Why Did I Become the Villainess?

 "Ysa, I will miss you." Aaline then hugs me tightly. "Your promise. You need to fulfill it, for us, okay?" She breaks from the hug and stares right through my eyes.

 I smile at her and nod my head. Satisfied, Aaline steps aside, and Soiartze walks in front of me. 

 "As much as I want to give you something but this world doesn't allow things from Kosmo to be taken to another world." Soiartze takes my hand and squeezes it. "I just wish you could finish the task, and I hope we never see you again."

 Aaline gasped and slapped the hand of Soiartze that is holding my hand. Soiartze laughs. "Don't misinterpret me. I didn't mean that I don't want to see her ever again. If we could, I wish to see her every day, but we all know Ysa needs to face her task. And I only said those words because I wish she wouldn't come back here in Kosmo. Not because I don't want to, but because if she comes back, it only means she failed her task. And we don't want that."

 Soiartze sigh. "Ysa, please be happy, okay? I hope you wouldn't forget about us."

 I smile sadly at them and hugs them. I will definitely miss them. It's the first time I have a friend besides Lena. Prince Fraser, Princess Paislee, and Rufus are my friends too. However, Aaline and Soiartze are the same as me, a human being. 

 Earl clears his throat. "I'm sorry, I don't want to cut your goodbyes to each other, but I was asked by the Virtouse to call Ysavel. I hope you two won't mind."

 Soiartze and Aaline reluctantly break free from the hug. "You should go now. Don't make the Virtouse wait for you," Soiartze said.

 I sigh and walk towards Earl. We are currently in front of the Gold door where the Virtouse are staying. It's the day when I will meet the Virtouse, and based on what Aaline and Soiartze told me. It will also be the day that I will return to the fictional world. The day I will leave the Kosmo and all my friends in here.

 I looked back and saw Aaline and Soiartze waving their hands at me. Saying goodbye. I wave my hands at them in return and turn towards Earl. 

 I need to face my task now. I need to go back to the fictional world and succeed in my task. For Aaline and Soiartze. For my long time dream.

 "Ready?" Earl asked me, and I nod my head at him. He then opens the huge golden door, and just the last time, an entire galaxy welcomed us inside. There are stars everywhere you look. There are also planets and even comets. 

 I watch the galaxy with awe. Even if I was here once, I still couldn't believe what my eyes are seeing. I remember the time I was once in a science museum, and there is also a part like this where you could see stars on the ceilings. But it's way different in real life. This is the real deal. It feels surreal. 

 "Lovely is it? Even I, who always bring newcomers here still left with awe every time I enter here. It's magical." Earl suddenly said. I look up at him and saw him looking at the stars with a smile on his face.

 I nod my head at him. "It really is magical," I whispered.

 We stayed there admiring the scenery for almost five minutes before Earl continues leading me to the Virtouse. 

 "Ysavel, I know we only talk a few times, but I also wish you could finish your task. I wish you could go back to the real world and becomes a successful writer. I wish you could be the writer I always dream to be." Earl said sadly. 

 I remember now. Aaline mentioned before that Earl is also a writer like me, but unlike me, he failed his task. How difficult is it to live a life in Kosmo? 

 I walked closer to him and tapped his shoulder. "I will. I promise you." 

 Earl looks back at me and smiles. "Oh, I haven't said thank you to you."

 "Thank you? For what?"

 Earl scratched his nape and avoided my eyes. "The words you said to me when you first visit the Tahanan and the words you said yesterday, it helps me realize my feelings for Aaline. It made me realize how much I will lose if I didn't acknowledge my feelings for her. So, thank you. Thank you for showing me my happiness."

 I shake my head at him. "You shouldn't thank me. I did that for Aaline's sake. Also, I know you will be a good man. So, please take care of her. Not just her, but I hope you could also take care of Soiartze. Now that I'm living and Aaline has you, I'm afraid it would be difficult for Soiartze. I hope I could still stay here to be with her, but you know I can't, right? So, I hope you could be with her too, as a friend. Also, please don't hurt Aaline. She's vulnerable."

 "Don't worry, Ysavel. I promise you, until my spirit is still alive, I wouldn't let anything happen to the both of them. So, don't worry and continue to live your life."

 I sigh and nod my head at him. I really wish he could honor his promise. 

 We were about to continue our walk when suddenly a light flashed, and when I open my eyes, I am already standing in the receiving area where I talk to the Virtouse before.

 I look around and saw four people sitting on the sofa. Teague, the bookshop man and the I suppose the leader of the Virtouse, gestured his hands on the empty seat in front of them. 

 I look around first, trying to find where Earl could be. But I didn't find him anywhere. 

 Pearce laughs. "Earl has no business in here. That's why we didn't summon him. Are you going to stand there, or you want to sit? Or else we're going to start our talk with you."

