Year 3988, 11th Day of the 8th Moon
Ember Isle, Fliamma Kingdom, Continent of Humana

EVER SINCE Elise arrived in this world, she never failed not to spend a day inside the library. It was a norm she welcomed gleefully but there was an additional change after her small confrontation with Aricson.

She never stepped out anywhere else aside from her room and the library. Her food was always served wherever she was and it had been going on for a full week already. It was also the exact number of days since she had seen any of the siblings.

Relief flooded her when she heard Hadrien was well now according to Aya. Not to mention, Aricson did not continue his threat however Elise's ego got the best of her, and would not be the one taking the initiative to talk first.

She was a mere stranger from his own words and she would let it remain that way. Besides, it was a good plan not to get attached to anyone. But then, there was the biggest downside.

Elise could not be sure if Aricson was still willing to help her after what happened. She needed to depend on herself but she was perfectly aware she could not do it alone. 

She could not gain anything when she was stuck in this place but she dared not to explore this island either. Everyone always had a fear of the unknown no matter how small it was and that included her. If there was one thing she gathered during her stay here, it was the fact that this world was dangerous.

Imagine just traveling ashore and she was poisoned. Even Hadrien who was a resident here ended up in a fatal condition when he was roaming around. She was in no way giving up but for now, it was better to get accustomed to this foreign land. 

On the brighter side, she was thankful to whatever beings who had summoned her to this island rather than some insidious place. That, she could not imagine. 

She let out a sigh as she flipped the last page. She had finished reading all the books she liked on the first floor and decided to venture upstairs. Their library consisted of four floors with an open below at the center.

What awaited her upstairs was the huge wall with a painting of a map. Fascination glistened in her eyes. The whole image reflected what it would be like looking from above the lands and the saturated colors made it more alive. Its three-dimensional effect and attention to detail almost stole her breath.

There were words written in script and beautifully made. It was odd how it was identical to the alphabets she had learned yet she was in a different world. More so, the name had changed from 'English' to another new term called Hirman.

'Vesfrost, Blackwood, Aerith, and Fliamma.'  Those words rang a bell as she recalled the story of Faylinn. She could safely deduce that in front of her was the map of Elith seeing other unfamiliar names surrounding the bold letters of Humana.

"Ember Isle... Oh, this is where I am," she muttered to herself as she inspected it closely.

It was in the south of Fliamma. Another small island was not too far from it but looked smaller. It was named Fraion Forest. She looked further below and remembered that Aricson mentioned the word Desmidonia.

It was written in the same size and font as Humana so that meant it was another continent. It obviously had the vastest lands but unlike the lush greens painted in the continent of Humana, the majority was light brown resembling beach sands.

What surprised her the most was the proximity between Ember Isle and the corner of the Desmidonia. It was less than an inch so it was undeniably close. It was even much closer than the mainland of Humana.

Her thoughts were lost as she contemplated the situation. They were in between territories yet no one had intruded on this land. They must be powerful enough to live here without worry. She had seen how at ease everyone was. If not for Faylinn's stories, she would have believed it was a peaceful era.

"Um, Elise. H-hi."

She was studying the map intensely that she didn't notice someone behind her. Hadrien's shy smile greeted her when she turned back.

"Hi. What is it?"

"Ah, um. W-would you like to go s-somewhere w-w-with me?"

Her brows furrowed at his sudden invitation but she immediately schooled her expression when she noted his stuttering.

From what she learned from Faylinn, Hadrien was a timid person and it possibly had taken him a lot of courage to voluntarily speak to her first so she nodded right away and they departed the library.

Aya and Dell were waiting at the door since it was her request to be left alone. They bowed and greeted Hadrien and trailed behind them.

Elise walked side by side with him. She noticed he was walking at her pace and did not let her follow his back, unlike his older brother who was always bossing her around. But she also perceived how he kept on glancing at her then turn away then repeated it again.

If she didn't know better, she would have assumed that Hadrien liked her because of the way he was behaving. But then again, she was aware of how painfully shy Hadrien was since he could not even meet her gaze while talking or without even being embarrassed by what she had observed.

It was her first time getting out of their palace for leisure. She was amazed at how huge their garden was and it was filled with flowers that obviously were meticulously tended. It was akin back to her world but it had something different. There was a flower that resembled a rose but instead of growing in bushes, they were more like orchids hanging around.

Beyond them, on the grassy field was a round table for two that was facing various displays of floras and surrounded by deciduous forest trees.

Hadrien pulled a seat for her she was actually appreciative of his gentleman act. She was facing him but his background made her aghast.

