

          The afternoon continued without many mishaps. One of the places we visited was a sanctuary surrounded by green areas and ponds, really beautiful and relaxing. There, I was introduced to an interesting tradition: the inscription of the ema: small wooden tablets on which visitors write their wishes, so that they are received by the gods and thus fulfilled.

          Many people were writing their wishes and, as expected, Katarina-sama’s old family offered me to participate in this rite as well, agreeing that, out of respect for each other’s privacy, we would keep the message of our wishes a secret.

★★★★★★★★★

Let me see my little girl one more time

★★★★★★★★★

Wherever she is, may her receive the love she deserves

★★★★★★★★★

I want to fulfill the promise to introduce her to my girlfriend one day

★★★★★★★★★

Please allow her to have a long and prosperous life this time

★★★★★★★★★

I only ask happiness for my family in this world, that they do not suffer again, that they can move on even if I am not with them.

★★★★★★★★★

With my humblest respects; I am not from here and I have never prayed to you, but I only ask, implore, that Katarina-sama can meet her old family again in a not-too-distant future

          And so, in a display rack designed for that purpose, I hung that colorful tablet on which I had written that plea in a language that, until a few days ago, was unknown to me. 

          “Have you already placed your ema Maria? Don’t tell me: your desire is related to love, am I right?”

          I admit I had to contain my laughter at her words. “Katarina-sama”, I replied “hadn’t we agreed that it would be a secret?”

          “Whoops! You’re right, I’m such a busybody, heh heh. But I hope that whatever you have asked for, it gets fulfilled. Surely no god would deny you a favor, your charm is irresistible.”

            She still had such an idealized view of me; I guess old habits never die. But if only that charm reached who I wanted it to reach...

          While I was ruminating on those thoughts, she had gone ahead to observe the ponds, accompanied by her brothers; it was clear that she had missed these views. Seeing her so happy and exhilarated was very comforting to me. And in this situation, it happened that a female voice addressed me softly:

            “Excuse me Maria, can I talk to you for a few minutes?”

            “Oh? Yes, of course, what is it about?” This is how I responded to Mrs. Yamane, who told me to accompany her, moving away from the area a bit. “Why are we moving away?”

            “Maria... you like my daughter, don’t you?”

            I tried in vain not to show surprise at her question. “Eh... well... of course I like her, she’s a great person, an irreplaceable friend...”

            “You don’t have to pretend ignorance with me. You know what I mean.”

            The look she gave me showed no hostility, but I couldn’t help feeling intimidated, like a child caught up to a prank. “... that’s right, it’s what you think.”

            “Ohnonono, don’t feel bad, I’m not angry or upset, what’s more, I think you would make a beautiful couple. What I wanted to ask you is… would you like to live here?”

            “Excuse me?!”

            “We would fix the papers, you’d become part of our family. So you could be with Chihiro. Isn’t that an interesting idea?”

            As she spoke these words, a nervous smile appeared on her face. “Oh, I get it... you want me to convince Katarina-sama to stay here, don’t you?” Mrs. Yamane gulped.

            “It doesn’t make sense anymore beating around the bush… yes, that’s the idea. I thought maybe, if you talked to her...”

            “I’m so sorry. It’s a kind offer, but I must decline it. Don’t get me wrong, but I have a life in my world that I cannot abandon, especially my mother. Besides… I couldn’t do what you ask me: trying to convince Katarina-sama to abandon her life… I understand why you want it, but you must understand her decision.” I was afraid that she’d be enraged or that she’d burst into tears. Instead, she just sighed deeply and dropped her shoulders. Angling her gaze, she began to speak with a thread of sadness in her voice.

            “I already expected that you’d say that… I guess I wanted to exhaust one last try. Ten years ago, when Chihiro died, a part of me died with her. When I recognized her yesterday, it was as if I had been born again. I must confess that... I came to feel a grudge towards you when I knew that maybe she could never return...

            The revelation of these words caught me off guard. My interlocutor must had noticed it on my face, because she was quick to apologize.

