Great news, prelims are now over ^^ I now have a proper upload schedule—I'll be updating two times a week, which is Monday and Friday, 1 AM HKT.

***

Wake up... wake up...

Like chanting a mantra, she whispered over and over under her breath.

She's figured it out—she was probably dreaming. Lucid dreaming, isn't that what this is? Yun wasn't sure if there were lucid dreams as long as this one... but it's possible, right?

Her brain must be doing the most right now, crafting a carefully tailored dream world that even she failed to immediately recognise—a dream world built around the hit series "Yoseph Kramer and The March" by Patrick Dunn. She was honestly in awe, but at the same time, extremely terrified at her brain's creativity.

Finally being aware of herself lucid dreaming is similar to that of a book character breaking the fourth wall and finding out that their whole life was a lie, and was only fiction written by someone.

Why did she even have to gain consciousness, she wonders. She was starting to be enthusiastic about her new life. Why... now?

Yun shakes her head—It doesn't matter. Right now, her priority is to wake up from this dream. 

"Wake up..."

Because if she doesn't wake up...

Unbeknowst to her, the other people on the table had their eyes glued to her—it had been this way ever since she sat down with them. Even if they seem to be minding their own businesses, at the corner of their eyes, they could not help but observe curiously.

The blue-haired Dieustroi was acting the way she should so far— until she started muttering under her breath with her head down out of nowhere. It was the first time most of them had interacted with someone of her kind, so none was sure about how to inquire at her strange behavior. Even Madam Harper was at a loss for words.

Only the boy beside her had the actual courage to break her out of her ominous trance, dragging his chair even closer and poking her arm.

"'Wake up'? Is the celebration that boring to you to have yourself constantly chant to refrain from falling asleep?"

Yun blinked, before slowly trailing her eyes to him. Vonn expected an answer, only to be stared at with those round, ocean-blue pupils.

"No need to be so strange..." he mumbles, backing away from her gaze in discomfort.

"..." Finally having been left alone to herself, Yun scans her environment. She finds a lot of eyes blinking back at her—but once caught, they immediately turned away.

"Let the parade begin," A voice coming from the elevated platform cuts through the awkward silence in their table.

The large doors opposite the entrance opened, and people in the hall stood up, forming several neat lines towards it. Yun had no idea what they were about to do next, but wordlessly followed along behind Vonn, who also fell in line.

"Where are we going?" she asks quietly.

"We're going outside,"

"What for?"

"Birthday,"

"Huh?" Frowning, she doesn't inquire further. Of course, how can a child give her the exact answer she wants all the time.

Right after heading out, the view of a grand garden greets her.

The pathway was wide, with carefully tended shrubs and bushes framing the brilliant stone steps. At the end of the path was a huge line of purple carriages seemingly in wait of them. The sky was a beautiful cream color, and for a second she had the illusion of seeing smiling clouds.

She couldn't help but snort. This is definitely a dream, alright.

It took awhile before she boarded a carriage, along with three other people—two of which were kids that looked a bit older than her, and one adult. One would assume that the ride headed somewhere would be awkward, but it seems like nobody paid attention to anyone inside, and was instead excited on what was happening outside.

What was happening outside?

The townfolk cheering. A lot of them were on either sides of the path the carriages took, eagerly waving their hands up in the air. Different streets had different gimmicks, one had a whole band singing to them as they went past, one had performers replicating fireworks out of fire magic, and one whole street threw flower petals at them.

All this for a birthday?

But as Nayun thought deeply, it kind of makes sense. This whole town was the Kramer household itself, and the celebrant Yoseph was their relative—naturally, everyone ought to celebrate. It was more effective to hold a parade in celebration rather than fill the hall of the central house with everyone.

As expected, she was still experiencing culture shock.

This is insane. Am I really experiencing culture shock in a dream?

"What are you thinking about?"

"—!!!" hearing a familiar voice, she looks up in shock.

It was her brother. Damian was the one sitting beside her.

"Wh-What...when—how..?"

"You were too distracted to even notice me beside you?" His thin brows came together to frown at her.

She wanted to explain herself, but immediately remembers the abandonment she just experienced. "Where did you go? You left me alone."

"I had much more important matters to attend to." He feigns a cough, looking away. 

