“Hello, Mr. “Perfectly fine”. How’s your heart after breaking mine? Mr. “Always at the right place at the right time, ” baby,” I was too engrossed singing Taylor Swift song when someone interrupted me.

“Who broke your heart?” Rufus asked, smilingly at me. He sits beside me on the hanging hammock. “Baby?” He smirks at me.

“Hey! What’s with the smirk? I was just singing. It didn’t mean anything. Don’t give meaning to everything I do.”

Rufus raised his eyebrow at me. And then he suddenly burst out laughing. “Why are you so defensive, purplany? I was just teasing you. Look at your face. It’s all red now.” He pinches my cheeks. “Why are you so adorable?”

I glared at him and break free from his clutches. My cheeks are already aching now. Why does he always love to pinch my cheeks? It’s not fun.

“Don’t adorable me, Rufus. What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be in the Royal University of Vrawyth studying his ass off? Don’t be a lazy ass.”

Rufus scoffs at me. “And said the lady who is in my hangout place instead of attending her training for the Grand Exemplary Competition? You have guts, eh?”

I rolled my eyes at him. He knows about it because he is one of the university students that will represent the Vrawyth Kingdom, alongside Leander.

“Why are you so worked up about it? I excused myself, okay? I didn’t just ditch it.”

“Excuse yourself? Let me guess. You excuse yourself by pretending you don’t feel good because you don’t want to see Prince Fraser, right?”

   My eyes widened with Rufus’ words. How did he know?

   Rufus gently messed my hair. “You’re aware that what happened last week caused a big riff in both the Vrawyth High School of the Nobles and the Royal University of Vrawyth, right?”

   I look at him, confused. What riff? After my last conversation with Prince Fraser last week, I tried my best no to talk to him or even see him.

   If I’m not in my class or in my training for the competition. I’ll just stay in my room the whole day.

   I’ll be honest. I got scared. I got scared of what that sarcastic and rude voice said in my dreams. That’s why I tried my best no to talk to Prince Fraser.

   No matter what that slipping meant. I need to avoid any interaction with him as much I can. I was given a warning several times before, and I think my last conversation with that voice is also the last warning they could give me.

   “Csille?”

   I shake my head at look at Rufus. I got to focus on thinking that I forgot that I am still talking with Rufus right now.

   “What do you mean, riff? Did something happen this week?”

   Rufus looks at me like he couldn’t believe what I just said. “You really don’t have any idea what happened this week?” I shake my head at him in response. “You and Prince Fraser got into a big issue.”

   I frown at Rufus’ words. What did he say? Issue? What issue? Did I get amnesia that I forgot what I did?

   “You don’t remember? Last week, Prince Fraser was found in front of your door unconscious.”

   What? Prince Fraser found in my door unconscious? Is he the one I heard who fall? I thought it’s just a thing or a furniture.

   “But what does it have to do with me? Why did I have an issue with Prince Fraser? I don’t understand.”

   Rufus looks at me and shakes his head. “You really don’t know? Is that why you act like nothing happened? I thought you just don’t care about it. However, I couldn’t blame you, though. These nobles don’t like to talk about things openly. I’m pretty sure no one has the guts to tell you or ask you about the issue.”

   “Rufus, that doesn’t matter now. What issue are you talking about?”

  Why do I feel like Rufus’ following words will shock my whole existence? I hope it’s not that bad.

   “What do you expect people think? Before Prince Fraser become unconscious, some students saw Prince Fraser banging on your door. Asking you to open it and then all of a sudden he fell on the floor. Do you expect people not to give meaning to it? These nobles probably know the engagement between you two. So, seeing Prince Fraser banging in your door and you not opening it really cause a big issue. And now everyone thought that you are having a lover’s quarrel now. And it worsens because, after the incident, you keep avoiding Prince Fraser.”

   He knows! I immediately look at Rufus. He laughs at my reaction. “What? You really think no one would notice what you are doing? Do you think no one would notice your lame excuses not to interact with Prince Fraser? And everytime Prince Fraser will got close to you, you immediately run away like a scared little girl.”

   Holy sheez! I only avoid Prince Fraser because of what that voice told me in my dream. I didn’t know it will add fuel to the heated issue between Prince Fraser and I.

   This is not good! This thing shouldn’t happen. Prince Fraser should, by this time, get close to Farren. But why is this happening?

   Why did we have a big issue like this? Is this what the slipping meant? But this thing, I didn’t write about this. The voice told me that if I keep insisting on changing their destiny, then this world will perish. What will happen after this? I hope nothing.

   However, I have just finished thinking about it when suddenly the ground trembles. It’s an earthquake and a high magnitude one.

Rufus immediately grabs my hand and hugs me. He put his hand on my head. Trying to cover it from anything that could fall.

   “Why did it suddenly trembles? Come on, let’s get out of here.”

   Rufus leads me out the back building and walks towards the open field where everyone is already standing or sitting. Most students are startled and scared that most of the girls are slump of the floor crying.

The teachers are everywhere, trying to calm down all the anxious and panicking students.

   Rufus leads me to the less crowded place in the open field. “Here, let’s sit here first and wait for the announcement. What could have happened?”