            “Oh, sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean that! It was rather the idea behind you, your world, the world Chihiro now belongs to. I... I thought that world was taking my child away from me again after having recovered her; but her words… she’s right, I was being selfish. The pain I felt when I lost her is something I do not wish to anyone, her family does not deserve to go through that. The only thing I ask of you,” –she added while resting her hands on my shoulders –“take care of her, please. I know that this daughter of mine can be an impulsive airhead at times, and that her friendly personality makes her too naive. But… maybe that is why we have loved her so much.”

            The poor woman could not hold back her tears anymore. Reciprocating her gesture, this time I was the one who would place my hands on her shoulders. “That’s right,” I managed to answer, “and don’t worry, I promise I’ll be by her side to support her.”

            “I know you will… and I wish you the best of luck with her, you are going to need it. Find the right words.”

            “I will try, thank you very much for your encouragement.” And we had barely finished speaking when I heard a familiar voice, not with my ears, but in my mind:

            “Katarina, Maria! Can you hear me? It’s me, Alan.”

            I had to stifle a high-pitched cry of surprise. Trying not to raise my voice too much so that people wouldn’t take me for crazy, I replied: “A… Alan-sama, what a surprise! How is that…?”

            “Alan! You really did frighten me, I almost fell into the water!”

            Clearly, Katarina-sama was not taking the same precautions as me regarding the volume of her voice, because even from my position I could hear her clearly, as well as appreciating the exaggerated gestures that she did.

          “Forgive me girls, I had no other way of letting you know. First things first: are you okay? Did anything happen to you? I would have contacted you before, but until we couldn’t align the portal again, even a spoken message was impossible to send to that world you are in.”

            “Oh, yes, yes, don’t worry, fortunately we are perfectly fine.”

            “Great, I’m relieved to hear that. And this will fill you with relief: we are finishing aligning the portal properly: in about three and a half hours it will be ready to bring you back!”

            If Alan-sama had been here, he could have seen how his words provoked a reaction in Katarina-sama very different from what he would have expected, because her face darkened and, far from uttering a word, she just swallowed hard.

Chapter Text

Don't cry because it ended: smile because it happened

         There was dead silence in Koji’s apartment. It hadn’t been a long time since we’d all had dinner, the last dinner we’d have together on this trip. It was time to go home and we had changed back into our native clothes; and there was I, standing in front of those who in my past life were my family, none of them saying a single word. Unable to bear that situation any longer, with those sad eyes fixed on me, I managed to speak with forced enthusiasm.

         “Well, what do you think? Do I look good?”

         Mom was the first to answer; trying to smile, she said:

         “You look so beautiful. It matches your eyes.”

         “You certainly look like you came from a fairy tale.”

         These were the words of dad. Shinji, after performing a few hesitant gestures, would finally speak:

         “It fits you well. You look very… different. It is comfortable?”

         “Ha ha ha! To tell the truth, it’s not that bad. I can’t deny that after a few days wearing modern clothing, a multi-layered dress is a bit heavy, but it’s just a matter of getting used to it. Oh…”

         The four people in front of me, whom I loved so much, were no longer able to hold back their tears. After all, seeing me in those otherworldly clothes was the harbinger of my departure. “No, please, try not to be sad…”, but my words proved be useless, because I too did start crying. Almost without thinking of it, we fused together again in a warm hug. “Listen to me, please”, I managed to say after a few seconds that felt eternal, “I want you to know that you were the best family I could have in this life, and I would not exchange those moments we spent together for anything. Please promise me that you will be happy as much as possible and that you will not let yourself fall apart. Promise me…”

         “I promise it, little sis; I beg you too do the same.”

         Thus spoke Koji. Dad was the second to answer me:

         “I’ll do my best for you, I swear it.”

         Shinji, in a tone between sobs and giggles, added:

         “I promise it too, if you promise me in return not getting into trouble. Is it a deal, Katarina?”