So you're saying I'm not that important? Yun resisted the urge to make a sour face.

After being taken by surprise, she can't be that careless anymore. This time, she carefully looks around the carriage—specifically, at the two other people present with them— and was given another surprise.

If it isn't the two grandchildren of her oldest sister Freya who came to play in their mansion every once in a while!

"Louis, Patt!"

The two girls' attention were immediately averted to her, and their faces brightened at the sight of the Dieustroi.

"Nayun!!" They both lunged at her and engulfed her into a tight hug, causing the carriage to tilt a bit to their side at the imbalance. At this, Damian stood to sit at the opposite side.

"We were calling you but you were so deep in your thoughts," "We didn't want to disturb you, so..."

"Sorry," Nayun could only apologize as she scratches her chin in embarrasment. Was I really that absorbed in my own world...

"By the way, we didn't know that you'll also attend the party! If you told us we could've arrived with you," Louis sits beside her with a pout.

"It was a surprise to me too." Yun explains. "Who did you come here with? Is big sister Freya here?"

Patt, who squeezed herself in the middle of her sister and Yun, answers. "Nope, we're not with grandma. We're with our mom and dad, but they're on a different carriage."

"Oh! Have you met mom and dad yet? What if we introduce them to you later?" Louis suddenly proposed, the excitement evident in her eyes.

"S-Sure." 

It was sudden, the opening of the carriage's windows. As the carriage came to a halt, townsfolk ushered to give them a small plate of food.

It was a red slice of cake, with thick white cream on top. Using the spoon given, Yun scooped a part to feed herself, and was pleasantly surprised to learn that it was in fact red velvet.

"Enjoy!" The townsfolk smiled warmly at them, before going back to their stalls at the side to grab more cake to give to the other incoming carriages.

"Yay! Cake!" Louis and Patt cheered simultaneously, devouring the slice of cake not long after.

Their carriage resumed to move then.

***

Vonn was disappointed to see the Jang girl enter a carriage without him. He was honestly looking forward to board one with her, and then maybe along the way he could convince her to fight him... but how can he do that now?

But being a kid, he got over his disappointment quickly after being distracted by the excitement of being able to be part of the parade. In a haste, he boarded a purple carriage boasting a luxurious design.

"Took you long enough."

And just as how quick his mood rose, was just as quick it fell. He bit his cheek in annoyance at the sight of his mother.

"Mother."

He looks at the opposite side of where his mother is sitting, only to find the two servant maids she often brings with her to social events like these.

"Come quick and close the door behind you," Madam Harper orders firmly.

Vonn does as told, and quietly sits down on the empty space beside her.

The carriage needed to move for a while before the older woman speaks up.

"I want you to get close with Miss Jang."

"?" He had to look at her curiously in order to make sure she was saying what he had just heard.

Madam Harper sighs in annoyance. "Do I really have to repeat myself? I said, get close with Miss Jang."

"The girl sitting beside me earlier?"

"Who else?"

"But why?" Why would she want him to get close with that girl?

"The same reason why I want you to get close with Yoseph." She glowers down on him, and spoke slowly as if making it easier for him to understand. "You can do that, can't you?"

"..." Vonn looks down on his lap, cogs in his brain turning. After a while, he lifts his head to meet her narrowed eyes.

"...is it for our family?"

"As expected of my son. You are so bright,"

—well, it's not like he's not curious about the girl either. Even if his mother doesn't order him to, he'll approach her anyway. However, that does not change the fact that he was once again given an assignment.

With eyes void of emotion, he was beckoned to come to her as she spread her arms—and without much thought he dove into his mother's embrace.

***

Throughout the carriage ride, Nayun was too absorbed on her own thoughts and emotions that she fails to realize that they've already made it back to the main mountain, and was about to set off again inside.

A tap on the shoulder brought her back to her senses.

"Brother,"

"Come, let us go."

"To where?" she looks out, only to see the familiar path leading to the huge doors. "Again?"

"The celebration isn't over yet."

"Nayun, follow us okay?" Patt reached out to grasp her hand on her lap, and looked at her with hopeful eyes. "Let's meet mom and dad, and then come home with us. We aren't staying for long, after this we're going to host an afterparty at our place."

