BRIDE OF THE SEVEN GODS

It was another new session at school. However, I've always hated going to school since I was young. Well, it wasn't that I was being bullied at school. It was just because I hated being unable to show my true self. Especially the fact that I always pretend to be a shy girl, which I'm not. Not that I choose to be so myself. My mom constantly reminds me that being a quiet person will prevent trouble from heading towards you. However, it never worked for me. It got much worse. A ball suddenly hit my head.

"Aww." A painful cry came out of my lips as I rubbed the place I was hit. I lifted my head and looked in the direction where the ball had hailed from. In the distance afar, were a group of boys playing on the football field.

Seeing that the ball had hit a student, one of the boys headed over. However, instead of apologizing to me, he scolded me harshly. "Hey, you should watch where you're heading to. Don't you have an eye or what?" He leaned down and picked up the ball that had just hit me.

"What a farce. It's you who should watch where you are aiming at." I mumbled under my breath.

"What did you say?" Knowing I had uttered something, the boy gazed at me fiercely.

"Nothing." I hurriedly shook my head and said, "I'll watch out where I'm heading next time." After saying that, I immediately took to my heel.

I've always been a brave and charming girl. However, that's just my inner fantasy. Sometimes, reality hits you in the face.

"Belia." Ivy came out from nowhere and clasped my hand with hers. "You came to school today. I thought you wouldn't."

Of everyone closest to me, only Ivy, my best friend understands me best.

"And here I am. Let go of my hand. Why is your palm so sweaty?" I said with repulsion as I withdrew my hand from her grip and took a handkerchief from my pocket to wipe off the grime on my palm.

Ivy didn't mind my words and looked at me worriedly. "Huh-huh, what's wrong with our dear Belia? Are you in a bad mood? What's that red spot on your forehead? Did you hit your head on something?" She reached out to touch my forehead, but I swiped it away.

"It's nothing. I'm fine." We both arrived at the corridor of our classroom and entered the class.

"It's so good to be in our final year." Ivy smiled as she sat behind her desk. "Everyone's already talking about university. Which school do you plan on going to, Belia?" She turned to look at me as she asked.

"Farming," I replied indifferently, taking my books from my bag.

"Farming?" Ivy was first stunned by my reply before she burst into laughter. "Come on, cut the jokes. You're so bad at telling one. Tell me, where exactly are you going to?"

"Do I have to tell you everything about my life?"

"I guess you're in a bad mood today." Ivy saw through my mood and stopped asking me questions.

The teacher soon entered the class and the standing students immediately scurried back to their seats. However, the teacher's gaze wasn't fixed on the scampering students but was instead settled on the big writing on the board that said 'GO TO HELL MRS. GIVANNI. YOUR BREATH STINKS'.

Immediately I saw those words, I knew that one of the male students must have written it since they like to do this kind of prank. However, Mrs. Givanni, our teacher for today wasn't having it when she saw the sentences written on the board.

She turned to the student seated below, her face brimming with anger as she asked. "Who wrote these words on the board?" Unfortunately for her, her question was answered with a dead silence. "I'll ask this once again. Who wrote these words on the board?" Seeing that none of the students were raising their hands to speak, Mrs. Givanni slammed her hands onto the stand podium. "Wow! What a perfect cooperation. However, you know what, you're all failing this course."

"What? No way." Words of dissatisfaction came out from everyone's lips.

"Then all you have to do is to pick out the culprit. I'm sure one of you did it." She looked at each student in the eyes. How dare they say her breath stinks. She isn't going to forgive the culprit no matter what. "So, who is it?"

The whole class was silent until a voice shouted.

"It's Belia!"

"What!" I exclaimed at the same time. No student was bearing the name Belia in this classroom apart from me. Hence, that person had just pointed me out as the culprit. I looked in the direction of the voice and saw that it was no one other than Alison.

'That girl is a crap'. I cursed under my breath. Alison had always hated me and I don't even know the reason why. Well, I've never liked her to begin with. "Look Alison, this isn't the time to joke. I didn't write it, so why did you have to call out my name."

"It's her." As if she didn't hear my words, Alison continued to point at me. "I saw her writing it this morning."

"That's a lie. I didn't." I shielded myself from her accusation.

"That right. She did not." Ivy also defended me. "We came to the classroom together. Why didn't I see her writing it then."

"Well, who knows? Maybe you both planned it together." Alison said with a scornful smile.

"What are you trying to imp--."

"That's enough!" The teacher cut in before looking in my direction. "Belia, go to the library warehouse and dust all the books there. That will be your punishment."

"All the books!" I exclaimed in astonishment. "But I didn't--"

"I'm sure you heard what I just said. Now leave the classroom." The teacher's stern voice rang out once again.

"Okay." However, before leaving, I made sure to give Alison an intense stare. Seeing my cold gaze, Alison turned her head away. "I swear, you'll pay for this," I said through gritted teeth, before leaving the classroom.

I headed towards the library. The school library was located in the southern part of the school. Some of the students who had a free morning schedule could be seen heading towards the library direction to study. I entered the library and walked toward the library manager's counter to state the reason why I was there.