Behind him was the palace that was an o[opposite of the elegant and luxurious interior. Gray brick stones and sturdy elements of design reminiscent of a castle rather than the majestic palace she thought of appeared in her sight.

It was towering in height and formidable that the building itself exuded strength with its fortified walls. Nonetheless, the astounding landscaping softened the whole scene.

She was gaping at the view that she was not even distracted by the delicious delicacies laid in front of her.

"M-may I?" Hadrien was holding a dainty teapot and gesturing at her cup.

This time, she dedicated her attention to him and inclined her head. He poured her tea and she gladly accepted it.

She took a sip and spoke, "So what made you bring me here?"

"I... I just want to thank you for s-saving me. Sister Arllian v-visited and told me how you did it," he stumbled on his words with his eyes transfixed on his cup.

She realized she was so cooped up that she was not even aware that Arllian visited. Arllian was a Healer and despite her hesitance to be one, her curiosity made her want to know more and Arllian was the only Healer she knew. She would've talked to her if someone notified her when Arllian came.

"Oh right, I didn't have the right to know," she murmured to herself as she sipped once again.

"What w-was it?"

"Nothing." Her lips twitched followed by a frown. "But you didn't have to bring me all the way here. You could have just said it at the library."

"N-no. I-I actually w-w-wanted to t-talk about s-something m-more," he stated and his stuttering got worse. His eyes were roaming their surroundings frantically but they never landed on her.

"Hadrien," she called, her tone with a hint of authority to get his attention.

"Yes?" Finally, this time, he met her gaze but it was just for a second.

Elise had a strange feeling she was talking to a patient so she gave him her business smile to make him comfortable since they would not get anywhere if he kept on stammering on his words.

"Tell me slowly. You don't need to rush. We have all the time."

"I a-apologize. It's b-because... I-I c-can't... I-I'm sorry, " Hadrien rambled, now looking down, his fingers fiddling the teacup with a slight tremble.

"There is no need for apologies. Do you also talk like this in front of your siblings?" she asked in her kindest and gentlest tone since she didn't want to offend him and not worsen his apparent tenseness.

She may not have the kindest personality but she knew how to treat her patients right. Her occupation dealt with death and she needed to be broadminded when it came to them. How she shifted her character always awed her coworkers since they knew how temperamental she was.

"Um. N-not really. I'm just not good at talking to other p-people. I p-prefer not speaking a-at all."

She nodded as she propped her chin at the table and stared at him but his fidgeting continued.

"Relax," she coaxed then sat up straight once again.

"I-I'm s-sorry."

"You don't need to be. No one would blame you for that. Anyway, what topics make you comfortable?"

He seemed to think about it seriously before replying. "Medicine."

"Then I guess we'll get along just fine. Your siblings told me our age is the nearest. Just think of me as a sister."

'You're not one of us.'

Aricson's words suddenly echoed in her mind.

"Never mind. Just treat me as a friend," she corrected herself.

"N-no. You actually r-remind me of our sister," he blurted out.

"Really? Who? Don't tell me it's Dryann?" she speculated.

"No. Our y-youngest one."

"Faylinn? She's a cheerful and hyperactive type. It's hard to swallow but I think I'm likely close to Dryann in terms of temper. Although, I think I can't match up to all of your looks."

"Yo-you're b-b-beautiful and you're k-kind," he blabbered, looking flushed.

"Thanks." Her smile widened. If only her siblings, especially the oldest, were as cute as him.

"But it was Ivorynn I was talking about," he specified, going back to their topic.

"You mean you have more siblings?"

"Yes. We're nine all in all," he responded.

"Really? That's plenty! I bet it was a mess every time you were together. So is Ivorynn pretty, too?"

"Yes, everyone doted on her."

"Hm, she seemed likable. I can't wait to meet her."

"You p-probably won't. She's been dead for twelve years," he spoke, his voice, lowering.

"Oh my god." She could not stop the gasp of surprise. "I'm so sorry."

"It's fine." The corners of his lips tilted sadly, making him devastatingly beautiful in Elise's eyes.

She didn't want to pry and dampened the mood so she returned to what they were supposed to talk about.

"What were you going to ask me before?"

"Um. D-did s-s-something happen? Why a-aren't you d-dining with us?" he inquired.

"Nothing, really," she denied.

"I'm actually grateful you saved me and I know my siblings are too. They're always generous to people who are kind to us. That was why I was wondering why you don't even join us since it will be impolite for them not to let you. Elder Sister doesn't know what happened either and Eldest Brother won't say anything."

"It seemed like you're not stammering anymore and you talked a lot," she commented dryly.

She was being insensitive by getting irritated at Hadrien but he touched a subject she wanted to avoid.