         “Heh, deal accepted.” But one of those who were present had not given me an answer. “Mom ... you’re the only one left.” Her voice would be heard drowned out by her sobbing.

         “Sweetie… I do not know if I can do it… I’ve missed you so much and without a doubt I will do it again…”

         Still hugging her, I tried to give her as much support as possible. “Mom, I know that I’m asking you to commit to a difficult task; and believe me, it will be so for me too. That’s why we will have to give the best of ourselves and be stronger than ever. Every time I think of you, I will think of you being happy; do the same when you think of me.” I could feel how the one who was my mother in my previous life strengthened the grasp of her arms and her voice was clouded by her crying.

         “My girl… my precious girl! I will not fail you, I promise I will not fail you! I swear it Chihiro, I swear it on your memory!”

         Finally parting, I saw them face to face again, all with tears and smiles on their visages. “When I recovered my memories of my past life, I felt so regretful because I couldn’t properly say goodbye to you. I’m glad to have returned here, to have been able to see you again, to have spent time together.” At the very same time I was speaking these words, my hands were resting on my chest. “Until this very moment, I had not realized that I was afflicted with a small pain stuck in my heart. Pain that, for the first time in years, I feel it’s finally gone.” And, when I finished this speech, there was silence in the room, but we did not need to speak to convey feelings: I could see them more radiant than ever, because they too were free from a thorn that had been stuck in their hearts for far too long. We had helped each other, and sorrow and grief no longer had a place in our family.

         And, finally, a voice happened to be heard, the voice of the other person who was meant to march with me:

         “Excuse my intrusion, but I would like to thank you for your hospitality. You have been very kind to me, a complete stranger, at this very particular event in their lives. Thank you very much for accepting me.”

         Maria was next to me, gracefully bowing, her hands clasped. My old family smiled at his gesture, being dad the one who would answer:

         “The pleasure has been ours Maria. If we ever meet again, I want you to know that you will be welcome in our home. I confess that we feel calmer knowing that Katarina has someone as mature and responsible as you by her side.”

         That last sentence made me startle: “Hey! Are you calling me immature? You should see my farm, it’s the proof of my maturity and independence!” Of course, I knew dad was joking, but I couldn’t help pouting… and even though I wasn’t able to see me, the way they all burst out laughing told me that I, most likely, displayed a very funny face; and of course, that much laughter was contagious and it was impossible for me not to join them. When we had calmed down, it was time to finish organizing our return.

         “I was thinking… should we take the clothes we got here? They most likely will be a bit out of place in our world, don’t you think Maria?” I said, showing some of them. Maria seemed startled.

         “Ka-Katarina-sama… is that… that swimsuit?”

         “Oh? Yes, I could not resist purchasing it, it was on sale and I would like to try it some day, perhaps when the summer holidays arrive.” Unexpectedly, Maria started gesturing nervously.

         “But… I don’t think it’s a good idea, I mean, it’s from another world and… they would ask questions if… besides, it’s better here because… well, here it is…”

         “Oooooh, I understand what you mean: it’s better to leave them here because that would give us luck in finding a way back; we will be able to try them on again when we come back to visit.” Maria shyly nodded her head. Heh heh, surely she wasn’t expecting me to understand her idea so quickly; no doubt I had improved a lot at understanding meanings between the lines.

         “So be it. Take them”, I said handing over the bags to my family from my past life, “may this be a symbol of our stay in this world and a beacon that helps us find our way back.” These words surely had moved them too much, as they began to shed tears again. “Oh no no no, please don’t cry again; let’s make this a farewell full of smiles, make it a see you soon, not a goodbye.” With some effort, they managed to control their emotions and Mom was the one who would step forward and, grabbing the bag and wrapping my hands, spoke:

         “So shall it be! We will keep these clothes for the time we meet again. I’ll mantain them tidied up, like I did all these years. Until then, I wish you to be very happy… Katarina.”

         In response, I nodded while smiling, feeling my spirit and optimism renewed. Slowly but without hesitation, we parted slightly, she with the bag held firmly in her hands.