"You were punished." The library manager looked at my face. "Your appearance doesn't seem to fit the category of a bad student." I didn't make an answer to her statement. Seeing that I wasn't going to reply to her, she pointed me in the direction of the cleaning room where I would pick up the cleaning equipment I needed.

"Thank you," I said to the lady before leaving.

After taking a duster, gloves, and mask from the cleaning room, I headed toward the library warehouse. The moment I opened the door, I was greeted with an ample wave of dust onto my face. Even though I was wearing a nose mask, I began to sneeze fervently.

"Achoo!"

I brave through the dust and took the feather duster, before starting to dust the books on the shelves. More dust filled my nose and I began to sneeze constantly.

"You're going to pay for this, Alison." I kicked angrily at the bookshelves to vent my frustration. Unfortunately, one of the books seemed unstable and fell onto the floor. Seeing the fallen book, I leaned forward to pick it up.

It wasn't a learning material but a novel. Looking at the book title, I was hooked by its name. "BRIDE OF THE SEVEN GODS," I uttered the title and then turned the book over in search of the author's name. But I couldn't find it. It seems like it wasn't written on the cover. "Anyways, it sounds interesting. Let me just have a sneak peek." I hurriedly find a secluded corner to sit in. I opened the book pages, ready to read when something unknown suddenly hit my head and I passed out in the aftermath.

"Aww." I sat up groggily, rubbing the back of my head the moment I regained consciousness. "Have I truly been jinxed or is today meant to be a bad day for me?" Thinking of all that had happened to me till now, I complained bitterly in my heart.

When my vision became clearer, I was surprised to find out that I was in strange surroundings all alone by myself.

"What the hell! Where am I? Have I been kidnapped?" I swiftly got up to my feet and looked around cautiously. Different kinds of thoughts raced through my mind. "How the hell was I kidnapped? Have the school security been so lax that anyone can just go in and kidnap a student."

Another thought struck my mind. Why would they kidnap a poor student like me? It's not like my mom is a rich person. Or perhaps they mistook me for another person Then what am I doing here? Looking at my desolate surroundings, I began to panic. "Damm! It seems like I've truly been jinxed." I lifted my hands and ruffled through my hair. However, my attention suddenly drifted to my clothes. It was a different attire entirely. Looking at the traditional pink robe that was on my body instead of my school uniform, I panicked even more. "Why am I wearing this? And where on earth is this place?"

Before I could think further, a wave of sound came from the distance. In the distance, there was a group of people dons in traditional attires all running towards me.

'Huh.' A confused expression appeared on my face. A realization immediately hit me. Could it be that I was kidnapped to replace an actress on a film set? 'Damm. How daring are these filmmakers? So audacious to kidnap a student without her consent. I would probably get a big compensation if I sue them, right?' While in my thoughts, the group was only a few distance away from me.

"There she is. Catch her. Catch the thief!" Their loud voices chorused together.

I wanted to prove off a brave front but seeing the fierce expression on their faces, I cowered in fear.

Wow, isn't this just an act? Why is their expression so real? "What? Me? I'm sorry but I think there has been a mistake. I'm not an actress but a student in her final year of high school." I staggered backward as I explained, hoping that the director would shout cut. Instead, I was grabbed by this group of fierce people. "Let go of me. Let me go. If you don't, I swear I'm going to call the cops." Despite my threatening words, the group continued to grab me along with them. Soon, we reached a place bustling with people moving on about.

"Isn't she Minister Zhao's daughter?"

"Of course she is."

"Isn't this her third time caught stealing? What a shame." The passersby discussed among themselves

"Let's take her to the Zhao manor." A woman among the group that was grabbing me said.

"That's right. Let's take her to her father."

"We demand an explanation from the minister."

"Yes." They all chorused in answer and then headed in another direction.

My butt was still sore from those numerous beatings. At first, I thought I was in the dreamland. But how is it possible to feel pain when you're in a dream? Maybe, this isn't a dream at all. Did I die after being hit by that unknown thing? If that's so, then the place I am should be the afterlife, right?

"Aww." I cried grievously while rubbing on my painful butts. "So painful. The afterlife is so painful."

"Sister." The soft voice of a girl called from outside. "Can I come in?"

"Huh..." I was stunned by the sudden interruption before then answering, "Sure, come on in."

The door to the room swung open and a young girl dressed in a pink traditional gown walked in. Her face was small and round. One could see that she was the perfect definition of cuteness. How the hell can one be this cute? She approached me, before then taking a seat on the seating mat in front of me.

"Here." She reached into her sleeves and brought out a small bottle. "This is an ointment." She pushed the small bottle towards me. "I heard you were punished by father this evening, so I brought you an ointment to apply on your wound. Do not let mother see it. I stole it from her chamber." The girl lowered her head as she slowly uttered the last sentence. One could from her expression that this was the first time she would ever commit such an act.

"Oh." She even went so far as to steal from that evil woman. She's such a cutie. "Thank you, little sister." I smiled at her before then asking, "How old are you?"

"I'm nine years old." Her eyelids fluttered as she answered.

"Ahh." I nodded in realization. "No wonder why you're so cute." I couldn't help but resist the urge to lean over and pinch her cheeks.

"Why do you ask, sister? You already knew my age from the start. Or could it be that you're trying to give me a surprise present on my birthday?" There was eagerness in the girl's eyes as she lifted her head to look at me.

