"Hey, Ro-chan!" Star greeted me enthusiastically, "I hope that you will enjoy the party."

"Thanks, Star," I said, smiling as he was welcoming guests in. The twins, Fera and Vera were indulging the guests. Many high end aristocrats and politicians were here. Because my father was a powerful businessman, his family was indeed invited.

Only the highest were invited, including the family, with children or not. Because even if the setting was of importance, there was more this... naive hope, if I were to put it, of the fact that children would only witness the world leaders or politicians being the role model of children by showing only good things as a war potentially breaking out being settled peacefully with whatever skills they possessed hoping to be followed by the future generation.

In retrospect, showing children who had the most potential of leading the world or improving it the examples of respectable adults could be a good power move. I will still call it a naive hope because... like, I'm just cynical.

"Oh, Ro, long time no see," a voice called out and I saw it was Ain. After that faint, he had visited me once or twice, but stopped visiting after a while.

I also haven't seen him in parties either, but I wasn't surprised to see him now. After all, it was a big shindig to care about. Unfortunately, I don't look forward to hanging out with Ain.

On the surface our engagement relationship is stable but it's actually rocky as hell. We don't hate each other, we just don't trust each other. We each have cards too close to our chests and we badly want to know the other's.

He still doesn't want to show his and I don't want to show mine. But we still try to pry when we can. This is supposedly one of the times, to slip, to see, to understand.

But we both try not to. So we play along with each other. Like I'm going to do now.

"Hello, Ain," I said casually, "So how have you been?"

"Fine... fine, I'm sorry that I don't visit you often. I have a lot of things going for me," Ain said.

"Let me guess, you suddenly joined the Savagery and work as their lackey. That's why you have these lot of things going for you," I joked. But Ain didn't take it well.

"For the last time, stop assuming I join every evil criminal organisation that you know of. Because... no, I have not. And they would never let someone like me in anyway. I'm a fairy after all, and they only accept their own kind," Ain explained.

I laughed a little, "It was a joke. After all, we need to lighten up at the best of times."

"Yeah, but you could do that without insulting me, you know?" Ain said.

"Was that an insult, I had absolutely no idea!" I said, putting my hands over to my chest, my dramatic sense coming out at the weirdest of times. Ain rolled his eyes.

"Now that I'm here, let's dance, Ro," Ain said, as the music started playing and he took my hand. Without any prompting, we danced into the waltz.

We gazed at each other, motives shadowed and fake smiles planted on our faces. Sadly, this is more of the norm of our relationship.

"I wonder what will be happening soon. They say that this party is in the hopes of getting everyone to get along and avoid potential war. But... will that really happen?" Ain started conversation.

I looked around... more specifically towards the elf and wolf men. They talk well and smile towards other species but to each other was a cold shoulder. I can't personally be surprised.

"No," I said swiftly, "But I guess it's not easy to get any ideas on how to avoid war at such short notice."

"It all happened so quickly. Who knew what one person could do to affect the whole nation?" Ain said.

I guess he's referring to Ash? Or maybe the Beast? Savagery? But he is right that things are indeed going too fast.

"Yeah, it's crazy," I muttered.

"Well, regardless, I'm sure many things will happen at this party. I look forward to it," Ain said in a chirping voice.

"It's like you know something is about to happen," I said with raised brows.

"Nah... I'm just guessing. Well, have fun in the party, Ro." And he left me.

Usually Ain does a lot of things on purpose as long as I have been with him and knew his true colours. Strangely, despite his age, he proves himself far more calculating than the average child, even in the standards of this world where royalty and aristocrats have to learn the path of deception and etiquette among many other things at a very young age and proven themselves much smarter than children here, let alone of my previous world...

A part of me wonders whether Ain was actually a reincarnated person like me. But if so, he must be a mob, and plays no big role, essentially, in this otome game. However, it's as if he has a goal in mind and nothing to do with an otome game whatsoever.

It's not that I haven't thought of it from time to time, it's just that I don't have proof and prying without proof would be of dangerous consequences.

Still... whatever Ain said, I should realize this is no ordinary party, and with brewing war underneath the pleasantries, well...

As I was lost in thought, someone tapped me on the shoulder which made me jump and wildly swing a punch at the person.

That same person fell and to my shock it was Elly, which I quickly helped up with a quick apology.

"Sheesh, is this how you greet your friends after a long time? Then, I should visit you more often so this doesn't happen," Elly jokes as I continued apologising.

"Well... I... I wasn't thinking straight. When you tapped at me, I was just very surprised and thought... well..." I kept on talking but Elly put a finger to my lips.

"Shh..." Elly said, "Forget about it before you turn into a blubbering mess. Now, let's go have fun like the gal pals we are. Too bad Selena and Fiona can't be here with us."

Fiona is essentially a commoner which is why she's not invited. Selena is an aristocrat like us but not as high ranking, which was why she also was not invited.

"Plus... I think that it would be good to have some company... because..."

Elly's voice turned quiet and I had to speak up, "Because..."

"The prophecy... this party might be the turning point, I can feel it," Elly said.

When a Speaker said they are feeling it, it's no joke. They have the sense to know more about how prophecy runs... it doesn't stop me from having a chill down my spine.

"But... that prophecy... why can't prophecies be avoidable?" I asked.

In Harry Potter, it is said that it is due to the actions of humans that prophecies happened, not because of some inevitable fate. The future is changeable, it is said, and prophecies can be completely avoided if chosen a path that completely veers away from the prophecy.

But in this world, prophecies are treated the same as in Percy Jackson's world... that they are unavoidable, some inevitable guideline to the future and cannot be prevented.

