The sky tonight was a sight to behold.

An unlimited stretch of darkness, wider than any eyes could see, filled by stars that lit it up like little snow-flakes. 

In my hometown, a noisy and bustling city, the sight of stars was something hard to come by. Fluorescent lights, incandescent lights, LED and other artificially-made sources of light invaded the atmosphere. Combined with all the buildings and people, they always made me feel a bit suffocating.

Now, in an unlit garden with soft grass under my soles, being kept company only by the occasional gusts of wind, chilly but not to the point of being uncomfortable, I can’t help but sit down and contemplate a bit under the beautiful night sky.

“It has been ten years, hmm?”

Ten years since I have lived in this world.

I gently ran my fingers through my hair. It was long with a glossy, platinum hue.

Even though it was indeed very beautiful, I still could not get accustomed. Some part in me still wished for the sight of black hair, something I held as a symbol of my native land.

As I calmly sat and admired the stars, the sound of rustled leaves broke the silence.

“Mistress Anastasia … are you here again?”

From a distance behind me, a familiar voice gently touched my ears. 

“How did you find me, Sistia?”

Not bothering to turn back, I lazily asked.

A voluptuous figure approached me from my back. The unlit background hid most of her more intricate points, but the two horns on her head and the little flappy bat wings were well visible.

“My mistress, I know you are always here when you have something on your mind. Pray tell me, what worries you this time?”

Her voice was charming and soothing. As she said, her arms gently wrapped around my neck. The feeling of her smooth skin touching mine while her long pink hair draped over my shoulders, it was pretty exceptional.

As expected of a demon who only knew to climb on men’s beds.

“You are not thinking something rude about me, right, my mistress Anna-chan~?”

Her grip suddenly tightened on my neck.

This woman … sometimes I really regretted letting her by my side.

She was unbelievably cute back then, only knew to hide behind me like a tiny little rabbit, but now, her smile was more dangerous than that of a prowling wolf...

To think that we have been together for ten years, looking back on our relationship, I could only sigh and shake my head.

When I first saw her, her ruby eyes that now shone so brightly, were once devoid of light.

Her clothes were ragged and tattered, her wings torn and shred, traces of scars, new and old crisscrossing her from her face to her legs, each of them oozed blood that curdled and dried into black disgusting patches. Behind her was a small building, I assumed to be her home then, crumbling down as flames consumed its already rotten wood pillars.

Maybe I was just also very lonely at that time, maybe I desperately needed a company to avoid facing my own problems. But whatever the motive, what I did do, was to reach my hand towards her.

And then, after ten years in this foreign world, a world that I did not know anything about, ten years in which there were times I could not sleep, but stay up thinking how we could survive another day. Ten years of excruciating pain and dread, of blood and murder, ten years of a struggle that the naive me was woefully unprepared for.

Before crossing to this world, I was just a normal and frankly, plain university student. However, after a disastrous bus accident, I woke up only to find not only was my crotch now empty, I was also reverted to a ten-year-old girl with abnormally long ears.

Having consumed a wide rang of related novels and stories in my past life, I immediately came to the conclusion.

I have transmigrated to another world.

And to the body of a girl.

What’s more, I quickly learned that this girl was also a part of royalty, and the kingdom we ruled over in this world was very prosperous.

I then went wild with fantasies about my new life, a life in which I could enjoy the best of life without the slightest worry. And I did enjoy all of them, the sumptuous banquets, the never-ending balls, the most respectful treatment from others that I would have never got in my past life.

I thought that this life would continue forever.

Looking back at all the blood I had spilled, all the screams and terror I had heard only to ensure my survival, sometimes I wonder if what I did was indeed the right thing.

“You are shaking, Anastasia-sama.”

Sistia’s voice interrupted my thought.

“... sorry, Sistia. I was just ...”

Without any notice, her hand moved to block my voice.

“The past is the past. What is more important, I’m here together with you, and you are here with me, isn’t it?”

“...”

Her hand was smooth. A light scent, lavender-like from her wafted around my nose.

That’s cheating, Sistia...

“Anyway, would you care for a night ride, mistress Anastasia? I believe it would freshen up your mind.”

Moved away from my body, Sistia bowed down and reached her hand towards me.

Looking at Sistia acting out her knightly role, a light chuckle escaped my mouth.

“Um, a night ride sounds great.”