"I..." I found myself at a loss of words to say. "Sister was just asking to see if you can still remember your birthday." I faked a laugh to get myself out of the awkward situation. Just as I shifted my head away, I caught a glimpse of myself in the side mirror, noticing that there was something different about my appearance. But before I could look further, a soft voice interrupted my thought.

"Sister, do you know that father is planning on marrying you off?"

"What!" I thought I was hearing wrong but seeing the girl nodding in affirmation, I became even more shocked.

"I heard father and mother discussing about it some days ago. They are planning on marrying you somewhere far away."

"What the hell! I'm not even done completing my high school much to talk of having reached the approachable age for marriage." I almost screamed out my lungs at the last sentence.

"High school? What does that mean, sister?" The girl gazes at me with a look of confusion hearing the unfamiliar words coming from my mouth.

"It's a place you go to after finishing middle school." At my explanation, the young girl's look became even more confused. Then I recalled that this place I am might not be like the earth I'm familiar with. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." She nodded.

"Am I dead?" The question I have been holding back for a long soon came out of my mouth. "I mean, is this place the afterlife? Although my imagination about the afterlife has always been great. This, I'm not so sure. So, I was thinking maybe I did die and ended up being your sister here in the afterlife. Isn't that so?"

"Humm..." The young girl seems even more flustered by my question. "I don't understand what you're implying, sister."

"Never mind." I waved my hand in dismissal. "I guess this is just a dream," I muttered the last sentence under my breath.

"Zanillia." The voice belonging to an older male floated into the room from the outside wall. "Are you asleep?"

"Father's here." The girl hurriedly stood up. "Hide the ointment I gave you, sister."

I immediately did as she instructed. However, who's the Zanillia the man is calling for from outside?

"Are you in there, Zanillia?" The man asked once again.

"Sister, Father is calling for you." She urged me to answer the man.

"Me..." I pointed at myself in surprise. Seeing her nod, I then raised my voice and answered, "No, I'm not asleep. You can come in."

Hearing my invitation, the man entered into the room.

"You're here." The man saw the young girl who was standing at the side before turning to look at me. "I'd like to talk with your sister in private." He walked over and sat on the cushion in front of me.

"Okay, father." The girl bowed slightly, before excusing herself out of the room.

Now I was sitting face to face with the man who had recused me from the hand of those angry mobs or should I say the man who was behind my current misery of pain.

My voice towards him was unpleasant as I asked, "What do you want from me?"

"You've changed so much, Zanillia" He saw my hostile expression and shook his head in dismay. "Your mother was my first love. Because of her lowly background, she couldn't hold the position of the madame of the house. I knew of all the troubles your stepmother puts her through but I decided to ignore it since she came from a powerful family."

I almost yawn out loud while listening. Is this meant to be a touching story or what? All I see here is a scumbag who wanted power and wouldn't mind sacrificing his loved ones for it. And sure enough, his next words prove his agenda.

"I know that you resent me for your mother's death and for ignoring your stepmother's maltreatment towards you. Yeah, I accept my blame. But daughter, you should know that your father is also powerless to do anything. Your stepmother came from the descendants of an immortal family. I'm afraid if I do anything against her, I'll warrant the anger of the immortal family. As a result, I've decided to send you off to the seven realms. Perchance, you might end up marrying the legendary lord, bringing a great legacy to our family. I've put down your name among the candidates list. Father hope that you can try your best in the competition. So, I guess this is farewell for both of us."

Ah. I almost let out a sneer at his sentence. How dare he have the courage to utter those words. He sacrificed the mother and now he wouldn't let go of the child she left behind. I felt a wave of anger inside me but since it was all a dream or perhaps the afterlife, I decided to ignore it.

"Yeah, I guess so," I said with a languid expression.

The man gazes at me. When he saw that I didn't take his words to heart, he let out a sigh. "I just want you to know that I love you and I'll always do." Saying this, he got up to his feet and added. "I've told the maids to prepare the luggage for your journey tomorrow so have a good night's sleep." Finished saying that, he stepped out of the room.

"Ugh." I let out a groan as I sprawled across the table. "Is this a dream or what?" Seems like I'll just have to know when I wake up the next morning. However, if this isn't a dream, then it will be really bad. How can I live without my phone? My Instagram chat, my Facebook, my Weibo account, I'm going miss them all. My mom would be worried about me now.

"Oh no." I was instantly driven to tears at the thought of my mother's panicked expression. "I want to wake up from this dream, please."

Oh yeah. That reminds me. At the recollection of something, I swiftly crawled toward the opaque mirror that was placed in the corner of the room. The moment I stared into it, I came across a scene that could be the most shocking moment of my life. A different face stared at me from the mirror reflection. "Who is this?!"

The maids formed a circle around me and kept adding different kinds of hair accessories to my hair, causing the weight on my neck to become even more heavy. In addition to the heavy weight on my head were the numerous clothes wrapped around my body. My breathing turned hurried as it became hard for me to breathe while draped in such thick clothes. Damm. The expression on my face became contorted as I let out a complaint.

"Can't I change into something lighter? I can barely even breathe in this dress." I dabbed the sweat that was starting to cluster on my forehead with the sleeve of the dress.