"I-I'm sorry. But d-did you and Eldest Brother fight?" he pressed further.

"You're getting outrageous, too. Why will you even think about that?" she asked, pretending to be oblivious.

"I heard from Elder Sister that you stopped going to the dining hall after I woke up then I remembered that you left after Brother so you two must've talked."

"You're getting better at talking. You didn't even stutter once," she praised and this time she meant it but she still ignored what he implied.

She focused on her findings instead. She assumed he was suffering tics but after hearing him talk without spluttering twice, she could only presume it was not severe enough to need treatment.

Silence filled the space and his eager eyes were solely on hers. A sigh of resignation left her lips and tried to filter her thoughts before replying.

"Nothing happened with me and your brother."

He just smiled sheepishly and scratched his head. "I know Eldest Brother can be difficult. He has his reasons."

"Who cares about that? Besides, you don't have to defend him as I had no time to spare for someone indifferent. I really cannot stand how he threatened you to destroy something you love. That's pure heartless!" This time she did not stop herself from letting the words leave her mouth.

"In truth, Brother rarely gets angry but he can be persuaded once he cools down. It's just that he must've been blaming himself. Ever since our parents and sister died, he shouldered the burden of our lives it would always be his fault that he could not protect us."

"Why would he think that? He can't control what will happen to you every moment."

"I'm actually part of the triplets and we have a huge age gap that's why all our siblings cherish us but Ivorynn was especially loved by everyone. Even if we're the same age, we treat her as our princess, and Brother who was the oldest always took care of us when our parents are not around."

He paused for a moment and looked like he was ruminating on his fondest memories as his expression relaxed.

"Ivorynn always tags along with him wherever he went. One time, my parents went to our grandmother with our sister but they returned to celebrate after Eldest Brother won the Magi Tournament. However, they were ambushed on the way. No one could believe that the greatest mage of all time and the most powerful fairy would simply die at the hands of unknown people."

Hadrien's gentle face contorted into anger then despair. "Up until now we never knew who was behind it. I know my siblings kept on investigating it but there was a lack of evidence that if not for the clothes and other belongings they would never know that it was our parents and sister."

There was a moment of silence and she chose her words carefully. "Grief will forever be engraved in our memory than the happy memories we cherished but blaming himself will only hurt him and others who care for him."

He let out a breath. "Eldest Brother won't let himself free from the guilt so I hope you can understand him. He was just being overprotective. He may act stern but it was always for the best of us."

"I'll try. I was at fault, too. I'm just a house guest here and I'm overstepping my bounds."

"No. You're already a family friend the moment you saved me," he said and held her hand to assure her.

Elise was staring at their hands and grinned.

"Ah!" he flinched. "I-I'm s-s-sorry."

"All this time you did not falter from your words and now you're back from the start. I actually thought you were getting comfortable with me," she expressed her observations.

"Um... ah... I... uh..."

'He's so cute.'

She let out a small chuckle. "Don't worry, I'm teasing you. It's good that you can actually talk well when you're serious. It just means you don't have a grim case of stammering."

"Um, if you like you can also use my Medicine Chamber since I would be staying at the academy starting tomorrow," he proffered but she was stuck on his words about the academy.

That meant they have their own education system, too. She was curious if they had a medical field so she could see the difference. Aricson said she could be a Healer but she was more interested in studying than jumping right into it. It should be the first step but why did he insist she should register as a Healer right away?

"So you must be in college? What are the courses?" she queried, her eyes glinting with excitement.

"College?"

"You know, the tertiary level in education."

He looked bewildered, and she realized she was supposed to be an amnesiac.

"Ah, sorry. I'm just speaking nonsense. My mind gets muddled once in a while."

"Oh. Don't worry. I suppose you're still recovering your memories. In Humana, everyone starts to go to the academy at the age of eighteen. I'm just starting as a practitioner since I'm going to be a mage and I'm registering as a Healer."

"Really? Then how do you learn to read and write before the academy?" 

It was always better to start learning at an early age, especially for basics like that. To think that they started at an adolescent age just made her pry more.

"We have private tutors or the parents teach their children. Basic studies only take place in the house or town schools," he responded.

She considered asking another question but a maid approached them, bowing right after.

"Lord Hadrien, the Medicine Chamber had been cleaned already," she informed.

He stood up and shyly offered his hand. "Would you mind if I tour you there?"

"Of course." She was more than happy to agree.

༻❁༺

U n S c e n e s

Q: Describe every sibling in one word.

Elise: Faylinn is a chatterbox. Hadrien is cute. Erkhan is a playboy. Brennan is scary and Aricson is straight-laced. As for Dryann...  Nevermind, let's not say bad words.