Chapter 3. Entering Another World

     Kalina was still thinking hard, between real and unreal, crossing time and space into another world. There are things that are confusing as well as overshadowing, until at one point she is forced to accept her situation as well as other unexpected things. Including when the elders convince Kalina as the chosen vessel for Aurora's jewels. Several young people of the demon nation are eager to marry her. The myth said that marrying an Aurora bride would bring them a lot of luck.

     "Gosh, it's just arbitrary to lock me up in the palace and make me the bride's trophy." Kalina grumbled, the girl had just escaped through the bedroom window using the blanket that was previously tied up and then used to go downstairs. "I didn't expect that the escape scenes in the shitty movies I watched would now have to be done, what bad luck!" she screeched, fixing the silk cloth that covered her legs. Kalina found it difficult to wear thick and heavy clothes, her small hands pulled up the skirt she was wearing and then sneaked back to the back door.

     Kalina's eyes widened as she saw several maids walking in a group towards her. Kalina glanced around and saw a lush mango tree. Quick as a flash, she climbed up to hide at the top. Climbing, yeah, Kalina did the unexpected in order to escape.

     'I'm going to be a nervous wreck for a long time, crying out loud.' Head down, legs trembling, the girl was still watching the servants disappear from sight. Feeling safe, Kalina quickly went downstairs and ran. Her face broke into a smile as she saw the back gate in sight. "Thank God, I'm safe," she beamed and breathed a sigh of relief.

      However, her relief was short-lived as she turned around to see a stout man standing staring at her. Kalina swallowed saliva with difficulty. Her heart was racing again. Between amazement and fear and nervousness. A figure Kalina recognized, but did not recognize. Yep, Kalina had convinced herself to be thrown into another world. Although some people looked similar in the modern times where Kalina lived. However, Kalina knew it was not the same person, perhaps. 

     "Please don't report me, I don't want to be confined to the palace. I —”

     "Go away!" The young man interrupted Kalina's speech as he looked away.

     "Thank you, Elard." Kalina impulsively called out the young man's name.

     Elard, who was surprised that his name was mentioned, turned his head with a furrowed brow, "How do you know my name?" The man asked. Because after the incident of falling into the water pool, Elard had just met Kalina again. It was unexpected that the girl knew his name. They had never been acquainted. 

Kalina smiled, grinning, looking for ideas, racking her brains, thinking hard. "Ah, so many people know you, how could I not?" Kalina smiled again, revealing a row of white teeth.

      Elard grinned, "You're lying, I remember you also mentioned Sister Anantari after you came out of nowhere and appeared before us with the disappearance of Aurora's jewel." The man was overly suspicious and his harsh words were different from the modern-day Elard Kalina knew.

     "That's---"

     "Tell me the truth," Elard urged.

 A white eagle flew towards the two of them. A bluish light emanated from the eagle's body and then the man Kalina had missed for so long appeared. Her eyes filled with tears as she met his gaze.

      'Gavin,' Kalina whispered, still amazed at the young man's transformation from bird to man.

      "What are you doing here? You're Aurora's bridesmaid, you should be inside." Gavin stepped closer with an indescribable look on his face. 

      Kalina was getting anxious, escaping seemed to be a difficult thing. "Please don't take me back inside!" pleaded Kalina pleadingly.

      Kalina was still confused by the scope that was very different from the real world she lived in. The girl growing up in the millennial generation had to deal with the past of the bahula era.

     'It feels really, unexplainable,' Kalina commented inwardly, pursing her lips.

     The two handsome young demons stared for a long time. Not because they were captivated by Kalina's charm, but because they were confused by Kalina's behavior, like a worm in the middle of a hot desert, wriggling here and there.

"What's wrong with that strange girl?" asked the white eagle demon in a whisper.

     "I don't know, Gavin, I just met her, she might not be in her right mind." Elard the tiger demon commented.

'Your whispers are too loud, I hear it damn it!' It was a bad word to say or Kalina would really be in danger. 

      "O mighty handsome demons, please take me away from here. I really can't bear to be in a place like this prison. I want to be free like the birds flying high above the clouds." Kalina was like a poet who was deeply immersed in every sentence that fell from her sweet lips.

      "Is it true that you went crazy by drifting in the pool?" Gavin whispered back.

       Elard nodded. "We should take her away from the crowd first, I feel sorry for her. Afraid of going even crazier," he continued.

      "Agreed, let the girl be responsible for herself when caught by the royal men," Gavin responded.

      "Ok," Elard replied, they still seemed to be whispering.

      'Hopefully they will fall for my deadly seduction,' whispered Kalina, still wearing a pitiable face. Although she was actually angry at their crazy whispers.

      "We'll take you away but---" Elard said.

      "But what?" Kalina interrupted, eyes sparkling with excitement.

      "But you're on your own and don't involve us when you get caught." Gavin explained.

      "The Queen Mother is desperate for a son-in-law for Viceroy Arsen. You are predicted to be the future queen of the Nigella Kingdom." Elard said.

      "But I already have a fiancé, I don't want to marry someone I don't know, not even King Arsen or whoever it is," said the girl folding her arms.

      "If you resist it's possible, your head and body will be separated when you're caught escaping," Gavin said, making Kalina shudder.

      The girl widened her eyes, then stroked her neck and said, "That's cruel."

       "It's already a consequence," Elard rebutted before Kalina could comment again.

       "If you're afraid of dying, you might as well go back to the palace." Gavin stared at Kalina for a split second.

 Kalina was still scratching the back of her head that did not itch, between running away with the consequences of her life or marrying King Arsen.

      "Actually, there is a way you can try not to marry King Arsen." Elard's words made Kalina smile widely.

     "Tell me," said the short girl looking up.

     "You can try to make King Arsen hate you," said Elard.

     Kalina looked seriously at the two young men who were considered to be growing rapidly upwards.

     "King Arsen does not like spoiled girls, His Majesty hates women who like to preen, let alone girls who act like men," added Elard recalling his lord's tastes.

     Kalina smiled a smirk, "You must help me become a woman that King Arsen does not like." The evil laugh looked suspicious to anyone who saw.

      "I don't want to interfere," Gavin complained.

      "No way, you're the ones who planned to help me. I could scream right now that you two are planning to kidnap me if you don't help," Kalina said, smiling proudly at her ingenuity.

      "Helping you turned out to be misguided," Gavin complained.

      "Ah, geez you're threatening us little girl," Elard complained and lifted Kalina's petite body.

      "Hey, put me down," Kalina complained.

      "Get lost," Elard said and threw the tiny body with all his might. Who knows where Kalina went.

      "You cursed bastard!" cursed Kalina as her body soared into the air over the border wall.

      "Hey, did you throw her back in?”

      "My head is spinning from her whining," Elard complained, "I'm sure King Arsen wouldn't want to marry an eel-like girl like her either," he added.

     Gavin shook his head at his friend, "Well, let's go hunting in the forest. I'm starving," he said, not bothering to bother, he transformed into a white eagle.

     Elard's growl made Kalina jump in surprise at the sound of a loud animal screeching in hearing, the handsome young man who looked like her fiancé in modern times became a tiger, his sharp teeth grinning, the notorious animal immediately jumped after Gavin in the figure of an eagle flapping its wings.

Continued....

@lovely_karra