"The minister told us to dress you up in this outfit and we dare not disobey his order, my lady." One of the maids gently explained.

"I understand, but can't you see that I'm barely surviving while garb in this attire? Get me something lighter!" I hollered at them in order. Who cares if they were following someone else's order? I don't want to be the first person who died while suffocated in a dress.

Ever since I found out that I wasn't in a dream, my mood this morning has been quite distressing. Now, the only speculation that could come to my mind is that my actual body died while cleaning up the library storage room and then ventured into the afterlife to become this girl named Zanillia.

But why would I become someone else if I'm dead? Shouldn't I be here with my soul instead? Although, the face I bore is quite a beauty who wouldn't panic after realizing that they were wearing someone's else face. Just what the hell is going on? Or could it be that this is all an illusion? My mind became even more muddled as I questioned myself.

The maids' minds were in mayhem as they contemplated, whether to follow the young lady's request or stick with the minister's order.

"Are you done dressing?" Amid their predicament, Minister Zhao walked into the room, which sent a wave of relief down their surging hearts. The maids quickly bowed towards him in greeting. "That dress certainly looks great on you." He saw my dress and complimented me with a smile.

I almost rolled my eyes when I heard his flattering remark. "Can I change into something else?" Since he was the one who ordered the maids to dress me up in this dress, he should be able to order them to change it into something lighter.

"What a rude behavior." The same woman who had admonished me yesterday, or should I say my current identity stepmother walked into the room and berated me. "How dare you speak to your father without even a greeting?"

Today, the woman was dressed in an even more luxurious outfit. Her dress was embroidered with a flowering gold pattern. She wore bold makeup, generating the effect of how an actual villainess looks like in those fairytale movies.

"And here comes the villainous character." I rolled my eyes backward as I muttered to myself.

Perhaps hearing what I said, the woman became enraged, her nose flared as she pointed at me.

"You evil wench!"

"That's enough, Belia." Minister Zhao had a scowl on his face as he stopped his wife. If it weren't for her powerful background, he would have admonished her for stepping out of bounds.

"Belia? Tch." I sneered. "You're unworthy of bearing such a name." Last night when checking this body over, I saw that there were numerous scars on it.

Now facing the clear disparagement in the woman's eyes, I knew she must have been the sole cause of the reason why there were numerous scars on this body. How dare such an evil person like her bore the same name as mine.

"What do you say? How dare you!" She waves her hand forward to slap me on the face. I swiftly draw backward, evading her confrontation.

The laid-back father soon interfered. "That's okay."

"Do you hear what she just said to me? It's a curse that a girl like her is born into this family. She's just as vulgar as her lowly mother."

"I said that's enough!" The vein in Minister Zhao's head protruded as he shouted.

The woman witnessed this and knew she must have stepped on her husband's bottom line this time. Still, she didn't back down as she turned to face Minister Zhao in accusation.

"Are you trying to protect this bastard, now? If you hadn't brought that lowly woman into the house despite my refusal, maybe all this wouldn't have happened. I truly regret marrying you." As she finished saying this, the woman charged out of the room angrily.

Just like in movies, all villains always have a sad backstory. Although I do feel a bit of pity for the woman, that wouldn't erase all the evil deeds she had done to this body. Or perhaps if it hadn't been for a certain person's greediness, all this wouldn't have happened. And then I wouldn't have found myself in this situation either.

Two sighs resounded out at the same time. One from me and the other from this so-called father of mine. Damm. Although I've always dreamed of having a father figure in my life, I'll never pray to have someone like him as my father. Never!

Minister Zhao lifted his head and saw this unrecognizable daughter of his. A sigh escaped from his mouth once more, before he then waved in dismissal towards the maids, "Take the young lady out of the house."

The maids instantly complied with his order and brought me outside of the gate.

In front of the gate, a carriage has been stationed there. The horse was busy grazing over the little grasses in the soil. Hearing the messy footsteps, its ears perked up and it stared in the direction of the manor gate.

Before climbing into the carriage, I looked backward at the residence behind me and let out another sigh. Just how many times have I heaved a sigh today? I wasn't sure if I had any lingering feelings left with this house. Except for the cute girl, I don't think there's anything to reminisce about with the one day I've stayed here.

Well, since it isn't quite sure whether I'm in the afterlife or not, I'll just go along with the flow. Possibly, I might be able to find someone who knows the solution to my problem. Shifting my head away, I lifted my foot and climbed into the carriage seat, ready to venture into an unknown land I've no idea about.

The horse began to move after a pull from the handler.

Some minutes later, the moving carriage suddenly halted.

I noticed this and turned to ask the maid who was guarding the door. "Have we arrived?"

"Yes, my lady." The maids pulled open the door coverage and stretched out a hand to assist me down the carriage.

Immediately I got down, my gaze drifted to the humongous gate before me. "Where are we?" I asked the maid. This can't be the seven realms that father of mine had spoken about, right? Although the gate looks imposing, it looks a bit lacking for an immortal palace.

"We're at the palace, young miss. All candidates listed on the lists are to gather at the palace before taking off to the seven realms." The maid explained.

"Oh, so that's how it is. Okay, bye. Thank you for your info." Since the maid had been very attentive to me during the journey, I bade her farewell as a bit of my goodwill towards her before heading in the direction of the palace gate.

