Chapter 16 - CHAPTER 15

"You should go to sleep now. We'll discuss everything tomorrow"
"Okay"
"Goodnight Eleanor"
"Goodnight Master"

The whole tent was then filled with darkness. Eleanor was waiting for sleep to take over when she remembered how everything became so awkward just earlier.

After what Daniel said to her they both remained silent until Meridia and Ren came back with food for her to eat. The whole time she was never able to talk to him again after that till now.

She sighed as she remembered how Meridia just looked at her before leaving earlier. She's worried. A lot of things happened even before she woke up from her long slumber. She knows that now that the story and its characters are already a mess, things will be more chaotic and dramatic, and it already is right now.

Problems keep on piling up one after another. First, the outsider that she needs to find and return to their world, then there's the problem with her being able to use a Holy Object, and finally, her unexpected reunion with Daniel.

Her head is already aching from all the thinking that she's been doing and she really just wants to rest for now. And by the looks of her eyes slowly closing, it looks like sleep is going to grant her that rest. And with that, sleep took over with her head full of thoughts.


























Ammiel Rose Villamonte. She's an only child in their family full of love and warmth. She grew up in the care of her grandmother because her parents need to work abroad to provide for her. But, with technology, she was still able to receive guidance from both of her parents and grandmother, thus helping her grew up with the guidance that she needs.

She was 15 when her grandmother died due to sickness, causing her parents to finally come home. She had a hard time coping up with her parents present by her side because for years she got used to being independent; doing her assignments and projects, and solving her problems all by herself. But with a little more time, fortunately she was able to adjust well.

Her life seems simple, but behind her smile and brave front is a girl who experienced a lot of dramas and hardships and was able to face and survive it all.

There are still so many things ahead of her, things that she still wanted to accomplish in the future, but that future was destroyed when she met the end of her life right after turning 18.

But, when Ammiel thought that's the end for her, she was given a second chance, waking up as a new person...as Eleanor from the novel she read before.

She tried her best to avoid anything connected to the main story, but still, looks like destiny had other plans for her.
































Eleanor woke up with tears on her face. She can see that it's already morning due to how bright the whole place is despite being in a tent. She slowly sat up, moving both of her hands to wipe the tears away.

Looks like her dreaming about her old life made her tear up despite sleeping. She reached out to her nightstand and took her hair pin/ hair clip and earring, putting the former first. She then took her earring and was about to wear it as well when she heard something outside the tent.

"Sir Daniel really is amazing earlier right? I can't believe wizards still trains their bodies despite always using magic in a battle. Or maybe is he the only one doing that?"

The sound of their conversation came farther and farther away from her tent and silence reigned again. She looked at the earring that she's been holding on her hand. She remembered that time when the goddess, Anchora, gave her a random pep talk while she's taking a break from her training.

Anchora sat beside Eleanor on the rocks near the falls. She just finished training her speed at creating a shield when she decided to take a break and sitting in the rocks near the falls.

The two stayed silent, just watching the water when Anchora spoke. "I'm just wondering. You already agreed to help me with the quest of finding THEM…I mean the INTRUDER, but, what about the efforts that you did just to take yourself out of the picture?"

The girl looked at the goddess with confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what about the things that you did just for you to be able to avoid the main characters and the scenes or scenarios of the story. The effort you put just to remove yourself from the main story's frame"

Eli sighed, "What about them?", she asked again. Anchora looked at the water again, but this time she inched closer to it and started to play with it with her hands.

"I mean. What would you do about it? Well, for instance, Daniel. You did your best to leave him behind just for you to selfishly escape from being dragged into the story's storyline…"

"Ouch"

"Haha, sorry. But, I'm serious though. This time, in order for you to find that INTRUDER, you'll need to be dragged into that same storyline that you've been trying to escape from. And that means facing Daniel and the other main characters as well"

Eleanor understood what she's been trying to say. Just because Eleanor…Ammiel, who was stupidly trying to repay the big favor, because of her morals while growing up, that the goddess gave her, though with not pure intentions, her efforts to avoid being dragged into the storyline will be wasted, and her path and the characters' that she tried leaving behind/ avoiding might cross on the process.

"Well, to be honest, I don't really know. I spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to live this second life at first, and then I switched to trying to find a way on how to avoid being dragged into the storyline and being associated with the main characters despite being friends with one next. And now, I'm changing my plans again. I think what I've been secretly trying to do is ensure that this second life given to me will end after spending it to the fullest, that this life won't end up ending in tragedy just like the first one"

"A random question", the goddess raised wet hands like a child trying to recite, making Eleanor snort a little. "Y-yeah?", she tried to say without laughing at how adorable Anchora is for her right now.

