The moment I step out of the room, I could feel my body again. Csille is gone.

   I look in front of me. Prince Fraser and Princess Paislee are walking while talking about the competition.

   I froze in my spot. Mesmerized with how fitting the two leads are. They look so good together. Even though Princess Paislee is in disguised, I couldn’t shake off the chemistry they are giving.

   “It’s my lead characters,” I whispered. They are real and alive. And together.

   I know I’ve been here in this world for quite a long time already but for a writer like me to see their characters in real life is something different. It’s different when I just write them. I think I want to cry. They look so perfect together. Like a puzzle, they complete each other.

   I was stunned there until I couldn’t see them anymore. They just walk out without even noticing that I didn’t follow them.

   ‘Why would they even notice you, Csille? Remember, you are the villainess. Why would they care for a character like you?’ A voice in my head said.

   I shake my head and take a deep breath. It’s not the right time to be stunned. I have a lot of things to do and to prepare.

   This Grand Exemplary Competition will surely make a difference among us, Prince Fraser, Princess Paislee, and me, Csille Lauretré.

____________________

  I just finished my training in tea ceremony. I am the only lady on our team, and that makes me responsible for the etiquette category. Princess Paislee is a lady too however, since she is in disguised it’s impossible for her to compete in the etiquette category. Also, I kind of doubt if Princess Paislee could do those. She isn’t really the type who loves to do these things under the etiquette category.

   Great! For someone who didn’t grow up in an affluent family, what will I know about etiquette? It’s a good thing that this body of mine could still remember the etiquette lesson the real Csille take before.

  And why do I even need to worry about that? I wouldn’t even control my body for sure if the Grand Exemplary Competition came. It’s probably the real Csille who will control this body again.

   I’m tired. I walk with my head down. I’m exhausted. I had a long day. Full of quizzes, and then after that, I still finished the tea ceremony training.

   I’m drained. I just want to lay on the bed and sleep. But I couldn’t do that. I have to think of ways to warn everyone about what will happen in the competition.

   I know I couldn’t do anything about it. However, there’s no harm in trying, right?

I stopped on my step when I saw Prince Fraser with his classmates walking in my direction. I immediately turn left to a hallway and walk as far as I can away from him.

I don’t want to talk to him for now. Not until I find a way to warn them about what evil deeds Csille will do.

Although I kind of don’t know how to tell them because who would believe someone who tells to their target what they would do to them? It’s quite out of the expected.

I was about to turn left to get to my room when someone grabs my arms. I look back and see Prince Fraser.

What is he doing here? Great! Why does when I don’t want to talk to him, he always pops up from nowhere?

I tried to break free from his grip. But to no avail, he wouldn’t let me. I sighed and stared back at him. “What do you want, your highness?”

Prince Fraser frowns at my response. “Why did you run away from me, Csille?”

My eyes widened. He saw me? I thought he didn’t notice me. That’s why I had the guts to run away from him.

“I don’t understand what you are saying, Prince Fraser. I wouldn’t dare to do that.” I tried to break free from his grip again, but he still wouldn’t let me go.

He took a step forward. Making our distance an inch from each other. He’s staring at me intently. “You definitely saw me there, Csille. Don’t deny it. I definitely saw you looking back at me. However, the moment you saw me, you immediately make a detour. Why? Are you still mad about me because of what I did in the western region?”

I tried to avert my gaze from him. I couldn’t think straight right now. His eyes make me lose my sense of reasoning. I tried to come up with a good excuse in my mind. However, my brain wouldn’t cooperate. It just wants to keep staring at Prince Fraser.

“I’m not mad at you, Prince Fraser. I-” My eyes widened. I couldn’t talk. My lips wouldn’t move no matter how hard I try to move it.

  Prince Fraser immediately saw the panic in my eyes. “Csille? Are you okay?”

  I tried talking again. However, I couldn’t still move my lips. What is happening? I was just about to say to him that I am not mad anymore and that we should just forget about it.

  But why is this world wouldn’t let me say it?

  I look at Prince Fraser and shake my head at him. I tried to speak again, to tell him that I don’t feel good and probably just need to rest. But my lips wouldn’t let me.

  Prince Fraser is already anxiously staring at me. He probably don’t know what to do. Who wouldn’t? He was just talking to me, and then all of a sudden, I couldn’t talk, and I am now panicking over things that he couldn’t understand.

   I tried using sign language at him, but he couldn’t understand a thing. I was still gesturing to him that I don’t feel good when suddenly my foot walks on its own. It walks towards my room. I tried to look back at Prince Fraser, but I couldn’t move my head.

   Prince Fraser followed me. “Csille? What is happening? Are you okay? I don’t understand. What do you want to say? What does this,” he do the hand gestures I was doing a while ago. “What does it mean? I don’t understand.”

   However, I didn’t get the chance to answer because my hand opened the door of my room. And in just a second, I was in, and my hands immediately slam the door.

I could still hear Prince Fraser talking outside, although I don’t understand that much.

    I tried to move my body but I couldn’t move it. Panic rise from my heart. What is happening? I should have been able to move my body now since I am already in my room. Also, I’ve never written this scene, so I should be the one controlling this body and not Csille. So, why does I couldn’t my body?

