Chapter 3 Where Are You

Novita's body jerked as she was thrown into the large puddle of light. Then, a painful feeling began to gnaw at her along with her body and soul that felt like they were about to separate.

Pain, stinging, being torn apart, and all other unpleasant feelings instantly hit Novita's body making the girl's head suddenly feel so dizzy from the events she was experiencing.

Until the girl felt as if her body was jerked back and fell into a bottomless pit. Crushed. One word that might describe the overall feeling Novita felt in her body right now.

But all the pain gradually disappeared as a soft, light white light slowly hit his face.

In her sleeping position, Novita began to try to move her body, even though she felt all the muscles in her body felt so painful and stiff. Similarly, her eyelids felt very heavy to open despite her best efforts.

Until in an unknown number of attempts, the eyelids were slowly able to lift even though her vision was still so faint. Again Novita tried to blink her eyes trying to adjust the lighting around her.

It felt so strange. Not only because her body seemed to have just experienced time travel and mental upheaval. But because of the sight she saw when she first opened her eyes.

Everything felt so strange to her.

A small, silky white cloth-covered board flanking her body made her think that she was currently inside a coffin.

Novita's heart pounded at the thought of it all. Then the girl tried to move her fingers which felt like they were wrapped in a pair of gloves so soft and were holding something there.

Novita strained her eyes downward, looking at her hand which was currently wrapped in a small lacy white t-shirt with a white flower in the grip.

"Am I dead?" she murmured softly, then tried to blink again.

Finally, both eyes could clearly see the surrounding area. The black ceiling and the large crystal chandelier dangling in the center just above Novita's supine body, welcomed the girl's normal sense of sight.

Not forgetting the red-colored wooden structure that frames the ceiling and crystal chandelier. Also the thick Javanese carvings that are sculpted so perfectly with the gold color that wraps around the red side, creating a traditional, luxurious and elegant impression at the same time.

"Where is this?" Novita felt her head ache again, then the sound of crying around her made her even more confused. Her soul had returned, the body that had felt so weak suddenly had its energy back, as did all the functions of her senses. However, there was still something strange that Novita felt because right now she felt like she was in a very strange place.

Moving a little unsteadily because of the dizziness that was still a little bit in her head, Novita began to remove the bunch of flowers in her hand and then tried hard to rouse herself. She was surprised to find that the people around her had very foreign faces and were dressed quite strangely. They looked like people from the royal era that Novita had seen in a soap opera program that aired on television every afternoon.

"Is this still a dream? Am I still in a dream right now?" Novita continued to mutter as she looked at the people around her one by one.

Not unlike Novita, the people around the girl were equally dumbfounded, especially when they found that the body of the princess who had been declared dead had suddenly revived. Some people in the room even reflexively ran away in shock.

"Dewi Pramesti, my daughter?!" a man shouted, distracting Novita.

"My child? Oh my, how can this be? My daughter came back to life? Is this real?" screeched a middle-aged woman who still looked so beautiful and graceful, adding to Novita's confusion.

"The princess is alive again?" greeted a woman in a uniform like a servant as she wiped away the tears that were rolling down her cheeks. Then, the whispers and frenzy in the room became more audible.

"My child! I'm so grateful to know you're alive, child!" exclaimed the middle-aged woman who looked so elegant as she walked over to Novita to hug her. But Novita quickly stretched her arms out in front of her as if asking the woman to stop.

"Wait! Who are you?" she asked, causing everyone in the room to jump out of their seats.

"Where am I? And, what is this? A coffin? Am I dead? What's going on?" said Novita, continuing to express her confusion while keeping her eyes on her surroundings.

"I'm sorry, dear. I thought you were dead," said a man dressed like a king who also walked over, Novita guessed it was from the gold crown perched on the man's head.

"Daddy?" Novita furrowed her brow. How could her father's face suddenly be different like that? Fear and anxiety suddenly crept into Novita.

"Who are you? You're definitely not my father. And, where is this? Why are you dressed so strangely?" Novita felt more and more alarmed. Meanwhile, everyone in the room was getting confused by her behavior.

"What are you talking about, dear? This is your mother and father," explained the beautiful and elegant woman. Making Novita even more at war with herself.

"No! You guys are so weird. Are you acting right now? Is this the set of that soap opera?" Novita continued to blurt out sentences that were completely incomprehensible to the occupants of the room.

"What's going on?" the middle-aged woman said, looking at the king. Meanwhile, the kingly-looking man himself continued to frown in astonishment at what had happened to his daughter.

"Quickly summon the palace physician!" the man in the king's appearance called out in a voice so booming that one of the guards at the end of the door bowed respectfully and then left to carry out his orders.

On the other hand, Novita, who heard this, frowned even more. "What? The palace physician? What is this all about? Am I really in an ancient life right now?" Novita's mind was racing. Especially when her gaze accidentally fell on one of her hands which was wearing the bracelet and ring that she had stolen while in the king's burial area some time ago. It made Novita's heart beat even faster.

"What is this? This jewelry is already attached to my hand? Oh my! Is this a curse because I stole?"