EXCERPT 2

"No one dares to look into his eyes," a maid whispered to the other maid who bowed before walking away from Eva. However, Eva hideously followed the maids. Her eyes widened when she heard the other maid's response.

"But that woman he brought after many years dares to look at him, even his father knows too well than to look him in the eyes."

"I heard the prince deceived the woman he saw in the other world, she won't be his bride for long but a ritual to enhance his power."

"I feel pity for the young woman. She is so gorgeous and kind-hearted, I wonder what bad she could have done to be chosen as the woman for the ritual."

"Who told you the prince picks the women by their attitudes? He definitely picks them randomly as long as he needs them immediately!"

Eva stopped walking behind them as she thought loudly, "Why did he bring me here? I know he is not a human but does he have to do this? I...I have caused him the cruellest comfort...is this revenge?" However, she recalled that she was the one who found out what she wasn't supposed to.

Eva felt someone's presence and she slowly turned back, only to see her boss dressed in the olden-days attire. "Please...I... I want to go home! I promise I will never expose you!"

"I never knew my wife to be less stubborn, so I disagree with you."

"I'm not your wife, you stupid monster! I will never be!"

"Well, that is expected from you," he replied. "Next time, do not poke your nose into what you aren't supposed to."

Eva had no idea of what happened next, however, she blinked her eyes to see herself back in his office. He was sitting in his chair, looking blankly at his document but then raised his head, "Is secretary Lee alright?"

Now, he was not wearing that old attire but the suit she had picked for him in the morning.

Eva didn't understand what just happened. She looked at the digital time on the panel and saw that she had overstayed in the company. It was dusk already. It was proof that whatever she had seen the other time was nothing but reality.

She dropped her hands on the desk and leaned closer to him, "Mr Saverio, what did you just do?"

A lopsided grin came from him afterwards and Eva surely didn't miss it.

"I should be asking what happened to you because you've been stagnant in that spot for more than three hours. Weird," shaking his head, he replied nonchalantly.

Eva shook her head, was she truly the one sick in the head?

***

CHAPTER 1

[Dear Penfriend (whose name is a hard nut to crack),

It's been a while. How have you been faring? Well, I have been doing not too bad. I was recently sacked by that naughty man I told you about. Can you believe...he wanted to take advantage of me? He was going to promote me if I agree to a nightstand with him. I am very sure if he was a bit handsome, I would have accepted, however, he just wasn't...

Well, you know what I mean.

I am applying for a new job. Heard of Aweseong Corporation? I might end up being an executive assistant of the C.E.O., well, of course, I have great qualifications.

Trust me to give you all the gist if I get employed. Don't forget to tell me about your gist and well, you also can't skip the full gist of the blind date. Stop keeping me in suspense or else I will think you are already engaged to her.

Best Regards,

Eva Lee. ]

"Geneva!"

"Mum!"

"Geneva!"

"Mum, I'm right here. At this rate, you are going to tear my eardrum!"

"You either stop living with me or get yourself a husband as soon as possible!" Eva heard her mother approach her room.

Before Mrs. Lee could finally get to the entrance, Eva had tossed the envelope somewhere, however, she threw it in a very open place that was caught by her mother as soon as she entered the room.

"Mum, you know I don't have enough money to rent an apartment!" Eva frowned, standing in front of her envelope which was lying comfortably on her bed. She was doing her possible best to hide it from her mother.

"No, you bastard, you are only greedy. I am sure the money you earn in a month is enough to get you a lease right away."

"Oh, mum! I didn't tell you the news?"

"What news?"

"I got sacked, hurray!" Eva waved her hands in the air before dropping her hands and rubbing them with her skirt. She figured out that she had applied too much oil to her scalp.

"What? You naughty soul." Eva's mum slightly pushed Eva from the way and then bent to pick up her envelope. "Who writes letters to unknown people in this century, Geneva! I have warned you severally to stop that. You might end up landing yourself into a big problem."