         Again, I could see them all together, separated by a tiny distance that we knew was about to get much more immense. But I did not allow that thought to prevent me from enjoying the moment, from gazing upon their faces one last time, with positivism and the desire to move on. Wiping away one last tear, I dedicated them two words: “thank you.”

          And, after a few moments during which time seemed to have stopped, the voice of the Fourth Prince of Sorcier echoed in my mind.

         “Katarina, Maria, are you ready? Everything is in order, you can come back in a few moments.”

         “Oh, Alan!” I admit that my friend’s voice startled me, as lost in my thoughts as I was. The members of my family from my previous life reacted with some distress when they realized that my departure was imminent, but they would immediately change their expressions, faithful to their promise. Happy to see this, I started to say goodbye… when an idea crossed my mind: “Alan, wait a moment, can you give me five minutes? I have to pick something up.”

         “What? Well, you know, if it’s only five minutes we can wait, but don’t linger for too long. What is it, food?”

         “No, nothing like that, you’ll see.” And, after changing language, I addressed those present there: “I'll be back in a moment. Koji, I need to get something from the bedroom, it won’t take me long.” Without waiting for an answer, I sped off to the room I had been sleeping in during these days, to get my hands on what I wanted to take home. As expected, when they saw me appear with that in my possession, everyone was speechless, Maria included.

         “B… but… Katarina-sama… that…”

         “Katarina… why…?”

         “I know it looks weird, but at home there are none like this. Pleaaaaaase.” And I tried to show my best puppy eyes, although my villainous face would give me some difficulties. But within seconds, the entire room was filled with laughter.

         “Little sis, this is the proof that you have not changed.”

         “This is very typical of you, without a doubt.”

         “Oh my daughter, only you would think of it.”

         “Actually, I shouldn’t be surpriseed, but yes, you can take it with you, consider it a gift for your trip.”

         “As a gift? No no no, I have to pay you in some way, I’m sure that my headdress would be valuable and you can get a good amount of money selling it, even more, that would cover the expenses of our stay…”, so I spoke while trying to detach the mentioned ornament from my hair, but Koji’s hands landed on mine.

         “No. There’s no need for it. Your presence here has been better payment than any gem or coin. And if this thrills you so much, I will gladly give it to you.”

         “Koji… heh… I still remember when you tried to cheer me up by giving me a wrestling grapple . I see that you have learned to treat ladies with delicacy.” The poor man blushed at these words; smiling, I added: “thank you very much.” And with these words, he offered me an affectionate hug. Hug that would be interrupted by the slightly exasperated voice of certain prince.

         “Katarina, those five minutes have already passed. Are you ready? We can’t wait much longer.”

         Sighing I replied: “Yes Alan, we are ready, you can start now.” Having said these words, Maria and I began to glow slightly, but the intensity of the light emanating from our bodies gradually increased. Aware of what that meant, I took one last look at my family from my past life and, exhibiting a smile that emerged from my soul, I said: “see you soon.” Before the light completely covered my vision, I could see their faces full of sadness but also joy, bidding me farewell.

         And in an instant, when I was finally able to regain my sight, the scene had changed: I was no longer in a 21st century apartment; instead, that room seemed more typical of a rustic, spacious construction, made of stone and wooden pillars; but I didn’t have much time to appreciate it, as multiple bodies crowded around me, competing with each other to hug me.

         “Katarina!”

         “Nee-san!”

         “Katarina-sama!”

         “Katarina.”

         “Katarina-sama!”

         “You, dummy!”

         “Ojou-sama!”

         There stood all my dear friends, my little brother Keith, Anne… they all appeared to be agitated and nervous. “Hey, don’t worry, I’m back. When did you find out?”

         “Well, not an hour had passed when everyone came visiting. I tried not to tell them much so they wouldn’t panic, but my brother quickly realized that he was hiding information.”