I was still contemplating when I heard a loud sound outside. It’s like a heavy thing falls on the floor.

Prince Fraser!

I tried my hardest to move my feet and my hands. However, before I could even move an inch, an ear pitching sounds overwhelmed my senses, and I lost my consciousness.

____________

“Ysavel Vlahos.”

I opened my eyes and saw an empty room. The walls are colored in white, and there is no furniture in here.

“Ysavel Vlahos.”

Someone is calling me. However, no one is inside the room beside me. I tried to locate where the sounds could be coming from, but I couldn’t find it. It’s like it’s coming to all sides of the room. But how could it be possible?

“Ysavel Vlahos. I warned you before, right?”

It’s the voice again. The one who is callings my name a while ago.

Warned me before? What does he mean? What warning?

I suddenly heard a laugh. “You already forgot? I thought you would be wise enough not to forget it. But I was wrong. Is it the reason why you keep repeating your mistakes?”

I frown. Mistake? What mistake?

“What mistake? You really surprised me. I thought you care about them. I guess I was wrong.”

I tried to move my lips, and it moved. I could talk again! I look around. “What mistake are you saying? And who are you referring them? Who are them? No, who the heck are you?”

The voice laughs again. “It doesn’t matter who I am. All that matters is, you are slipping, Ysavel, and it’s not just you who are slipping.”

Who is he? I’m pretty sure he’s not the writer or the silhouette guy who talks to me in my dreams because his voice sounded different than them.

“Slipping? What do you mean slipping?”

   “Every person in here is a character you made. However, some are just some side characters. They all follow the certain traits you have created for them. They have consciousness based on what you write about them. However, it’s different when they developed consciousness against what you have written for them.”

   What does he mean? I don’t understand.

   “You don’t understand? You really disappoint me, Ysavel.” He then laughs mockingly.

   Can this guy be nice? His words are too vague, and he expects me to understand it immediately? What does he think of me?

   “Dumb.”

   I frown. “Dumb? Who’s dumb?”

   He laughs again. “You. You’re dumb, Ysavel. Prince Fraser is already having consciousness that is against what you have written for him. He’s slipping, and it’s because of you.”

   “Consciousness that is against what I have written? Slipping? What do you mean?”

   “I mean what I said, and if you don’t understand it, then it’s your fault for being dumb.”

   “Hey! I am not dumb!”

   “If you’re not dumb. Then tell me, what do I mean with my words? See? You couldn’t even talk. Dumb. Really dumb. Because of your dumbness, you’ll endanger everyone.”

   “Endanger, everyone? What do you mean? Who is everyone?”

   “Remember Ysavel. You are the creator of this world, and I already told you before, right? You shouldn’t do something against what you have written, but why do you still insist on changing their destiny? Do you really want them to perish?”

   I should not do something against what I’ve written? Isn’t the silhouette man who told me that? Is he the same person? But his voice sounded different. And what does he mean they will perish?

   “It’s simple words, and you don’t even know what it means? Are you really even a writer?” He scoffs. “They will die if they continue to slip away from their characters. Prince Fraser should have stick with what you’ve written about him. He should have feelings for Farren by now, but because of you, he is conflicted. It’s okay if you’re the only one who is conflicted, but it’s different when another character is conflicted.”

   What does he mean I am conflicted? “I don’t understand what you mean. Can you be more direct with your words?”

    “Sorry, however, I am not that patient as the silhouette man you like to call. I mean what I mean, and if you don’t understand, then it’s all on you. I said what I said. Don’t insist on changing their destiny, Ysavel. You cannot warn them on what will happen, or this world will need to bear the consequences. You don’t want that, right?

    He knows my plan on warning them!

    “Of course I know. Everything happening in this world was known to us. Even your thoughts of warning them on what will happen in the future are known to us. You really think you could do everything you want in here just because you’re the one who created this world?”

    “But I just want to help them. Is that wrong?”

    The voice laughs again in a mocking tone. “Wrong? Everything is wrong, Ysavel. Everything you do is wrong. We warned you several times not to do something against what you have written, but you keep insisting on doing your thing. And now, even Prince Fraser is conflicted because of you. You’re putting everyone at risk. I told you when you do something against their destiny. Then this world will collapse. Their lives will be at risk. And the feeling you have when you lost control all of a sudden is a warning for you not to make things more complicated.”

    I suddenly remember my last conversation with Prince Fraser. But I didn’t do anything against what I have written that time.

    “You didn’t do anything but that scene is not written. Just because it’s a time gap in your story, it could mean you could do as you please. What happened in the time gap will affect the story too. So don’t try to talk to Prince Fraser if it’s not what you write. And stop looking for the writer. You wouldn’t see him no matter how you tried. Don’t be dumb, Ysavel, or you too will perish with this world.”

  I was about to answer him when the room suddenly turns dark. Too dark that I couldn’t see anything. I tried to open my eyes but to no avail. All I see is darkness. I tried to open it again, and I found myself lying on my room’s carpeted floor behind my door.