Chapter 109: See You Once Again
Chapter 109: See You Once Again
—LILITH—
Every inch of my body ached.
It felt as though someone had stuffed me inside a giant washing machine, spun me around a few hundred times, and tossed me out without so much as an apology.
A groan escaped my lips as I instinctively buried my face deeper into whatever ridiculously soft surface I had landed on. It smelled strangely fresh, almost earthy, and for a brief, blissful moment I refused to open my eyes.
"...Five more minutes..."
Something chirped loudly beside my ear.
Then another.
Then an entire chorus answered.
Birds?
I frowned.
"...Wait."
My eyes fluttered open.
Instead of the familiar white ceiling of our apartment, all I saw was an endless blue sky framed by drifting clouds and swaying branches overhead. Sunlight filtered gently through emerald leaves, warming my face as a cool breeze brushed against my skin. I blinked several times, hoping the scenery would magically transform back into my bedroom.
It didn’t.
"...Where’s my ceiling?"
I shot upright so abruptly that the world spun around me. Grass stretched beneath my hands. Flowers bloomed in every direction. Marble pathways wound through an enormous garden, while an elegant fountain sparkled quietly nearby. Beyond it stood a magnificent manor so breathtakingly familiar that my stomach immediately sank.
"...No way."
I whipped my head around frantically until my eyes landed on a figure lying several feet away.
"Celia?"
She hadn’t moved.
My sister was still sprawled face-down on the grass, still wearing her oversized hoodie, faded jeans, and sneakers. Even her phone rested beside her hand as though we’d simply taken an accidental nap in someone else’s garden.
"...Seriously?"
I stumbled over and crouched beside her.
"Celia."
Nothing.
"Celia."
Still nothing.
Taking a deep breath, I grabbed both her shoulders and shook her with considerably less gentleness than an older sister probably deserved.
"CELIA!"
She jerked upright with a startled gasp, her hair flying in every direction as she blinked wildly.
"Huh?!"
For a few seconds she simply looked around in confusion before her eyes settled on me.
"...Lilith?"
I pointed wordlessly behind her.
"Please... tell me I’m hallucinating."
Still half-asleep, she frowned before slowly turning around.
The moment she did, every trace of drowsiness vanished from her face.
Standing only a short distance away was a young woman beneath an ivory parasol. Long dark hair shimmered beneath the afternoon sun, and gentle eyes had already begun filling with tears before either of us had spoken a single word.
She stared at Celia.
"...Celia?"
Her voice trembled so softly it almost disappeared into the breeze.
Time seemed to stop.
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Then the parasol slipped from her fingers.
"Celia!"
She ran with complete abandon. She gathered her skirts in both hands and sprinted across the garden before throwing her arms around my sister so tightly that Celia nearly lost her balance.
"You’re here..."
Her entire body trembled as tears streamed freely down her cheeks. She buried her face against Celia’s shoulder, holding her as though she feared letting go would make her disappear again.
"You’re really here... I knew you’d come back. I knew you wouldn’t leave me forever."
Celia stood frozen for several seconds, completely overwhelmed. Then, ever so slowly, she wrapped her arms around the woman in return.
"...You..."
Her voice cracked.
"I thought..."
A quiet laugh escaped between fresh tears.
"I thought I’d never see you again."
The two of them remained there, clinging to one another as though an entire lifetime of goodbyes had finally caught up with them.
Meanwhile...
I stood three steps away with my arms hanging awkwardly at my sides.
"...Hello?"
But all I received was nothing.
Neither of them even acknowledged my existence.
"...Excuse me?"
Still nothing.
I folded my arms.
"...Cool. I guess dimensional travel comes with emotional favoritism."
That finally earned a reaction.
Celia peeked over the woman shoulder, her cheeks already damp with tears, before offering me the most apologetic smile imaginable.
"...Sorry."
I stared at both of them for a long moment before throwing both hands into the air.
"So..." I let out a long, exhausted sigh as I slowly turned in a circle, taking in the enormous estate surrounding us. The grand manor towered over the gardens, marble pathways stretched beneath our feet, and servants bustled about as though this was just another ordinary afternoon.
"...Can someone please explain what’s happening here?"
Celia looked at me for a second before unexpectedly laughing. It wasn’t loud, but it was genuine. She and the young woman finally loosened their embrace, though they still held onto each other’s hands.
"Does this place seriously not look familiar to you?" Celia asked, smiling.
I frowned.
"...Should it?"
My brain still felt like scrambled eggs.
