“What… what’s this? A forest?”

I was in the middle of a forest. I sat down in shock.

Birds flew above me. I could hear insects around me. The ground was covered in thick layers of brown leaves, cushioning me.

Everything felt surreal. This situation didn’t make sense.

There was only one logical explanation.

“Oh, I’m dreaming!”

That was it. Could it be anything else?

The last thing I remembered was losing consciousness as the subway arrived. I must be dreaming now. It can’t be that I fell onto the track. I must have fainted.

I denied the possibility that I may have died. It couldn’t be. Even if it was true, there was nothing I could do about it now.

This was a dream. It must be a dream. It had to be a dream.

However, I didn’t wake up from it.

I thought I should at least explore. There were no clear paths, so I walked carefully around sharp rocks and tree stumps. It was a good thing I was wearing a pair of sturdy sneakers.

I can’t remember how long I walked. Soon, the darkness arrived. I could see the moon rising. A full moon. It provided enough light for me to continue walking. I stayed up all night. I had nothing to eat or drink all day and night.

As the sun came up, I wondered.

Why do I feel so tired if this was only a dream? Was I supposed to feel hunger and thirst while dreaming? I tried to remember how I felt while dreaming in the past, but I couldn’t remember.

Despite my fatigue, I continued to move. I was afraid I may die if I stop moving. My brain was not working, but my feet continued leading me.

Then suddenly, I heard it.

“Bang!”

The entire forest shook.

Something hit the ground near me. Dirt and leaves flew everywhere. I screamed as I fell backward.

“Ahh!”

“…!!!”

“Woof woof!”

I felt dizzy and nauseous. The sky spun above me. Someone ran towards me hurriedly. I could hear shouting.

Was it because I was confused? I couldn’t understand a word.

I was so tired.

I felt like it would be better to die right here, right now. I lost consciousness again.

***

Now, here I am.

What I heard was a gunshot. A hunting dog. Someone must have shot me, thinking I was an animal. When that person realized the mistake, I must have been brought back to this castle.

I checked my body again. I wasn’t hurt.

A few scratches on my arms and legs, but nothing bad.

I felt relieved.

I finally made a decision.

It was hard to believe, but I had to accept it. I organized my thoughts.

First, I got hit by a subway on the day of the SAT.

Second, I don’t know how, but somehow, I fell into a forest with a strange castle.

Lastly, someone found me and brought me to this castle. Probably someone who lived in this castle.

I nodded in satisfaction.

I made a smart deduction. It was the most logical explanation.

“…dammit!!”

I swore out loud angrily.

“This doesn’t make sense! Things don’t happen like this even in fictions!”

However, it really did happen. This was really happening.

I needed some time to accept this situation. Lots of time.

It was so sudden. Anyone in my situation would have been in denial.

It took me a while to accept it.

Soon after, servants came into the room. I met the man who shot me and his family. Even then, I had difficulty accepting the situation.

They spoke a language I have never heard of.

If I wasn’t dreaming, it must be that I somehow arrived in a different world.

I had to accept this fact, even if I didn’t want to.

After about a month, I stopped trying to wake up from this nightmare.

That’s right. I came to a completely different world.

The man and his family who saved me were mostly kind. Except for one. The man’s wife often glared at me. Still, most people treated me warmly. They gave me food, a warm bed, and fancy clothes. I lived a luxurious life.

I slowly became stable. I was thankful to the family for the life and education they provided me. What I didn’t realize at the time was that they were grooming me for something. They were taking care of me like cattle.

It was a year ago when I arrived at this strange world.

Exactly one year ago.

I worked hard to fit in here for all this time, and only after a year I finally realized the truth.

Middle of the night.

It was dead quiet.

I slowed down my breath, pretending to be asleep. The girl who was hired to keep an eye on me fell asleep. I checked multiple times to make sure.

I had a few close calls. I was very careful.

I was sure she was asleep, but I continued to act asleep. I needed to be completely certain before I act.

I listened closely. All I heard was my own breath and that of Orlean, who was also breathing deeply. I didn’t hear any footsteps outside the door, but I couldn’t be sure if someone wasn’t patrolling the hallway.

I opened my eyes a little.

“…”

The room was quiet. I turned to Orlean, who was facing me, and she looked asleep. I had tried to run away three times already before, so Orlean had been monitoring me closely. That meant she hadn’t been sleeping much for the last three to four days. She finally seemed to give in to her fatigue.

I got out of the bed like a cat. Thankfully, Orlean didn’t wake up. I walked towards the window slowly.

The window was locked. I prayed as I reached for the metal latch.

Click.

It made a small noise, but to me, it sounded like thunder. My heart pounded as I looked around. Thankfully, nothing happened. The room remained quiet.

I opened the door slowly. It made a small noise, making my heart beat even faster. Luckily, my room was on the second floor. Orlean wanted a room on the third floor, but the only available room was this one.

I slowly stood on the window frame.

“…”

The wind blew.

It was fall. The wind wasn’t cold, but it felt cool. It was probably because I was standing on the second-floor window, looking down. If I jumped from here, my legs won’t fare well.

I hesitated. I knew I would get hurt, but if I stayed here…

I murmured quietly to gain courage.

“This is my last chance.”

Tomorrow, we will arrive at Rombrook Island. There, I will never be able to escape.

‘I can only die once, right?’

When I was about to do it, a sharp scream came from behind.

“My lady!”

“Dammit!”

The cool air must have woken Orlean. I closed my eyes and jumped. Then…

“Aahhh!”

I suddenly felt my arm being pulled. When I looked up, I saw that Orlean was grabbing onto my arm.

“Dammit…!”

People started to run into my room after hearing her scream.

This was the last night before arriving at the island.

My last escape attempt was a complete failure.

***

Clunk clunk.

The carriage ride was bumpy.

I swore silently.

At who?

The family that took care of me for the last year.

They called me ungrateful.

However, to put me in this situation…!

I cursed them.

The Bonafit family had black hair, which was rare in this world. I, at first, felt close to them because of their hair. I felt like they could be my new family. I was thankful to them.

…I was an idiot.

I should have asked questions.

Why would they be kind to a complete stranger?

I thought I was just lucky.

Until a week ago.