         “With all due respect, Alan-sama,” –interrupted Mary, –“it didn’t take a consummate investigator to realize that you knew more than you were letting on. The skill of lying is not one of your virtues.”

         “Honestly Mary, I don’t know whether to take that badly or to be flattered for considering me someone frank.”

         And with these words from the Fourth Prince, we all burst into laughter. It was comforting to know that they were no longer alarmed by my absence; but it was then that I remembered two more people who, possibly, would be in that situation: “now that I think about it, what about my parents? They must be terrified, surely my mother will punish me for my irresponsibility!”

         “Oh, don’t worry about that, Nee-san, they think you’ve been on a little trip to another city.”

         “Oh? Really? Well, it’s a relief, but how did you convince them?” It would be the Third Prince the one who responded to my inquiry.

         “Well, when Alan explained us what happened (and I had calmed down from my initial fit of rage), I told them that he needed to visit another city to get rare materials for the project and that you offered to accompany him when you heard about its typical gastronomy. It was a credible cover. I had to add that Maria and Keith joined as well.”

         “Keith? But he didn’t…”

         “Our parents would not have believed that I wasn’t accompanying you. The worst part, in addition to the uncertainty about your situation, was having to hide until your return.”

         “Awwww, my poor little brother, you must have had a really bad time. What have you done in the meantime, where have you hidden?” In his calmed tone of voice, this time Nicol was the one who would reply.

         “We arranged everything so that he could remain hidden in our home. When the princes explained the situation to my parents, they raised no objection.”

         “Whew, thank goodness, thank you very much for the help. But, without being able to leave the mansion, you must have feel really bored, right?”

         “Well, the truth is that at first yes… but Sophia helped me overcome the tedium with her personal library.”

         “Eeeeeeh ?! Is it true, you’ve become fond of romance novels too? This is so exciting, we will finally have a boy in our reading group!”

         “Eh eh eh, I just read them to pass the time! It’s not that I dislike them or anything, but they aren’t something that I’m that passionate about…”

         “Well Katarina-sama, between the two of us, I can tell you that the saga of The Mark of the Vermillion Hand thrilled him quite a lot.”

         Sophia and I laughed in sync as Keith blushed. This made me think of something. “You know what? I just imagined you two reading together and the scene in my mind was quite the romantic one. Don’t you think you would make a very cute couple?”

         "C-C-C-C-C-C-Cooooouple?!”

         “Keith-sama and I? Nononononono, no way, absolutely not!”

         From how they reacted, I suspected that I had hit the mark with my deduction; the others formed a roaring chorus of laughter. Only when everything calmed down would Jeord turn to speak to me.

         “On a different matter, tell us Katarina, where have you been? You have supposedly visited another world; have you been in danger? How was it? You haven’t suffered any injuries, have you?”

         “Well…” they all looked at me with curiosity and inquisitiveness. “I can tell you that it has been quite an adventure, but… I think you are not prepared to understand the magnitude of what transpired, not yet…” I felt somewhat bad hiding information from them, but I feared they would not be capable to assimilate the truth about my past life. Predictably, from confusion they went to complaints and pleas; Trying to calm them down, I replied: “listen to me, I promise that I will tell you everything, in due course. Right now, all I can say is that I’m fine, in fact I’m better than ever, you don’t have to worry.” Luckily, they accepted the message of my words and calmed down a bit. But Mary would be the first to notice my extra cargo:

         “Katarina-sama? Is that a…?”

         “Oh yes, it’s a souvenir of that world. It is much better than any of the ones here.”

         “But nee-san, I don’t think our mother will approve of you taking that home.”

         “Oh, I was counting on it: that’s why I’m going to sneak it in.” As his only answer, Keith looked at me pale and mouth agape.

★★★★★★★★★

         “Excuse me Maria, can we talk for a moment?”

         Turning my head in the direction of the voice that had spoken to me, a male face with golden hair and firm gaze filled my view. “Oh, Jeord-sama, of course. What can I do for you?”

