Voyage Of The Villainess

Carolle blinked her eyes and Hyun Jae was no longer in her sight. 'The earth, how long since I saw it.' A bitter smile escaped her lips.

*Drip.* 

Carolle glanced to see a pond and walked towards it.

In the middle, there was a ball of water where one drop of water, dropped every minute. In each drop of the water, it created a ripple to the serene surface of the pond. It was clear and she could see the empty Carolle was just staring at her reflection in the glowing pond. Short jet black hair, eyes that were black as the dark space that was surrounding them. It was her normal appearance in her last life. Carolle stood up when she felt someone's presence behind her,

Numerous floating balls of fire started to emerge. When Carolle blinked her eyes the dark ground she was standing on became the image universe. She was stepping into the cosmos itself.

"I've been waiting, priestess," Carolle spoke as she bored her gaze to the woman in front of her. It was the mysterious woman with silver hair, she met before in her dreams. She could feel another being behind her but she focused her gaze only on the woman.

"Priestess?" 

"Since I don't know your name, I'll just call you like that," Malaya said. "Will that be fine? Or do you have a name that I can call you?"

The silvery woman stared at her for a brief moment. "That will be fine." She agreed in the end.

"Have you planned this all out?" The woman's voice echoed like a melodious song through the space.

"You can guess, after all, you're the one who told me that, if I didn't stop Oliver, Hyun Jae will die," Malaya said.

"You're quite a sly one, indeed." Carolle felt a movement behind her. Then she felt a cold sensation at the back of her nape. The rustling behind her continued until the faceless face of the shadowy figure was in front of her. "You thought, that we will not let your memory or your old self be taken away that easily."

"Well, I'm still here, Shadow." Malaya remained unfazed despite the cold aura she could feel from the shadowy figure. 

"Shadow, will be that one you will call me?" There was a hint of amusement in the tone of the voice of the shadowy figure as he stepped a meter away from Carolle.

"Yes, that will be more convenient for me."

She glanced up when someone fast flew upward. Then it landed beside the silvery woman. The red dragon spirit of fire glanced in her direction. 

"This great one, don't know that thou is connected to the ancient. It's been a while." The red dragon greeted the priestess and the shadow figure.

The three both turned to Carolle who remained quiet. "Will you not ask, why we know each other?" Shadow asked.

"If I ask, will you tell me?" Carolle said though it sounded more like a statement rather than a question.

The three remained quiet. So Carolle went on to what she would say. "Priestess, Shadow, You told me before that I need to collect ten more ornaments relating to this," she raised the silver bracelet on her. "Now that we have time to talk, will you tell me all about it?"

"Time?" The priestess said.

"Yes," Malaya turned to the red dragon. "Before when the red dragon was not here, you are worried about the time of our talk, back then but it seems it's not the case anymore."

A brief moment of silence passed all of them. All of a sudden the dragon burst out laughing. 

"This otherworldy surely have a wonderful mind that even this great one couldn't comprehend."

"It's natural," Carolle said. "It's never easy to comprehend one's mind."

"Thou are right. And with these two here, it seems your memory will not be compensated as well." The red dragon said,

'These two? If the red dragon also thinks highly of them, they are akin to gods. Well, they are the ones who brought me to this place. So they can be gods but the question is what kind of gods are they?'

Carolle turned to the priestess. 'One that could bring someone to this world and can see the future,' then she turned to the Shadowy figure. 'And the other one who was as mysterious as the darkness.'

'The priestess is like the Light and Shadow is the darkness. Light and darkness...' 

The priestess turned to the dragon, "My friend, how long will you be able to hold this space?"

"If one is talking to the normal time, this great one can hold it for three days at most."

The priestess turned back to Carolle who was deep in her thoughts. "Then listen carefully to what I have to say, Carolle. We brought you in this world for a reason."

'I already figure that out,' Carolle thought but she remained quiet and waited for the priestess' next words.

"Though we can't disclose our identity to you just like you said we want you to collect the remaining ten ornaments of the stars."

"Those ornaments," Malaya raised her silver bracelet. "You said that it would react to this once I found one, right? And those ornaments will give me the power, I need."

"Yes," The priestess calmly stated.

"Rather than giving me power, what else will be with the use of those ornaments?"

"We can't disclose that now." The priestess answered.

"I see..."

"But those ornaments will help all of us for the fate that will come to the world."

"Fate that will come to the world? Will there be another demon lord?"

"No," The priestess shook her head twice. "That event will not repeat for another three centuries now." The priestess raised her hands that were on her back all this time. Carolle was surprised that both her hands were not there. 

"Your hands..."

"This is the sacrifice I exchange so that your memory will not be taken by the world. Your memory about the story and the world you live once is one of your advantage and power that I can't easily let you lose."

"I see," Carolle replied with seriousness. 

"For the ornaments, there are twelve in total, the first one is the bracelet you have that helps your soul to cross the boundaries from your world to this world. Second is the red ruby that was attached now to the red bracelet, that is the reason why I can convey to you during that time but it is still limited. Once you completely collected the other ornaments, you will be able to stand with this world."

"I see," Carolle replied once again with the Priestess explanation. "Though I don't understand the reason why you want me to collect those or what are you using me for, I will do as you say,"

  "That is rather a quick decision," The Shadow figure said this time.

"You are the ones who give me a new life to fulfill my dreams," Carolle said with a smile."This is the least I can do for the both of you but..."

"But?" The shadow figure asked.

"But if your real intentions redeemed harmful to anyone I care, I might forget to become unfilial with your help."

"Do not be concerned." The priestess said, now there was a smile plastered on her face. "It will not cause harm to any one of your loved ones."

"Then I will have fate that you will hold into it," Malaya said.

"Fate, will you not let me create something like a contract like you always do?"

"To beings like you, I got the feeling that contracts are meaningless. That's why only my fate to your words I can still hold on."

"Hahaha!" The shadowy figure laughed. "You are really something. But you don't have to be concerned, we never went back in our words." 

"Then it seemed, the ancients have settled with the otherworlder, I will bring you back to your home now." The red dragon spoke.

'Home..." Carolle's heart thump.

"My deepest gratitude, my dear old friend." The priestess said.

The red dragon nodded his head then he flew above Carolle. Red flames started to surround her.

"I will see you again once I got an ornament right?" Carolle asked as the fire surrounding her was growing.

"Yes, we will see each other again." The priestess said.

"Then see you until then," Carolle's vision with the Priestess and Shadow was completely blocked with the fire now.

"Great spirit," Carolle spoke out without looking at the red dragon that was hovering above her. "Thank you for everything."

"This great one only did what thou mother would want me to do. To support thee."

"I see," Carolle glanced down, something tickled in her heart. "But you know that I am not her true daughter. I'm just a strange soul who occupied her daughter's body."

"This great one could not see any difference, thou are her daughter." 

"Are you trying to console me? you don't need to..."

"There is no difference in the soul." The red dragon spoke once again. 

This time Carolle glanced towards the red dragon. But before Carolle could ask, a blinding light erupted which made her close her eyes. 

"My child, it seemed thou are confused right now. But with time, it will all come clear.." That was the last thing Carolle heard from the red dragon before she went back to being Malaya again.