Seeing her in front of me, I didn't hesitate.
I ran toward her, my bare feet slapping against the grass.
Slowly, the moonlight shifted, illuminating her face. It was Gena in her human form, serene and otherworldly.
I stopped in front of her, overwhelmed by emotion and guilt. The dam broke, and tears streamed down my face.
"I… killed… them…" I sobbed, my voice trembling. "It was my fault… I… wa… s… so naive…"
Gena reached out and embraced me. Her touch was warm, grounding.
"It is not your fault," she whispered softly into my hair. "You didn't know."
Her comforting words eased some of the crushing weight that had been consuming me.
After a few moments, I pulled back, wiping my eyes. I tried to regain my composure.
"Why???" I asked, my voice cracking. "The fate of the Book was different this time…"
"It was different because you tried to change it…" Gena looked at me with understanding in her ancient eyes. "As I said, Nona would do anything to keep the flow of fate the same. However, you changed some of the flow. You altered the fate of the Four Children seven years ago, the fate of the two mercenaries, and the fate of the former retinue."
"BUT!" I argued. "Without me, the four children wouldn't have their names, their own interests, their own life…"
"No," Gena corrected gently. "They will."
"Yes, I KNOW. In a few years later, they will have it. However, to let them live on the street for a few years when you have a chance to save them… is a cruel fate to impose on them."
"That was their fate from Nona's flow," Gena explained. "The more you try to alter fate, the more Nona will retaliate for the change. You need to know that the Book is the Book, not real life. You will see a difference between the Book and real life. When you see the Book as real life, you make a big mistake because it doesn't have something controlling it. As you live in real life, something is controlling it. It is Nona."
"Well," I challenged, "if Nona is controlling it, why doesn't she take my own life right now and right here?"
"Controlling fate doesn't mean dictating someone's fate directly," Gena said. "Controlling fate means protecting the Flow. The flow of fate dictates you are going to die at a certain time because of a certain reason. As you tried to alter fate—like recruiting the two mercenaries, helping the four children, and now recruiting Bo—you altered the flow of your fate and theirs."
She paused, her expression grave. "In that altering, there will be retaliation. This retaliation comes from the one who controls it. However, this retaliation isn't directly coming from Nona. Instead, it comes from another mortal. Her Paragons. These Paragons have the same Book as you and will try to force the course of fate back to what is written."
I gasped. "Does it mean the perpetrator of this incident… indirectly is Nona?"
"You can say it like that… Because it is the retaliation from Nona."
"THAT IS OUTRAGEOUS FOR A GODDESS!" I shouted. "HOW DARE SHE—"
"Nona doesn't try to change the flow of your fate only," Gena interrupted, her voice firm. "Instead, she is trying to protect the flow of the fate of this World. You may see your actions as just for yourself, yet your actions affect others. You may change the course of someone's love, and this person will never meet his soulmate because of you. You may change the destiny of a family, where generations to come will be impacted by your choices. Or you may make a newborn never be born."
She looked deep into my eyes. "That is why I call you an Anomaly in this world. In just three weeks after the Book started, you made much impact. Yet this impact isn't as visible as you can see."
"What must I do then?" I asked desperately. "Not alter it? And wait for my doom?"
"That is the answer you must find by yourself. Sometimes waiting is the best, and sometimes taking action is the best…"
She glanced at the moon. "I can't be here for any longer."
"Wait! I thought you would be here with me…"
"No. There is something I need to do. Do you remember the time Delia perished? The moments before she perished, she said, 'Who are you?' to Nona. That was odd… Nevertheless, I came here to tell you something."
"What is that?"
"There is another Paragon or Anomaly that I have encountered. I could say this person is the Paragon of Nona and an Anomaly at the same time because it is like you, but with a different problem. This person knows the whole Book, yet this person discards it and follows a different path entirely."
She smiled sadly. "When you tried to follow the other path not to die, this person tried to follow the other path to pursue Love."
Suddenly, her body started to emit a soft glow. Slowly, her physical form began to fade into the wind.
At the last second, I heard her voice echo in my mind.
"Just believe in yourself, Aurelia!"
As she disappeared, I heard footsteps rushing toward me.
I turned around. It was Cassius.
The moon hung high above us. I wondered why Cassius was in the courtyard right now. Did he see everything?
Cassius looked at me with a mix of confusion and concern.
"What are you doing here at this time, My Lady?"
"I could ask you the same question," I replied, shivering slightly in the night air.
"Well, usually, I walk in the courtyard at this time to get some fresh air…" he answered, eyeing me warily.
"In the middle of the night?"
"Yeah… So what are you doing here? I heard you are not feeling well… Yet, you are in here with your bed attire, I guess, and without any footwear."