The moment I stepped into the gate after completing the identity check at the checkpoint, my sight was greeted with tons of dazzling rainbow colors. Thousands of girls were gathered together on the big plaza ground. Their constant chattering filled the whole place. Looking at the bright color dresses each of them wore, I felt an ache went through my eyes. Damm, is this gathering meant to be a colorful parade or what? Also, the mixture of each of their fragrances sent a choking feeling into my nose. Right now, I was very scared to walk towards them for fear that I'd be choked to death by those varieties of fragrance.

Perhaps one of them sighted me, she immediately called out.

"Everyone, look. It's Zanillia."

"Oh, it's her."

"I heard she went to steal from a market stall owner again."

"Really? That's so embarrassing."

"My maidservant told me she saw her being dragged by the mobs towards the Zhao's manor. She was only let go after the minister paid for the goods she stole."

"What a shame. Bringing such a huge disgrace to her family. How does she still have the courage to show her face to the public."

"Who can tell? She has always been a thick-skinned face. I hope she's not here to steal our stuff this time around."

"Everyone, hide your stuff. Zanillia is here!"

There were lots of head turn towards me and their constant whispers fell into my ears.

'Hey, do I look like a thief? And besides, why would I steal any of your stuff?' However, recalling that my identity was different from whom I was, I kept my grievance to myself

"Hello." The slight grin on my face seemed a little bit more constrained as I waved at them.

"Get away from here, you thief." One of them spat, with an obvious disdain from me.

Oh, aren't noble girls supposed to be gentle and shy? Just take a look at the written disgust on their faces. They must hate me so much. Since my greeting was met with an unwelcoming stance, I put down my hand.

Suddenly, a cry erupted from the crowd.

"My hairpin! I can't find my hairpin!" One of the ladies cried after she saw that her precious gold hairpin was missing from her hair.

"Where did you hide her hairpin?" The young girl who had announced my arrival earlier glared at me fiercely as she asked.

"Hairpin?" I almost felt like laughing out loud the moment I heard her accusation. Are people so delusional that they could just put a crime on anyone? I stood not far away from them, my expression cold as I replied. "Why would I steal her hairpin? And besides, I haven't moved an inch from where I stand so how would I have the ability to make her hairpin disappear? Unless I've some magical power which even I'm unaware of."

"Why should we believe whatever words come from your mouth? Everyone here is of pure noble blood family while you who is born from a lowly commoner is the only one who can perform such a heinous act. Who here doesn't know your reputation? Give back her hairpin or else, we'll beat you to a pulp right now."

"..." I felt dumbstruck and also found the situation funny at the same time. Are young people so scheming these days? No, it should be the people of this world who have no morality instead. I was about to retort when a voice suddenly came from the crowd.

"She wasn't the one who stole this young lady's hairpin." A beautiful girl, dressed in a pure white gown stepped out from the crowd. Her face was pure and delicate, the type that could make men's hearts swoon. Her small pink lips parted as she continued, "Besides, you were the one who stole the hairpin."

"What are you saying? How dare you accuse me of stealing her hairpin?" The girl raged, but if one looked closely at her they could her expression faltered at the end.

I turned to look at the beautiful girl in surprise, wondering why she had stepped out to defend me.

"Wrong accusation? Tch." The beautiful girl sneered. "Why don't you take off your waist pouch and show us the content inside? Of course, if I'm wrong, I don't mind kowtowing to you in front of the crowd in apology. But what if I'm right?" There was a smile in her eyes as she deliberately dragged out the last sentence.

"You..." The noble lady was tongue-tied because she knew the other party was right. She had indeed taken the hairpin to accuse Zanillia of stealing. But she would never agree that she stole the hairpin. She gnashed her teeth together and took out the hairpin hidden in her waist pouch. "Take your hairpin. I saw it by chance on the floor and decided to keep it until I found the owner. Don't be careless next time." She threw the hairpin at the girl and dashed angrily into the midst of the crowd.

'Ha-ha-ha' I let out a mocking laugh seeing her embarrassing actions. It was really good seeing her being slapped right in the face.

The noble girl's face turned even more red when she heard Zanillia's laughter behind her. She gnawed on her lips, wishing she could dash out to teach her a lesson. But recalling her earlier embarrassment, she could swallow back her raging anger.

Since the allegation had already been cleared, I walked towards the beautiful girl and thanked her "Thank you so much. If you hadn't stood as a witness for me, I wouldn't have known how to liberate myself from her evil scheme."

"It's no problem." The girl's mouth turned into a smile when she heard my words of gratitude. "I'm also glad to be of help."

"Thank you again. My name is Be... I mean Zanillia." I immediately corrected, stopping myself from blurting out my actual name.

"Xinger." The girl also introduced

"Singer? That's a nice name." I flashed a grin as I complimented her.

"It's Xinger with the X." She explained to me nicely.

"Oh." I then realized that I'd made a mismatch with the first letter of her name and instantly blushed in embarrassment. "Sorry. I thought it was Xinger with the S."

"It's no problem at all, and nice to meet you too, Zanillia." After the friendly complimentary, Xinger and I parted ways since our short relationship was only that of an aid.

Before long, the thick voice of the guard captain sounded through the whole plaza.

