Voyage Of The Villainess

"Sir Maru," Malaya called out calmly. "I understand you have some circumstances going through now. But we too have something we need to do. Please tell us what is happening right now?"

"And one more thing, may I have that ring?" Malaya asked as she outstretched her right hand to Maru. "I do believe it has no use with you now and it might be also the one that causes all the things that happened before."

Maru looked at her with a conflicted gaze but then he just heaved a deep sigh. He then removed it and slowly reached it towards Malaya.

But as soon as the ring touched Malaya's hands. The ring started to glow vividly red again. 

Rein winced when he felt like his illusion that he was being hammered. 

"Milady!" But that was not the most trifling matter right now. Malaya was now being surrounded with dark smokes as the ring grew intensely red to her hands.

---⚓⚓⚓---

All the shouts of fear from her comrades came like a whisper to Malaya as she winced at the ring that was glowing brightly on her hand.

'What's happening?'

Her surroundings were darkening. She tried to let go of the ring but it was like it was now glued to her hand and couldn't be removed easily. 

"Carolle." She glanced up when she heard someone call her old name. But at the same time when she blinked, she suddenly found herself in a different place.

Everything was grey with thousands of balls of flames floating everywhere. And below her, she was standing on crystal clear water. Everything indicates definitely that she was not in Bituins anymore.

"Carolle." 

She changed in a defensive stance and tried to grab her Trinity. But when she turned to look at herself Malaya realized something strange.

Dark military cut hair and those familiar yet strange dark eyes stared unto her in the reflection of the clear water. And she was not wearing her usual cloaked attire but her light blue marine uniform.

'This is my appearance on Earth...How?'

"Interesting." 

Malaya stepped back when she felt someone's presence in front of her. In front of her was a figure of someone Malaya hadn't seen for a long time. No, she was supposed to not see her in this lifetime.

"Riza."

A woman with long blond hair tied in a single ponytail smiled at her. She was wearing the same light blue marine uniform as Malaya.

"It's been a while, Carolle. Ah right. You're Malaya right now, aren't you?"

Malaya didn't respond as she looked at Riza with mixed emotions swirling inside her.

"Why are you not saying anything?" Riza asked.

"What are you doing here?" Malaya spoke after she collected herself.

"Yes, of course, I shouldn't be here." Riza smiled with bitterness, pain could be clearly seen in her eyes.

"But I came here to get you back, Carolle." Riza said as she outstretched her hand.

"Get me back?"

  "Yes." Riza smiled. "Come back with me Carolle. Everyone in the orphanage really missed you. Nanny Gia and the kids really wanted to see you again. Even I thought that I lost you forever in the fire... "

"You're not Riza." Malaya said as she looked at the person in front of her.

"What are you saying, Carolle? I'm Riza and I am here..."

"Nanny Gia will never miss us and even the kids." Malaya said as she clenched her fist. "For once all those kids must have sold now. And we escaped from her when we found out that the orphanage was selling kids to the syndicate. The real Riza would never forget that."

The smile on the Riza that was in front of Malaya disappeared. And all of the sudden her appearance started to morphed into that of the sales lady who gave Malaya the silver bracelet just before she died and got reincarnated. 

Then she morphed into something again, she had long silver hair that was like the light of the moon now. And she was wearing a flowy white dress. Her eyes were pure white that made her look like blind.

"It's been a while." Her voice sounded soft and dreamy.

"For my thousand years of being trapped here, this is my first time seeing someone who had a dream stemmed deep in their past life."

Malaya quickly moved away when she felt another presence behind her.

As she looked behind, there was a creature that had a strange appearance. It had no face or skin but just like a complete black shadow of a human

"What are the two of you?" Malaya said with great caution. 'This creature, to know that I'm reincarnated and the other one...'

The shadow figure laughed. "Rather than who, you are asking what am I?"

Malaya didn't say anything. 

"It seems we have frightened you Carolle Linette."

The unknown woman spoke. "We have been wanting to talk to you since you reincarnated here."

"If you have probably thought about it, I'm the one who brought you to this world."

The unknown woman suddenly glanced up when everything started to tremble. 

The fire that was floating everywhere was now falling one by one.

"It seems we don't have much time now." The unknown woman said. "Collect the other ten ornaments of the stars and we would be able to talk once again. And at the same time it would help you gain the true power you desire."

"What are you talking abou?!" Malaya yelled when the unknown woman was also disappearing. 

"You will know that it is an ornament of the stars if it reacts to the ones you have now. And we would be able to talk once again."

Malaya found herself disappearing as well.

"For now, you must survive until the end, our chosen champion."

Both the voice of the unknown woman and the shadow echoed.

"Survive and we will see each other again."

---⚓⚓⚓---

"Wait!" Malaya sat up and she was breathing heavily. When she looked around, "This place..."

She was now back at her cabin. Malaya suddenly heard rushed footsteps coming outside her room.

"Milady!"