"Then, now that you know that the novel is a mess and things won't go the way it was like in the original, have you ever considered trying to make real friends. Build relationships with other people, live your life like a normal person would, umm, though you still have to find the INTRUDER which is not very normal-like situation but, did it ever cross your mind?"

Eleanor looked at the goddess for quite a while. In the other hand, Anchora just waited for her to answer her question. "You mean, make friends and like mingle?"

"Yup!"
"Hmm, well, that didn't cross my mind"

Anchora put her hands on her chin and think. Her eyes widen after a thought came to her mind. "Wait, that didn't crossed your mind....Let me ask you a question"

Eleanor nodded and Anchora proceeded. "What are your thoughts about the alchemist, Meridia? How about Rephienne?"

Eleanor took a little time thinking then answered the question, "Well, I think they're wonderful people. Master is very caring, well she shows it in her own ways, and she's very intelligent and hardworking. Ren? Umm, he's very cute actually, he's like a mature person with a clear and calm mind, but then he'll suddenly become childish and jolly in a snap of finger. He has so many sides that you won't be bored no matter what you two does"

Anchora nodded, "Based on how you answered my question, I guess you might've or might not notice but you already built a relationship with them. You mingled with them, got to know them in your own way, and experienced many things with them"

The goddess patted the girl's head while she just stared at her with a blank face. Anchora continued, "Then, what about Daniel? You already spent a lot of time with him right? So what are your thoughts about him?"

Eleanor's expression changed. "You answered my questions about Ren and Meridia with confidence, so now, what about Daniel?", Anchora tried asking again but Eli just stayed silent, and when she looked at her face, she can see it in her eyes, she's VERY confused.

That's when Anchora decided to ask her a more serious question. "Eli, are you still afraid of making a connection with Daniel?"

Eli looked at the goddess. "I…I don't get it"

"Explain it to me", Anchora waited for the girl to speak. And when she did, she listened to everything.

"I umm, when you asked me about Ren and master, I umm, I felt so comfortable in answering your questions for some reason. But when I think about Daniel, about what I think of him, I can't really think of anything. It's not that I'm afraid of making a connection with him; I know that to myself since I admit that I had a hard time parting with him because my mind keeps on changing. It's just that when I try to think about what I think of him at first I can see him as the person who took care of me when I was still new to this world, then the next, he'll be someone unknown to me, like someone I don't really know or someone I know but I'm not close with…ahhhh! I don't know. It's just that I'm having a hard time thinking what he is for me!", Eli gripped her hair in frustration.

Anchora immediately stopped her and held her hand with her gentle ones. "You just said it yourself. You're having hard time thinking about what you think of him, that's the clue"

She caressed the girl's head, fixing her messy hair on the process. "Eleanor, you were able to build a relationship with Ren and Meridia because you just think and see them as ordinary people. They're not one of the main characters or supporting characters for you or anything, unlike Daniel. Half of you think of him as a person with his own personality and quirks but also half of you think of him as a supporting or rather, an important character only. A character in the novel that you read on your first life. The reason that's been keeping you from building a relationship and getting to know him as a friend is because of this"

Eli listened to everything that the goddess had been saying to her.

"You entered this world and met Daniel, and you saw him as a person that time. But ever since you found out that this is the world of novel, you started seeing him as a main..as an important character that has a role to play in this novel. That's why when you said that you had a hard time parting with him because your mind keeps on changing, I know that the reason why that happen is because half of you thinks of him as an important friend that you treasure, while the other half thinks of him as one the main characters that you need to avoid in order for you not to be dragged into the storyline"

Flashbacks came into Eli's mind. Her memories of how ever since she found out how the world where she's in is in a novel, everything changes. The way she see the places, the people, and their connections to each other, everything changed for her that day just after seeing that familiar staff. And that caused her to have a hard time on deciding and doing things.






























"Eleanor? Are you up?"

Eli snapped back to reality. The memory of her and the goddess' conversation before still lingering on her mind a bit. She looked at the entrance of the tent before hurriedly putting her earring on and making herself presentable.

"Ah…umm…I just woke up master", Meridia came in after hearing the girl's reply. In her hands is a tray with simple foods in it. "Well, good morning", while placing the tray on the table not far away from Eli's bed, Meridia tried to compose herself for a bit, and when she was finally able to put all the food properly on the table, she faced her assistant.