I looked down at my bare feet in the grass. "Same as you, I guess…"
"Same as mine? If My Lady wants to get some fresh air, is barefoot really necessary? You are just—"
Suddenly, Cassius walked closer to me. Without warning, he scooped me up in his arms.
I gasped, clutching his chest. "What… what are you doing right now?"
"It is not appropriate for My Lady to walk barefoot," he said simply. "It can hurt your feet and spoil their beauty."
I blushed furiously at his words.
He carried me to a nearby bench and sat down, placing me gently beside him.
"You really didn't have to do that. I can walk by myself that distance…" I mumbled, feeling a mix of embarrassment and gratitude.
He stretched his legs out in front of him, looking up at the stars. "Sometimes, you need someone, My Lady. Even though you can do it yourself. Because it is not always about capability, but also about care and consideration."
"Well, if that is the case," I asked softly, "does it mean you really care about me?"
He chuckled softly. "Perhaps I do, My Lady. Perhaps I do."
He turned to me, his expression serious. "So what is the root that makes My Lady like this?"
"What do you mean?"
"You may keep it secret as long as possible, and the people around you will consider it your secret. However, if you keep it like that, there will be no one to help you, My Lady."
Suddenly, he leaned his face close to mine. I froze.
"Right now, I can see a hint of something," he whispered. "Your cheeks show a trace of a fountain of sadness. The biggest hint is in your eyes. The eyes that always show your innocence, kindness, and determination… however, this time, it is different. Your eyes are filled with a feeling of deep sorrow."
"Ha… ha… ha," I chuckled weakly, looking down to avoid his gaze. "How do you know me so well, Cassius?"
"Maybe because I love to pay attention to you…"
My heart skipped a beat.
Still looking down, I asked, "Have you received the news???"
"What news?" he asked, his tone shifting to concern.
I finally met his gaze. Tears welled up again.
"I… I… I have killed some people…"
His eyes widened in shock. "What do you mean, you've killed people?"
"I… have known about a place where there was trafficking of children," I confessed, my voice trembling. "However, I did not choose to act quickly. Instead, I waited for my parents to take action… With that, it was too late. The children had already been harmed."
I looked at my hands. "Their blood feels like it is on my hands right now…"
Cassius placed a hand on my shoulder. "However, it is not your fault, My Lady. You did what you thought was best at the time."
"I KNOW THAT!!!" I exclaimed, frustration bubbling over. "Yet, I was so naive… to think that waiting for my parents to take action would solve the problem. I should have acted sooner and taken matters into my own hands… And now, I… I… I don't know how to tell Bo…"
"Why do you need to tell Bo?"
"Because his precious daughter was in that place," I choked out. "And I promised him with my determination to save her. But I failed miserably…"
"At least you have tried," Cassius said gently. "Yet fate speaks in a different language…"
Fate, huh? It felt like a curse.
"May you deliver the news to Bo?" I asked, unable to face the man.
"Are you sure about that, My Lady? If I am the one who tells him the news, it will show your weak-mindedness. It is better for you to tell him, to show that you have tried your best…"
"I don't care about that. I… I just… I don't know what to say… Just tell him, okay!!!"
Cassius sighed. "If you insist on that, I will deliver the news."
"Thank you."
I tried to stand up and walk back inside.
However, as I took the second step, Cassius immediately scooped me up again.
"You know that I can walk by myself…" I protested weakly.
He didn't say anything. He just walked toward the door, holding me securely.
When we reached the front door, it opened suddenly.
Shockingly, it was Adel. She looked at us with a plain, unreadable expression.
"Uhmm… Cassius just tried to carry me to the house because I am barefoot…" I stammered, feeling caught.
"If that is the case," Adel said coolly, "he can put My Lady down right now. Because… Cassius and the others are forbidden to be inside."
At once, Cassius set me down.
"Have a great night, My Lady," he said softly.
He walked away into the darkness. I watched him go until he disappeared.
Adel and I walked inside. We headed toward my room in silence.
Immediately, I was confused by Adel's words. If Cassius was forbidden by my parents to come inside the house, how did he get to the front of my room the other night to have a conversation with me?
In the hallway, I stopped.
"Adel."
She stopped in front of me. "Yes, My Lady?"
"Did you let him in, Adel?"
"Pardon?"
I walked toward her, narrowing my eyes. "Did you let Cassius in? Did you let him be in front of my room?"
"I can't recall anything about that, My Lady…"
"Come on, Adel! There is no way he could have gotten inside without you knowing. You must have let him in. And there is no way Cassius overpowered you, so there is no other way than you letting him in."
She started to walk away without answering.
I followed her. "You are the one who warned me to take a distance from him, and now you let him in this time?"
Adel's expression remained unreadable as we reached my room. She turned to me.
"I just believed that what I did was best for you, My Lady," she said simply. "I hope you have a great night. Sofia will check on you tomorrow."
She bowed and left me alone with my thoughts.