"Everyone, gather around. His royal majesty has arrived!" At his shout, everyone immediately organized themselves and formed a proper line-up. I also followed suit.

"Oh my goodness, that's his majesty!" One of the ladies let out a low squeal due to excitement.

"I can't believe that we get to see the king before the commencement of our journey to the immortal realm. This is surreal."

Low whispers pervaded the whole plaza. I silently stood behind the ladies; my gaze focused on the middle-aged man who was standing on the higher platform of the plaza. The man was dressed in a red luxurious robe, embroidered with the image of a six claws dragon, signifying his identity as a ruler. Standing beside him was his entourage of eunuchs and maids whose duty there was to make his appearance seem even more imposing.

"Silence everyone!" The guard roared out again.

This time with the king's grandiose presence, everyone present observed a quick taciturn.

Seeing the proper decorum, the king began his speech. "It's a great honor for me to witness this magnificent change in the history of mankind. Millions of years had passed. A lot of people died in the hope of witnessing this day. Unfortunately, the heaven doesn't decree so for them. I'm so fortunate that in my time of reign, the immortal realm which has been shut off from the human realm for millions of years would finally open up its sealed gate to the mortal world. Now that the divine decree has come forth to the lord of the seven realms to select his predestined bride from the mortal world, I've decided to let the Princess join in the participation of the bride selection to form a strong alliance between the mortal and immortal world."

The moment the king ended his speech, the listener below burst out into an uproar.

"What? No way!"

"Isn't that a big kill? Everyone knows that the princess is the most beautiful maiden in the kingdom. Contending against her is the same as a smelly dung next to a fragrant flower."

"I previously had my hope up earlier. Now with the princess's participation, I don't think I'll ever stand a chance beside her."

"This is unfair." They all grumbled.

"Enough!" The king roared. "That is all I have to say. I hope that you'll treat the princess with care and respect during the journey to the immortal realm. Anyone who dares to go back on my order would have every member of their clan executed."

It was clear that the king was directly threatening them to give up the competition. This doesn't sit well with the noble ladies. Who doesn't want to be the bride of the immortal lord? Although a lot of them were dissatisfied with the king's words, they didn't dare to voice out their complaint for fear that the king would use them as an example to all. Hence, they could only swallow back their discontentment.

The route to the immortal gate was filled with so many obstacles. Since the king had forbidden us to ride in our carriage so as to show respect for the immortals, we could only tread towards our location on foot. Now, my toes were covered in red blisters due to them being constantly jarred by the rough stone on the road.

Both my legs were already trembling and I felt they might give out anytime. I turned my head sideways, looking at the luxurious carriage that was being protected by an entourage of soldiers. Damm that two-faced king. When he was talking about showing respect to the immortal, he had never intended to include his daughter from the start.

Seeing almost everyone around was gritting their teeth as they persisted in walking and then the princess who was seated leisurely inside the carriage with maids at the sides to attend to her order, I bit my cheeks in envy. Gosh, why did I enter the body of a bullied girl instead of royalty?

"Aww." I gave out a moan of pain. "I wish I had been the princess."

"Me too."

Surprised by the sudden voice, I turned to my side and saw that there was a girl who had unknowingly arrived beside me.

She continued. "I would have been liberated from having to walk this long distance if I were her. Gosh, I'm so jealous thinking of that." She looked sideways as she spoke, her eyes meeting mine. "Hello, my name's Janice." Her bright red lips parted into a grin, revealing the white teeth beneath as she introduced herself.

"Hum... I am --."

"Zanillia." She suddenly cut in before I could introduce myself. "You're a very famous topic to talk about in the whole kingdom. The talks of the prime minister's daughter being a crook has been every house gossip."

"Huh..." I didn't know what to say at her bluntness, so I could only nod. "Yeah."

Realizing that her words might be offensive to me, Janice immediately apologized. "Oh! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to call you a thief. I was just saying what I've heard from the passersby. I'm so sorry if my words have caused you any pain." She lowered her head as she apologized.

"You don't have to be sorry." I waved my hand in understanding as we continued walking. "The earlier event had already proved the kind of reputation I have among the people."

"But you didn't steal that young lady's hairpin," Janice spoke out. "Natasi did. She just wanted to frame you because she disliked you."

"Yeah. It does seem like I've got a great affinity with those who dislike me. I was also framed before I entered this strange world." A wry smile appeared on my face the moment I thought of Alison's accusation against me.

Janice didn't understand what I meant by my last sentence. "So, why do you join in the competition, Zanillia?" She asked

"Don't know. My father just told me that he had put down my name on some bride candidates list and wished me luck." I replied indifferently.

"Ah! That means you aren't interested in participating in the bride competition."

"Bride competition? What's that all about?" I had only been in this world for about a day when that father of mine decided to send me off. Although I do understand that I was being sent out for marriage, I'm still clueless about what the whole activity is all about.

"You don't know? It's a contest to select the predestined bride of the lord of the seven realms. My ancestors would be swirling in their graves if I get chosen as his bride." Janice's face was filled with excitement as she spoke.

"And who is the lord you're talking about?" I looked at her with inquisitiveness.