"An afterparty?" They never really get tired of parties, do they?

"Yup, and we're not the only ones! We invited a lot of other kids,"

Yun pursues her lips into a tight line, not knowing whether to push through their request. In some way, they are her relatives, but how about Yoseph? Afterall, Damian told her to get close to him. If she leaves now...

She turns to look at her brother in inquiry. Unfortunately, he misunderstood it as a pleading look.

"You may go," Damian sighs. After all, the goal for today was for the youngest child to make friends. Looks like she didn't make any in Yoseph's birthday party, but maybe she would in the afterparty of the Lai house.

He's letting me go? Yun had her mouth slightly open in shock. She seriously doesn't know what was going through his mind.

But on second thought, that doesn't sound too bad. After all, being close with Yoseph Kramer is no good.

Recalling certain events from the books, she had three favourite characters who were  secondary characters. 

And all of them died just because they were close with Yoseph and his gang.

While they were boisterous and had a colourful personality and vocabulary, they did nothing wrong. Vien, Jennie, and Lacri died solely because they existed as their friend.

Vien was tortured to death in order to break Yoseph's sanity and shake his will.

Jennie sacrificed herself in order for Yoseph and the rest of his gang to conjure a door to the den.

And Lacri was killed in the most horrible way, all because he wouldn't say where Yoseph and the other two with him was in hiding. 

If it was to coddle up to a child who seem to have a decent amount of political power in this world, that she could do. After all, that must be why she was forced to make friends with him so suddenly—but she would never make herself a significant person in that child's life. Not even to the two deuteragonists. Certainly not, not when she values her security.

...my security?

Nayun widens her eyes in shock.

What was she afraid of? Isn't this all just a dream?

Just....a dream...

If she wanted to wake up, she shouldn't even mind dying. It might even be the cue to waking up.

But it'll hurt...

Hurt.

Her senses works fine. She could feel, see, hear, and smell everything and even with heightened precision.

She just knew that dying would hurt so much—even getting in a fight with Hideon was physically painful.

Yun focused on the two girls in front of her, who were patiently waiting for her response to a question they had asked long ago but was left unheard. Yun blinks, then looks at the face of her stiff brother beside her.

It's been the nth time since she last doubted the legitimacy of the life she's currently having. And the nth time she tried to rationalise the theory that everything was just a dream.

Maybe she had been going about it wrong.

What if this wasn't a dream, but rather, another world... but a world that was from a book?

Reincarnating to a world of fiction? She could laugh in anger. It's too outrageous. Nothing adds up. At the new theory, countless of questions were once again formed, but this time, she doesn't dare to be swallowed by them all at once.

She might lose her sanity if she did.

Before stepping out of the entrance doors to the hall of the central house, she had sworn to live this life fully, and let go of everything.

She was once incapable to do anything, incapable to fight against her fate set in stone—the eventual young death.

But now, she has a whole life ahead of her. It might just be the most dubious, but her goal should be to live. Live, until she dies a death she herself had decided on.

And if she was wrong and this all just turns out to indeed be a dream... at least she'll still have no regrets.

"...what?" Yun carefully asks about their gazes.

The two girls immediately burst out into tinkling laughter at the sense of loss the child before them displayed.

"Oh Nayun, you are spacing out too much!"

Right after the carriage halted, Louis and Patt had dragged her out in an excitable manner. It was fortunate that the two adults they were expecting were standing not too far away from the place where people were dropped off, seemingly waiting for their children.

Pleasant surprise was evident to their expressions when they saw Yun in tow. With a deep bow, they also greeted the older Jang who was tailing the kids closely.

"Sir Jang."

"I hope my sister is well-accommodated to in this afterparty." As expected, his tone was too commanding. But what's surprising was the two older adults having no hesitation to bow even lower as if they were Damian's underlings. This action sequence was enough for Yun to notice the status difference between their families.

"It is to our utmost pleasure." Even the unison is too uncanny!

Just how much powerful are the Jangs? ...And were the Kramers as powerful as them? Yun was eager to learn more about their families, and she's equally enthusiastic to learn about this world.

And to enter Velhelm, this educational institution... she has a feeling that this place would be the exact source of all the answers to her innumerable questions.