‘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.’

   ‘Don’t be dumb, Ysavel, or you too will perish with this world.’

   I suddenly remember the words that the voice said to me in my dream. Is this earthquake is the consequence of my action?

   “Csille, are you okay? You look pale. Are you anxious too? Don’t worry. Someone is already investigating this matter. The teacher said we just need to stay for an hour here before we could go back.”

  I nod my head at Rufus in response, although I didn’t clearly hear what he said. My mind is preoccupied with the voice said in my dreams. If this is the consequence of my action, then I have no choice but to cut ties with Prince Fraser.

   The more I, Ysavel Vlahos, talk to Prince Fraser, the more things will be complicated.

   What would I choose? Save Prince Fraser, Princess Paislee, Rufus, and all my loved ones in here? Or to save every person’s lives living in this world?

   But is I still insists on saving them. Then this world will start to collapse. This world exists solely based on my novel. If this world doesn’t follow my novel, then what’s the use of its existence? It will start to self destruct itself.

   But if I let things happen as it is then every cruel thing Csille will plan to do in the future will happen. If that’s happen, it will hurt not just Prince Fraser or Princess Paislee but everyone I care about in this world.

   “Csille?”

   I look at Rufus’ anxious face. He is looking worriedly at me. He’s probably worried because I space out. I hold his hand that is assisting my left arm. “I’m okay, Rufus. I was just shocked by what happened. Don’t worry about me. I’m,” my words stuck on my throat when I see Prince Fraser being assisted by Farren walking out the main building. “Okay,” I whispered.

   He is with her. It is supposed to happen, right? That’s why they exist. They exist because of each other.

   But why do I feel like someone is pinching my heart real hard that I feel like I am suffocating?

   “You like him?”

   I look at Rufus because of his question. I like Prince Fraser? I shake my head, trying to get the thought outside my mind. It couldn’t be. I couldn’t like him.

   “I don’t. Stop talking nonsense, Rufus. Come on, let’s ask one of the teachers. We need to know what is happening.” I immediately walk towards the closest teacher I could see.

   “Are you afraid what your answer will be, Ysavel? Why are you running?” It’s the voice again! The voice in my dream.

   I definitely hear him in my mind. It’s like he whispered something, however, instead of the voice coming outside. It’s coming inside in my mind.

   I’m pretty sure it’s him. The voice which warns me of the possible destruction of this world.

What does he mean? Scared of my answer to Rufus’s question? Am I?

_________________

After an hour, all the students quiet down with the help of reassurance of the teachers. They also announced that what happened is a quake. However, the reason for it is still unknown. They said that the researchers still need to look for it.

And as for the safety of the buildings. They all assured that the building is well built and could withstand even tens of that quake.

I want to roll my eyes at the exaggerated description of the teacher who is announcing the news.

Tens of the quake? That earthquake seems like a magnitude seven and you’re telling me that our building could withstand tens of that earthquake? You got to be kidding me.

   “Hey! It’s Csille. But why is she with Prince Rufus? I thought,” a girl whispered to her friend.

   I want to roll my eyes at them. Like, come on, if you really want to whisper it, make sure you say it too low. But the way the girl says it, you could say she really wants people to hear it.

   “Shh. Don’t make such comments. Look at Prince Fraser. He seems in a bad mood.”

   I look in Prince Fraser’s direction. He is with Princess Paislee. Prince Fraser got wounded on his thigh. He got an inch cut on his thigh. I heard he got cut by a metal somewhere.

A nurse and a doctor are joining hands to dress his wounds. Princess Paislee is beside Prince Fraser, holding his hands.

This is what supposed to happen, but why do I feel a sudden urge to walk towards them and take Prince Fraser’s hands away from Princess Paislee.

I shake my head to shake those thoughts away. This is bad. Really bad. Ysavel Vlahos, don’t forget who you are.

Rufus looks at me. Confused about what I am doing. “Are you okay, Csille?”

I shake my head at him as a response. “I’m okay. I was just probably shocked,” the words got stuck on my tongue when my eyes landed again in Prince Fraser and Princess Paislee’s direction.

The nurse and doctor finished attending Prince Fraser’s wounds, and Princess Paislee is now helping Prince Fraser to sit properly. Prince Fraser looks up to Princess Paislee, and they lock eyes for a minute or two.

“So, tell me. Who do you like?” I heard Rufus said. However, my mind is preoccupied with what is happening right now between Prince Fraser and Princess Paislee. That I couldn’t process what is he saying.

“Fraser,” my lips subconsciously mouthed in a low voice.

I tried to look for the happiness I usually feel when I see them interacting with each other. But right now, I couldn’t find that happiness. All I feel is pain. It’s like someone is crushing my heart, causing me to have difficulty in breathing.

“Csille? Are you okay?” I heard Rufus said again. He probably notices my rapid breathing. He suddenly holds me on my shoulder and slightly shakes me.

The shake helps me to recover my senses. I look at Rufus. “What happened?”

Rufus looks at me. I see him about to open his mouth, but he closes it in the end and just shakes his head. “Nothing. Maybe you should take some rest.”