For me, I prefer to think that the future is changeable and that somehow prophecies can be avoided, but Elly shook her head at that.

"If prophecies have been avoided, I have never heard of it. As far as history goes, every prophecy spoken and known had always come to pass no matter how bad and no matter how many try to avoid it."

Then, an idea struck in my head, "But you said 'known', maybe if the prophecy like this one is unknown... maybe..."

After all, a war. As far as the Internet told me of the otome game's history and so, there was no such war. If there was, it might have impacted the characters' stories such as Zelda and Sloan considering their species and lineage. But no such thing happened.

So hopefully... hopefully... no such war happens. Even if it doesn't involve my kind, but ears can be messy and... I'm too freaking young to see a war with my own eyes!

Elly seemed to be taking my words to heart as she said, "Who knows? But I hope you are right. No one wants a war."

Yeah... no one.

Except the instigators.

***

The party went smoothly from then on... well, as smoothly as cold shoulders were given by the by.

Despite the cold shoulders, the other species have been trying to... for lack of better words, fix up the cold relationships, little by little, wanting to simply know more of the situation as well and helping in any way to prevent all the hostility breaking out into something more... feral.

To see whether that will work or not... is unknown, but I knew... from political talking between adults that this was simply only the beginning. Nothing that is children should worry about.

Mostly, after this laidback party would be more serious political debates or possible war talks or blah blah blah stuff that I would barely care about because I'm a child.

I also stand by that. Why the hell would I care about that stuff? I do not, done deal.

Mostly, the party was a warm up at least. So no boring political discussions, maybe trying to assess the situation as best as they can? I'm not really good at these kinds of things, so I can't have a good handle of it.

You know what? I kinda half expected there to be some assassination attempt happening or at least an attack on the party. It's a trope overused but still used in so many events and scenarios, that with everything happening recently I thought for sure that something like that would happen.

When it didn't, I was completely surprised. Maybe I shouldn't think that something crazy will happen because I'm living in a story. Who said I couldn't live a normal life?

Unfortunately, let it be known that I would soon eat my words.

As soon as the party ended, I was about to go home with my family in our carriage when it happened...

A red glow, my parents and brother falling down, a cloaked man.

"What in the world-?" I asked, as I was grabbed roughly by the cloaked man... no, boy... who was simply as taller with me but a tight grip altogether. My eyes can't help fall to the Lust Choker.

I am doomed.

But I also have an opportunity.

"Finally," The Beast said, "I will finally..."

But he said no more and with a swift hit by some weapon that I could not make out in the dark, I was gone.

***

"Unexpected, very unexpected," a wolf man said.

Little did we know, the kidnapping had been spotted.

By someone very unpleasant indeed, the Savagery's boss.

"What should we do?" One of the Savagery fellows asked.

"We follow them," the boss said, "This will tie perfectly with our plan."

***

"You are sure... she is all I need... and then I can finally seduce..." the Beast said.

"She... has the power... the Pisces Bracelets... and she knows... dangerous..."

That was true. Very true.

"And then... finally... I can..."

***

"I want to complain to the author so much," I confided to Lia and Ezmia, but Black and White not hearing me. Because if I told them about the author stuff, they would not get it anyway.

"The story is getting out of place, isn't it?" Lia mused.

"Will this even end? I don't how many adventures and shenanigans I actually have but there have to be tons of chapters already. Oh, please end this already," I said.

"Yeah... that's not going to happen. You still have long ways to go since you are only one-fifth your way to your goal," Ezmia said.

"What are you guys even talking about?" White asked.

Lia, Ezmia and I looked up to see that Black and White were annoyed to be left out of the conversation. I decided to respond bluntly.

"We are casually breaking the fourth wall so we can complain about this unfair life or my story as they will say."

"Huh?" Black asked. And I rolled my eyes. See? I told you that they won't get it.

"Anyway," White said, seeming to know nothing will go on from just inquiring, "What are you going to do?"

"What else I can do if this once in a lifetime opportunity falls in my lap? I'm going to steal the Lust Choker and be done with this already. Without the Lust Choker, some things can at least be resolved."

Like the Beast, like the Savagery gunning after him and the Lust Choker. It won't resolve everything but at least it was something.

"But what are you going to do with the person inside the Lust Choker? How are you going to exorcise him and free Blaze from this? Otherwise the Arceus Diamond won't really be yours," Black said.

I groaned as I twisted my hair while thinking before I remember something.

"Hey, Black... didn't you say that you and the other Arceus Diamonds are connected to each other because you are ancient beings and have a strong bond?"

"Yes... I did say that. Why do you ask?" Black asked.

"So does that mean you and While will have an idea of Blaze's situation, and maybe... just maybe find a solution to free him?" I asked, hopeful.

Black and White looked thoughtful and looked at each other before saying, "We can try..."

And they closed their eyes as they concentrated, before both their eyes flung open, wincing and then said, "Oh."

"What?" Lia asked, looking concerned for the both.

"Well, other than hearing screaming of 'What took you so long?', it seems there is a way to free Blaze. But of course he needs outside help," Black said.

"And that's where I come in," I said.

"So you are really able to communicate with each other, huh?" Ezmia mused.

White took note of Ezmia's musings and decided to answer, "Not like that. But we are able... to sense and feel the others. And know when the others are doing it to us. We simply sensed Blaze's rage, resentment and determination. We also saw and felt his plan of getting rid of Laito that now lords over the Lust Choker like an over dominating inmate."

"And the plan is...?" I asked.

And they told me.

And I would soon wake up, prepared.

As prepared for the expected, but the unexpected?

That's a whole other ball game.