"What?! Don't tell me you haven't heard about lord Vagamound. He's known for being the ruler of the seven immortal realms. People also call him the legendary master. No one has ever seen his appearance. Not even my dead ancestors. Legend only talked about how powerful and graceful he was. But I bet he's going to be handsome just like the beautiful words in poetry." Janice uttered in adoration. "I also heard that he can converge time and space. Isn't that powerful?"

"What?" My footsteps immediately halted. "Can you repeat what you just said?"

"I'm not sure if it's true. It's just some rumors that had been going on and on." Janice answered.

"I see." I resumed back to my pace. However, my mind was in turmoil as to what I'd just heard. If this lord Vagamound can converge both time and space like Janice says, then he might be the key to how I can find my way back home.

My mind was filled with excitement at the thought of that. It looks like I'll have to give my all in this contest. Only if I emerge as the victor would I be able to approach him. But that would be quite hard. Although Zanillia's face would have been a beauty on earth; in comparison to the ladies present here, it seems more lacking. Even Janice looks more beautiful than her. Damm, I just hope the contest won't be focused on beauty or I should just consider it game over for me.

"We've arrived at the boundary to the immortal realm. All people who aren't part of the candidates list should stay behind." The instructor ordered.

Hearing this, the princess could only climb down from the carriage. Her beautiful face was witnessed by all. Even I sucked in a deep breath the moment I saw her appearance. She's worthy of being the most beautiful maiden in the kingdom.

The instructor continued. "Also, be mindful of your behavior once you arrive at the immortal realm. This place is much different than the mortal world you came from."

"Yes." We all chorused in answer before stepping into the boundary dividing the mortal and the immortal world. Every one of us vanished from the spot.

"Wow!" Janice exclaimed out in surprised the moment we saw what was before us. Including these young ladies who hadn't seen much of the world.

In front of us were a wide spread of beautiful flowers, and high floating mountains. Even the air breath in washes away all the fatigue in our body. The blisters on my foot soon began to heal through what the naked eyes could see, revealing perfectly new skin.

"The immortal realm is so magical." No one knows who said that but everyone agreed with the voice. It was indeed magical, like a paradise on land. It fits in my imagination of the immortal world.

"A beautiful sight to behold." I looked around in admiration. Almost instantly, a bright light covered my eyes, blinding it.

"Close your eyes, everyone! We're now arriving at the immortal city." The instructor shouted and everyone immediately shut their eyes. It was only when she announced that we'd arrived at our destination did we opened our eyes. What greeted us was people walking about, carrying strange equipment beside their waists. Suddenly we witnessed someone fly above our heads on a sword.

"Zanillia, look." Janice pointed excitedly at the flying figure that went past us. "That person can fly. Is that one of the abilities of an immortal? Could it be that all the people around us are also immortals?" Her questions came out one after the other.

Soon, a group of men in an armored dress approached us.

"Greetings, Lady Mo." The head of the guard's cup his hand towards his chest as he greeted the instructor. "The immortal lords have been waiting in the hall for your arrival." He then lifted his head and looked at the crowd of maidens behind the instructor. "Are these..."

"Yes." Lady Mo nodded. "They're the candidates chosen for the lord to pick his bride from."

"Ah..." The captain nodded in understanding. "Follow me." He turned around, leading us into a huge mansion.

We arrived at an open hall. Seated at the front hall were six men who bore an ethereal look that was unlike of this world. Each of the were so handsome, that all the maidens' cheeks couldn't help but be filled with a red blush. Even me inclusive. Heaven, how can one be this good-looking? Even the celebrities shown on the TV pales in comparison to them. The six of them were all young, bearing a youthful look.

"My lords, Lady Mo has arrived from the mortal world. Behind her are the candidates participating to be chosen as the legendary master bride." The captain relayed.

"Wow!" One of the lords exclaimed out loud when he saw the number of maidens in the hall. "What a huge crowd. It seems like Big Brother is going to have a life full of fun as from today." The man clicked his tongue, a hint of playfulness in his tone.

"Don't be silly, Sean. Older brother mustn't hear that you uttered those words." One of the men admonished the latter who had just spoken up.

"Pst. What are you getting all worked up for? It's not like Big Brother is here or something." Sean pouted his lips in dissatisfaction.

"You... Gia, what do you have to say in this?"

"Just let him be." Gia didn't want to interfere in their argument. "Sean is still a kid."

Hearing this, the man could only stop his lecture. "Fine."

"Greetings to you immortal lords." All of us bowed as we greeted the six men seated on the high platform.

"I hope your journey here from the mortal world wasn't stressful?" One of them inquired.

Even though the journey was indeed stressful, we could change our wording.

"Not at all."

"That's great then. Well, the thing is, our eldest brother isn't in his seat at this moment so I'll be the one overseeing the bride's selection test. Given the long journey, you must all have been quite exhausted. Lady Mo would escort you all to your residence. I hope you'll all enjoy your stay here."

"He's so handsome." Janice leaned into my ear and whispered. "He must be the second legendary master, Eason. He's well known for his good looks and gentleness." She blushed. "Do you think he might take an interest in me even if I failed the competition?"

"Humm... I guess so." I said without any certainty.

===

I was inside the room designated to me. The décor in the room was made to match a lady's tastes. Beautiful flower plants, the jumbo bed with tons of pillows, and so on. A knock came on my door.