 I immediately sit on the empty sofa. Pearce just groaned at me. "Bummer," he muttered, which earn a glare from Teague.

 Teague clears his throat and looks straight at me. "I hope by now, you understand how Kosmo works and why it exists. We called you to give you some words before we let you go back to the fictional world. And hopefully, we wouldn't see you again. Not that we don't like you, but we hope you could be one of those few spirits who could succeed with their dream."

 "Teague, aren't you forgetting something?" Lucan, the voice who talks to me the first time I live as Csille, suddenly interrupted Teague with his speech.

 Teague frowns and looks at Lucan. "We forget to introduce ourselves. Aren't we?"

 Teague froze for a while before he looks at me. "Apologize for my rude behavior. I am Teague, the current in-charge of the Virtouse. And as you know, I am the man you met in the bookshop at the Illorian City."

 Teague looks at Pearce, who is closer to him. Pearce groans and rolls his eyes at Teague. He then looks at me with a bored face. It's as if saying I don't want to talk to you. "Pearce. Virtouse. I am the one who talks to you after your return from the western region." 

 Teague shakes his head at Pearce. He probably realizes he couldn't do anything with Pearce's behavior. Even I would be helpless if I am working with a person like Pearce. 

 The little girl just stared at me and didn't make any effort to speak. She just looks at glaring Teague like she isn't affected by his glare. Eventually, Teague gives up and introduces the little girl on her behalf. "This is Lily. She's the little girl you met in the real world. She is also the one who gave you the notebook. She's the youngest Virtouse."

 "I'm on it," Lucan raised his hand at Teague. Teague sigh in relief. "I am Lucan. And as you could see, I am also part of the Virtouse. I am the voice who talks to you in the darkness. Do you remember?"

 I nod my head at him as a response. Lucan smiled at me in return. Probably satisfied that I could still recognize his voice. I see it in his eyes.

 "Now that we introduce ourselves. Can we all tell her what will happen so we could finish this as soon as possible?" Pearce immediately complains.

 Teague looks at Pearce and shakes his head. "We call you here because of what we left behind the last time we talk to you."

 Pearce rolled his eyes and interrupted Teague. "Because of you, we, the Virtouse, have an argument. Because of your unwillingness to follow our advice. Remember this Ysavel. We are created to guide you, spirits, to obtain your dream to be an artist. So, what you need to do is just follow us to make your dreams come true. Is tha-"

 "PEARCE!" Teague shouted, which stopped whatever Pearce wanted to say. 

 "Ysavel, the Virtouse, already decided. We will help you as much as we can to fulfill your task. We will let you do your thing. However, it doesn't mean that you will have full control of Csille's body. You cannot ruin the plot, Ysavel. You also cannot warn them. If you do, then do it subtly. No one should know about it." Teague said.

 I look at Teague with disbelief. They will let me do what I want? They will let me warn them? They really will let me do that? 

 "You don't need to be shocked. We aren't the bad guys here. We are created to guide spirits, but these past years, more and more spirits started to rebel. That leaves us no choice but to be stricter on our guidance. However, after the deliberate talking with the Virtouse, we realized that maybe we also have fault in here. So, we would like to take chances on you, Ysavel. We will let you do what you want. In return, you need to succeed in your task. Is that clear to you?"

 "You will let me do my thing, but you will not let me have full control over my body? Isn't the first batch of spirits have full control of their body? Why wouldn't you let me have it too? What's the use of letting me do things I want if I couldn't control my body?"

 Pearce scoffs. "You really aren't grateful, are you? We let you do your thing, but the first thing you do is complain? Huh. I couldn't believe we are guiding a spirit like this."

 Lucan shakes his head. "Ysavel, the past is different from the present. With all the fictional worlds that collapsed. Don't you think the other fictional world wouldn't notice? The worlds, even the earth, has its own life. It noticed when it is in danger or not. Fictional worlds now are different from the fictional world of the past. We cannot let you have full control of Csille's body because the fictional world could notice your existence."

 Pearce smirks. "Maybe she wants to die." 

 I shake my head at Pearce's words. I don't want to die. I still haven't become a writer. How can I just die? Maybe he's the one who wants to die.

 "This is the only thing we could do for you, Ysavel. I hope we answered your question now."

 I shake my head at him. I couldn't get out of here without knowing where is the daughter of the Great Ruler. 

 "Oh, you have a question? Ask away, and we will answer it for you." 

 I look at Teague. "Do you know where I could find the daughter of the Great Ruler? I'm pretty sure you know who Ruler Laird is. "

 "Ruler Laird. The Ruler of the Illorian City. The Illorian City is connected to the Kosmo. Of course, I know where his daughter is."