         “You can deduct it. I don’t want to pressure Katarina, besides, sometimes it’s difficult for her to understand the intentions of other people, so I would like you to tell me: what happened in that world? Why is she hiding it from us?”

         Multiple images reappeared in my mind: Katarina-sama smiling and full of tears while hugging her former family, her renewed happiness, her excitement when reading her friend’s dedication… chocking out a giggle, I replied. “I can understand your desire to know the truth, but out of respect for her decision, I cannot reveal you anything.” For a moment, the Third Prince’s face seemed to darken, as if trying to portray an intimidating attitude; my reaction was to reply without losing my smile: “But you shouldn’t worry: I can assure you that the experience that Katarina-sama has lived in that world has been entirely positive. I fully understand your uncertainty about it and I can empathize with your desire elucidate the mistery, but believe me when I tell you that the moment she decides to reveal what happened, you will understand perfectly why she decided to keep it a secret.” After a few tense seconds, Jeord-sama dropped his shoulders and sighed deeply.

         “I guess I should follow your advice, you sounded very convincing. I can’t get angry with you, truth be told, that’s one of your gifts… in fact… I’ll be entirely honest: sometimes I think that, had I not met Katarina, I could have become interested in you.”

         Remembering the story of a certain game, I couldn’t help to giggle, causing the Third Prince to raise an eyebrow.

         “Did that sound laughable?”

         “Oh no, I just… I thought that maybe in another life it would have been like that.” And, without further inhibitions, we laughed together.

★★★★★★★★★

         It had been a few minutes after my return home, when someone knocked on my window.

         “Nee-san , I have it here.”

         I opened the window and there was Keith, on a soil  platform that he had raised with his magic; next to him was the object he was helping me sneaking into the house.

         “Thank you so much Keith! Now I just have to place it without our mother knowing. Would you help me? Let’s remove this first.”

         “Honestly, I still don’t understand it, what’s so special about those from that world that made you brought one for yourself?”

         “He, that’s because you haven’t tried it; I’m not exaggerating when I say…” and without warning, the doors of my room opened and I heard a female voice behind me.

         “Katarina, I was thinking of… daughter, what does this mean?”

         I could feel daggers of panic piercing through my entire body. “M-m-mother… this, this is… it’s a souvenir that I brought from the trip. They have a reputation for being really good…”

         “Katarina, I’m used to your eccentricities and I can get to accept them… but, would you like to explain me why did you buy a mattress?! The ones in our house have been manufactured by the best artisans, exclusively for the most important families in the nation! Do you think I have bad criteria when choosing them?”

         She was upset, I could tell it. I couldn’t explain her that it was a memory foam mattress made with techniques that do not exist in this world, so, without a convincing argument, I decided trying to convince her with acts.

         “Mother, I know this seems outlandish, I know. But give it a try and you will understand what makes it so special. Five minutes, I’m not asking for more, try it for five minutes and, if it doesn’t convince you, I’ll get rid of it.” Mother stood with her arms crossed, looking at me sternly, without saying anything; but finally she relaxed her posture.

         “Okay, I accept the challenge. Let’s see what is unique about it.”

         And so, having placed it on the bed frame, the distinguished Duchess Claes leaned back on a mattress imported from another world. Bringing her hands together in a refined way, she narrowed her eyes… and a minute passed, two… when the clock reported the passage of five tense minutes, her husband, my father, went to her and rested his hand on her shoulder. Shaking her slightly, he spoke:

         “Darling, the time period has passed, do you hear me?”

         Her only reaction was to make a semi-conscious gesture to remove his hand, tilt a little, and continue sleeping. Her breathing was calm and a small smile was visible on her face. My father observed that event in amazement and, addressing me, said:

         “My daughter, I also want to try that mattress.”

         Something told me that I was going to have to share my souvenir of Japan, but thinking about the face that my mother would have when she woke up and realized that I was right, I considered that it would have been worth it.

__________

EPILOGUE 1

         It had been a hard day of work, but comforting at the same time. I was putting my training belongings in my bag, thinking about the list of activities for tomorrow, when a voice behind me distracted me from my thoughts.