"Don't give me that look master. I know. Today is the day I have to answer A LOT of questions regarding the issue about that Holy Object that I just used previously", Eli immediately spoke after seeing the alchemist's expression. She knew that she's worried about her, no one knows about Eli's unique ability except some people, and Meridia is included to those people.

And on the other hand, she can also see it in her eyes. The curiosity about how she was able to use a Holy Object despite her not being a Saintess. She's not even a priest!

Everyone might've thought that this is a really special thing that happened, but for Eli, who is previously Ammiel from the world where things like fire extinguishers exist everywhere, using a fire extinguisher is normal.

So she's not worried about people questioning her about her abilities, she's worried about what kind of believable excuse she can make. She can't just say,

"Hey! I lived my first life in a world where these things can be use normally"

That would make her look like a crazy person! Besides that, the INTRUDER might found out about her, who is also a person from the other world just like them, and they might know that she's trying to find them and bring them back to where they both came from.

"Ok, ok. Eat up and prepare yourself, I'll be back for you after an hour", Meridia was about to leave when Eli shouted, "Master wait!", she turned her head and look at her. Eli unintentionally held her earring and with a determined face, "I have a request"




























"Oh, you're here", Daniel turned around and stood up the moment Eli entered her tent. She's now wearing new and different clothes after taking a bath in a near river. She went to her bed and sat down. She looked at Daniel whose still standing and tapped the part of the bed next to her.

"Please sit", she simply said. Daniel was still hesitating but he slowly complied and sat next to her.

Silence filled the whole tent like always whenever they were both together since their reunion. In her head, Eli has been counting numbers like a kid since the moment Daniel sat for her to be able to calm herself.

She breathes in and out and repeated it a few more times before speaking. "It's been a long time"

'It's been a long time?! We just saw each other yesterday! Pull yourself together Eleanor!', Eli mentally pulled her hair after saying such things. Looks like she's still not totally calmed down.

"Yeah, it's been a LONG time", Daniel answered making the whole atmosphere a bit awkward because of a hidden meaning behind his words. Eleanor can't take it anymore and so, she grabbed Daniel's hand, startling him with the sudden action, but she gripped it tightly and looked at him in the eye.

"I'M SORRY!", she shouted. Daniel just stared at her, shock visible on his whole face. "I know I know! I left you before! I promised that I'll continously write you letters but I vanished on you and came here! I'm sorry! I'm sorry for breaking my promise!", she quickly said so many things but Daniel was still able to hear them clearly.

"I…I was just…", Eli looked at their clasped hands and continued, "I know that I don't have any excuse for doing that, but I, I really don't want to hurt you or abandon you without a second thought. I was just, I was just…."

"It's okay"

Eli looked at Daniel who cut her off. "To be honest, I was really angry at you; disappointed that you broke your promise and that you just vanished on me. But most of all…"

He held Eli's faced and using his thumb, he brushed her cheek. "I missed my cute, childish, innocent, crybaby best friend"

Without knowing it, a tear dropped onto his hand. "Hey, why are you crying?", he chuckled and pulled out a handkerchief on his pocket, using it to wipe her tears continously dropping from her eyes.

"Stop crying. People will think that I made you cry", he joked but Eli's tears just wouldn't stop. She hurt this boy just because she just saw him as a character that has a role to play, not as his own person who has choices of his own, one who have dreams…goals of his own.

She looked at him like this but this boy, Daniel looked at her properly. He looked at her as a friend while she's busy looking at him as a mindless character.

And she felt so guilty about it now.

"Just promise me one thing, and make sure that you'll really keep this promise and will NEVER break it again"

Eleanor nodded at him. "Promise me that you won't run away or vanish again. I don't know any of your reasons why you decided to just went poof"

'Because I want to run away from you, an important character, before just to save my selfish ass'

"But I don't want you doing that ever again. Just promise me you won't run away from me", Eleanor nodded at him. "I promise"

"Good, because you are my only Best Friend Eli, you're very important to me. So please don't just leave me like that, okay? No matter what happens"

For some reason, the breeze of the wind seemed to be stronger than before because Eli felt a little shiver on her skin, she then felt warm again after Daniel draped a blanket on her body after noticing that she's shivering. She smiled and looked at him directly on his eyes.

"Okay, I got it. This time I really do promise, I won't leave you...No matter what happens"