One moment we had been standing on our apartment balcony.
The next...
I was apparently in the middle of a medieval set.
Then Celia turned toward the woman beside her.
"Lilith..." she said gently. "This is Aria."
The name echoed inside my head that I became silent.
Aria.
...Aria?
My gaze slowly drifted toward the young woman standing beside Celia.
Long dark hair flowed past her waist, gently swaying in the breeze, while warm hazel eyes looked at me with quiet curiosity. She wore an elegant cream-colored dress that would have looked completely out of place anywhere except...
Here.
My mouth slowly fell open.
"...Oh."
Everything clicked.
The Valen Estate.
Aria Valen.
The villainess.
The novel.
The manuscript.
The phone.
The light.
"...OH."
I pointed at her with a violently trembling finger.
"No way. No... NO—"
I sucked in a deep breath.
"WHAT THE FFFF—"
Before I could finish, Celia lunged forward and clamped both hands over my mouth.
"MMMMPH?!"
"Censor yourself!" she whispered frantically.
I flailed my arms.
"Mmff! Mmhmph!"
"We’re standing in a noble family’s garden!"
"MMPH!"
"You cannot greet people like that!"
"MMPPHH!!"
For a second Aria simply stared at us in confusion.
Then, unable to stop herself, she let out a soft laugh. She quickly covered her mouth with one hand, but the smile in her hazel eyes remained.
"...She’s exactly as you described."
Celia sighed. "I know."
Aria smiled warmly as she studied me with unmistakable curiosity. Unlike the proud and lonely villainess who had once isolated herself from everyone, the woman before me carried herself with remarkable gentleness. Her long dark hair flowed neatly over her shoulders, her warm hazel eyes sparkled with quiet kindness, and the elegant smile on her face made it almost impossible to imagine this was the same Aria Valen who was supposed to die.
She truly looked...
Happy.
It made my chest tighten a little.
"...You really are Aria," I muttered after Celia finally released me.
"I am."
"And you’re alive."
She tilted her head.
"I certainly hope so."
I pointed at her dramatically.
"I created you!"
Celia immediately pinched the bridge of her nose. "...Here we go."
Aria blinked several times before letting out another amused laugh.
"I suppose... in a manner of speaking, you did."
"No, seriously!" I exclaimed, pointing at myself. "I’m the writer! I made this world! Well... sort of. Apparently not completely because everyone here started making their own decisions and ignored half my plot."
Aria’s smile widened.
"Celia mentioned you were quite... expressive."
"Expressive?"
Celia snorted. "That’s the polite version."
I gasped dramatically.
"Excuse me? I carried this novel on my back!"
"You also tried to kill me many times."
"...That was called character development."
"..."
"..."
Aria couldn’t hold back.
She laughed so hard she had to steady herself against a nearby tree, and hearing that carefree laughter somehow made everything feel strangely real.
For a moment, none of us spoke.
We simply stood beneath the shade together.
A designer.
A writer.
And the woman who had once existed only inside the pages of an unfinished manuscript.
If someone had told me a few months ago that I’d be standing here having a casual conversation with one of my own characters, I would’ve told them to get more sleep.
Instead...
I was the one who apparently needed therapy.
Aria gently composed herself after laughing, though the smile lingering on her face refused to disappear. She looked between the two of us for a moment before her gaze slowly traveled from our heads down to our feet.
Her expression changed.
Not dramatically.
Just... progressively more alarmed.
"...Well then," she said with remarkable composure, clasping her hands together. "I believe our first priority should be to have the two of you properly dressed."
She hesitated ever so slightly as her eyes settled on my outfit again.
"...Not looking quite so..."
She politely cleared her throat.
"...uncivilized."
I instinctively looked down at myself.
An oversized graphic T-shirt.
Denim shorts.
White sneakers.
"...Uh..." I looked back at her. "What’s wrong with my shorts?"
Aria stared at me with genuine disbelief.
"...Everything, my dear."
I blinked.
"...Everything?"
"They end..." She pointed toward my thighs with obvious discomfort. "...There."
"...Yes?"
"They should not."
I looked at Celia.
She immediately looked away.
Traitor.
"I happen to like my shorts."
"I’m certain they are... very practical," Aria replied with the careful diplomacy of someone trying not to offend a foreign dignitary.
"However, I fear several of our gardeners have nearly walked into the fountain after seeing them."
"...Seriously?"
"They were exceedingly distracted."
I folded my arms. "This world has a staring problem."
"...Dear, women in the red light district are dressed better than you." She laughed.