"Oh no, mum... Stop acting like an old woman, are you?" She said, her hands holding up her hair so that she could pack more tightly into a ponytail again. As she did, she recalled something that transpired the last time she visited her friend, Ruby.

Ruby's mother was a shaman and the moment she saw her, she ran backwards, shaking her head vigorously as if she had seen something scary. Ruby's shaman mother had screamed out, "Behold, a cursed soul! Do not step in here!" but she said nothing after that.

Eva shook her head, trying not to let that thought overcome her. But still, it did. The worse part was what Ruby had told her. Ruby had said her shaman mother had warned her against being friends with her, with no good reason to hold onto but then, it didn't mean Ruby would accept.

"You are the old and odd one here!" Eva's mum dropped the envelope and hurried up to hit her but Eva was expecting her movement, so she waved and then took her envelope.

She was done packing her hair and she sighed. "Mum, would an old woman stop trying to fight a young woman like me?"

"How dare you?"

"Well, Mother, who knows if my penfriend will end up being your son-in-law? He seems to be a potential husband."

"You haven't even seen him before, how can you tell? How would you know if all that he has been feeding you are lies?"

"I would have if they were. I'm sometimes smart, I believe."

Saying that Eva slightly squeezed her brows because some funny moving images came into her view. She imagined finally getting to know him and then discovering that he had never been a man but a woman all along. Eva waved that aside as she thought, 'Stop thinking about stupid things, Eva!'

However, there was a bip from her phone and she looked into the screen to see a detailed news of what she had been curious about since the day she met Ruby's shaman mother. When she saw the huge mirror in her friend's house Eva couldn't do but think something was wrong, especially how the huge mirror had no reflection and something within it kept calling to her.

It was as if someone was communicating to her within the mirror and shouting for her help, telling her to save them. She didn't see this but it was definitely a strange feeling that sent shivers down her spine.

Right now, she was late and couldn't read about the information sent to her, she only glanced through it, learning that the huge mirror was an old relic, mostly common within shaman and sorcerers.

"Enough of the petty talks, Geneva. I cooked Kimchi soup and rice. Hurry up."

"I would skip that now, Mum." Eva looked at her wrist which was empty and then she stared at her mother, "This is 7:45 am, I will indeed be late if I stay any longer."

"No, darling. You would grow thinner than you are. And stop your imaginary watch-checking. Get yourself a wristwatch instead, you naughty being."

"Thank you for reminding me that I am on a diet, Mum. I will eat when I come back."

"And stop dying your hair red, it looks horrible. No employer will accept that."

"Oh Geneva's mum, you are so old-fashioned. This isn't red and then...this is the trend! Trend, mum, it makes you look so lively but I'm late for the interview."

Eva's mother disagreed, "Wait, I will pack the food for you."

"No."

However, Mrs. Lee already walked out of Eva's bedroom.

Eva smiled before keeping her envelope in her purse. She felt so excited about dropping the envelope and hearing more from her penfriend. Both of them had never seen each other but still, they knew each other in a very funny way. It had been a while since he wrote to her until yesterday when she was handed a letter.

He had confirmed that he was busy because he just relocated to a place not so far from where she lived and they might one way or the other stumble upon themselves and she had been excited since then.

She was finally going to meet him but the two of them agreed to meet each other naturally; unplanned. She didn't know how long it could take them but she knew fate has its way.

After checking and finding out that she had everything she needed in her purse, she walked towards her door but stopped when she heard a noise at the window. After pausing for a while and seeing the noise didn't persist, she opened the door and walked into the sitting room.

When Eva banged the door close, a young girl in a yellow hoodie and black trousers appeared behind the window. She opened the window and slowly got inside. Her eyes searched the room entirely and after seeing what she was there for, she picked the object and jumped out of the room with a triumphant smile, "I hope he gives me more money for finding this."