         “Ufff, sensei , today’s class was incredible, intense but enjoyable, it just flew by. Your style has changed a lot lately.”

         Sumire, 26 years old, web designer, single. She started coming to cardio class to combat the numbness caused by his work, but ended up taking a liking to it like no one else. “Do you really think so?”

         “Yes, I don’t know exactly how to define it, but your classes before were more serious, even more severe. Now they transmit more joy and even you can be seen to enjoy them more.”

         “Well… it may be possible… I guess you’re right.”

         “Oops, what’s with that smile? Don’t tell me… you’ve found a stable partner!”

         At this hasty conclusion I could not contain my laughter. “Ha ha ha, nothing like that, I’m still single and without commitment.”

         “Oh? Is that true? So… wouldn’t it hurt to suggest you get to know each other a little more outside of this place?”

         Honeyed words and a mischievous wink. Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea after all. “I know a good cafeteria, I’ll give you the address later, how’s 17:00 sound?"

         “Great. I will not miss it. See you then, Koji.”

         Maybe this time I can start a serious relationship? I thought as I walked back home. It would not be a bad idea. I did not think about the future much, I had let myself stagnate, I had reached the point of living life in an almost automated way, getting drunk on fleeting pleasures, without looking further.

         But now I see it differently. Thank you for opening my eyes, little sister, thank you for sharing your joy with me, with us, once again. I hope you are doing well too.

__________

EPILOGUE 2

         “I’ll be honest with you Shinji: I don’t know whether to be happy or scared.”

         “Uh? What do you mean Hotaru?” At her suggestion we had gone to see a rakugo show. And these were the words that she directed to me when we were exiting it.

         “You laughed, you laughed a lot. These last two months you have laughed more than in the four years that we have been in a relationship. I admit that I found your seriousness and maturity very attractive, but I always missed the presence of some humor within you. I could understand why, but this sudden change… I don’t dislike it, on the contrary, it’s just that I still find difficult to assimilate it.”

         “Oh, that’s it. Well, I guess sooner or later I had to turn the page and move on.”

         “That’s the idea, but I can’t even imagine how you felt. Losing a sister… it must be terribly hard.”

         Holding her next to me, I looked up at the sky, with my smiling face and I replied: “It is, but precisely because of her I must live my life as best as possible. Besides… now I know that a part of her will always be with me.”

__________

EPILOGUE 3

         The sticks of incense had stopped burning by the time we finished praying. Visiting a grave had become a routine for us in the last ten years, but this time, it was not the same one: in it laid an old woman, a grandmother who had been reunited with her granddaughter one last time.

         Having paid our respects, heading back home, I commented to my husband: “Sometimes I have the impression of having dreamed it.”

         “Dreamed it?”

         “Katarina. Her visit, the revelation that she was our reincarnated daughter, her departure… sometimes I wonder if I have gone crazy and everything has happened in my mind.” Feeling his arm clinging to mine, he replied:

         “Well, if it is a dream, it’s a dream we share and from which I will never want to wake up.”

         “Honey…” I replied while reciprocating his hug, “do you think we were good parents?”

         “I can’t say with certainty… but would she have wanted to see us again if we had failed as such?”

         A smile appeared on my face in response to his words. “I wonder what she is doing now. Her current parents are people from a noble family who have had to deal with a restless rascal; can you imagine her trying to be a lady?”

         “Ha ha ha! No, that’s impossible. She even has her own farm. Partialy, I feel sorry for what they are going to have to endure… but I also envy them; being able to enjoy their presence is a luxury that is no longer within our grasp…”

         I could feel a small tear running down my cheek. “But still… I’m happy to have been able to share moments with her once again. I just hope they appreciate the beautiful gift that life gave them.”

         “I’m sure they will. Whether as Chihiro or as Katarina, her knack of bringing joy is unique.”