"Who's it?" I probed.

"It's me, Janice." Janice's voice answered from the outside.

"Come in."

The door opened at the invite and Janice's figure stepped into the room.

"I thought you must have been asleep by now." She gently closed the door behind her. On her hand were two round plates filled with food. "That's great. I brought you something to eat." She put down the plate of food before me and took a seat on the couch. "The food in the immortal world tastes great. I just can't get enough of the delicious taste." When she saw me making no attempt to reach out for the plate, she asked. "You aren't eating?"

"I'm not hungry."

"Then I'll eat it all to myself." Janice poured the content inside the plate onto hers and began to eat ecstatically. Soon, she felt a piercing gaze on her. She looked sideways and was met with my intense glare. Her expression turned guilty. "But you said you weren't eating, that's why I added it to mine. Sorry."

"No. I'm not hungry. You can have it to yourself." I wave my hands.

"Really." She seemed not to believe it but seeing me nod, her guilty feeling vanished away. "I thought I'd done something wrong with how intense you were staring at me. Could it be I've smeared something on my face?" She began to wipe her face.

"No, there's nothing on your face. It's just... Do you think the immortal lord would find me attractive enough?"

"Huh, I thought that you weren't interested in the competition." Janice looked at me with puzzlement.

"Yeah, I wasn't back then but after seeing how handsome other lords are, I bet lord Vagamound's look would be much more astounding."

"Well, I'm not sure about that." She truthfully answered. "I haven't seen him in detail so I won't know what his likes and preferences are."

"I'm not talking about his preference. I mean my appearance. Am I pretty enough to attract his attraction?"

"Err... I think so. You just have to apply some beauty oil on your body and so on. But let me remind you, you can't be as beautiful as the princess." Janice's words hit the hammer on the nail.

Oh yeah, the princess? My expression fell at the thought of this. It looks like I won't be able to meet this lord Vagamound.

"What's the competition all about?" I inquired.

"Don't know either. Everyone is also clueless about it. I just hoped that there wouldn't be a cooking assessment because I'm so bad at cooking." She sighed.

"Do you know where lord Vagamound resides?" I put forward.

"Legend has it that he lives in the emotionless palace. Isn't that quite pitiful?" Janice's expression at the end became full of anguish.

"Do you know where it's located?"

"How am I supposed to know that?" She took a spoonful of food into her mouth. Her movement suddenly halted as she looked at me with shock in her eyes. "Hey, Zanillia. Don't tell me you are trying to go there?"

"What? That's a crazy thing to do." I feign a peal of laughter. "I don't even know my way there."

"Well, that's right." Janice let go of her suspicion and continued eating.

===

A very handsome man sat with crossed legs on the opaque glass-like floor. His richly black hair fell behind his shoulder sprawling loosely across his back. However, if one looked closely, one could see several strays of white hairs dangling amidst his richly dark hair. The young man's face was perfectly made.

But his dry lips and colorless face seem to have cast a big flaw on his appearance. The deep dark circles under his eyes were like filth obscuring the appearance of a beautiful painting. The man's eyelid began to move, hearing the sound of footsteps advancing towards his door. However, he remained indifferent and continued on his meditation.

Soon, the figure approaching the door was stopped by the enchantment erected at the entrance.

"Big brother," Sean called out. "Are you in there?"

"What do you want?" The young man opened his eyes, revealing the blue iris that lay beneath.

"I... I just want to inform you that the maidens from the mortal world have arrived at the palace. They're so many, big brother. You should have seen them. I thought--."

"I'm meditating, Sean." The handsome man cut in. "I don't like any disturbance whenever I'm meditating."

"Oh." Sean's tone became sad. "Okay, big brother." He then turned around and walked away quietly.

Vagamound let out a sigh when he heard the receding footsteps. Suddenly, he felt a painful shock in his heart, as if it was being squeed by something.

"Ugh." A groan escaped from his mouth as he clutched tightly onto his chest. "Putui." A mouthful amount of blood spurt out of his mouth. Almost instantly, a portion of his dark hair turned a sliver white.

He was dying. Vagamound knew that. That's why he'd locked himself in for so many years. If outsiders were to discover about his illness, he knew that would be the beginning of chaos in the immortal world. Hence, he could only use seclusion as an act to cover up his injury. But such an act wouldn't last for long before the people discover about his illness.

Now with the divine decree being brought forth to him, he knew that his days were coming closer. A white orbit core appeared on his palm. It was the last of the seven-orbit protecting the immortal world. He stared at it, a painful memory flashing across his mind.

Kira. A name he would never forget even if he were tortured in the seven depths of hell. The six missing orbits were all stolen by her. Kira had approached him, proclaiming her deep love for him. Since she was both beautiful and charming, he seems to have let go of all resistance, falling deeply for her.

Who would have thought that his chase for love would almost bring destruction to the seven realms? What a shameful event. If he could go back to the past, he swore that he wouldn't make the mistake he had made. Instead, he would make sure to kill her, vanquishing her soul to make sure she would never enter the cycle of reincarnation. Never!

His chest tightened again and he coughed out more red blood. With the last orbit still in his possession, he was certain that she would come back for it, ready to destroy both him and the whole seven realms, altogether!