         “Katarina… it’s a nice name, don’t you think? I’m glad they didn’t name her something difficult to pronounce.” And with no more words, we laughed together, letting us be carried away by a joy that we had long forgotten, a joy that someone precious had given us back. Katarina, I hope I can say to you in person one day, “Thank you.”

__________

EPILOGUE 4

         “I must confess, Takeda-san, I’m very glad to see that you are finally showing some progress.”

         “I guess at some point it had to happen.”

         “You still have a long way to go, but yes, in all these years it’s the first time that I notice you determined to improve. It seems like a real miracle.”

         “You could say that, yes, it’s the miracle of an angel.”

__________

EPILOGUE 5

         The breeze caressed my face and swayed my hair. For an autumn day it felt very cozy, especially seen from the shed under which I was having tea, waiting for someone, as I reflected about everything that had happened just two days ago. A familiar voice would bring me out of my reverie.

         “Ojou-sama? Your guest is here.”

         “Oh, thank you Anne, please let her in.”

         With a bow, my ever faithful Anne turned and, with a gesture, ushered in this young woman of unearthly beauty and charm. As Anne retired, Maria advanced to the table, smiling and radiant; in an enchanting tone of voice, she said to me:

         “Katarina-sama, will you allow me to sit down?”

         I almost choked trying to hold back laughing. “Oh my, Maria, you don’t need to address me with such formalities, of course you can sit down.” With her natural delicacy, my beloved friend took a seat across from me, placing a paper bag on the table that, when opened, revealed a variety of shapes and colors that caused saliva to crowd into my mouth. “Ooooooooooooh, you brought your homemade berry treats! They look delicious…”, I said, putting a glazed currant paste in my mouth; Predictably, the taste was, in a word, delicious. “Uuuuuuuuhm, so tasty!”

         “Katarina-sama, I must say that the note you had sent me has puzzled me. Why did you want me to show up in this place alone?”

         Maria seemed a bit nervous. I assumed it was my villainess aura (although I wasn’t one, I still had that intimidating presence). “The reason was to be able to tell you something related to the trip we made to my old world: thank you.” Maria was silent for a few seconds, clearly confused by my words.

         “Thanks? I don’t understand, why exactly?”

         “Maria, think about one thing: do you really think it was a coincidence that we accidentally travelled to the world of my old life, that we happened to end up in the country where I lived, that we happened to run into my brother, that he happened to be on vacation, and that, coincidentally, he had enough dirt on his shoes to leave footprints that helped us find his residence? Too many coincidences in my favor. I’m sure you gave me luck. Perhaps because of your magic, perhaps because you are the bearer of good fortune; but I have no doubt that it was thanks to you that I was able to close the wounds that my premature death had left open in my soul. So again: thank you, Maria Campbell; thank you for being by my side.” Maria remained motionless for a few moments, after which her beautiful blue eyes were moistened, her face turned into smiling, and, joining her hands, she responded with her sweet voice drowned out by emotion.

         “I must also thank you, Katarina-sama! Thank you for having become part of my life, thank you for showing me hope when I thought I would not have it! But above all, thank you for exposing me to a new world!”

         “It’s no big deal, I’ve just been a friend. Anyone would have done the same for you.” Focused again on devouring Maria’s delicious sweets, I didn’t notice how she clenched her fists, as if trying to summon strength to decide taking action.

         “No, not just anyone… this is something that only you could have done. I have been looking for a way to tell you how I really feel, without any misunderstandings or mix ups… and I think I have finally found it.”

         “Mmmmm?” I couldn’t understand what she meant. But before my eyes, there was a much firmer and more imposing Maria than usual. A Maria who, staring at me, would pronounce those words whose message I would never have imagined.

         “If I have understood correctly, the game that reflected our world had multiple ‘routes’ that implied who my counterpart in it would end up paired with. I think you have been trying for a long time to find out who was that person in real life occupying my heart’s feelings. Well, I am going to tell you: I am on a route that was not accessible in the game, a route that you would not have imagined possible… I am on the Katarina Claes route.”