AT THE SAME TIME
ISABELLA'S POINT OF VIEW:
I walked through the village alongside Xavier, Adrian, and Alastor, the chatter of the villagers filling the air with warmth. It was rare for all three of them to be this civil around each other, but I wasn't about to question a peaceful moment. Not when I knew how easily things could shift. The sun was beginning to set, casting a golden glow over the village when a sudden cry split through the peaceful atmosphere. A child, no older than seven, had tripped and fallen, a deep gash forming along his knee. Blood trickled down his small leg as his cries grew louder, his mother rushing toward him in distress. Before any of us could react, a figure emerged from the crowd.
Long crimson hair. Emerald green eyes that glowed with unnatural warmth. A presence that was soft yet commanding, gentle yet undeniable. Elena Laurent. The real Saintess. The true heroine. I felt my breath catch in my throat as I watched her kneel before the child, placing her hands delicately over his wound. A golden light radiated from her palms, wrapping around his injury like a soft embrace. Within moments, the wound was gone, completely healed. The crowd gasped in awe, whispers breaking out around us.
"A miracle…"One of them said.
"She truly is the Saintess…"Another said.
"The temple was right… "Third one gasped in a surprise.
My fingers curled into my palms. My body tensed. This was it. This was the moment the game had predicted. The moment the real Saintess showed her power. And suddenly, all eyes would be on me. My breathing turned shallow. I took a step back, my heart hammering in my chest. No. No. No. I needed to leave. I needed to get away before anyone looked at me and realized that I wasn't supposed to be here. I turned, ready to disappear into the crowd, when Xavier's voice cut through the noise.
"Isabella?"I heard his voice.
My entire body froze. The moment I turned around, I saw it. The way all three of them were staring at me Xavier's sharp eyes scanning my face with concern, Adrian frowning as if something wasn't right, and Alastor's knowing gaze, as if he had already pieced together my panic. I swallowed hard, forcing out a shaky laugh.
"I, I just remembered something I needed to do."I stammered.
Lies. Elena stood up, her green eyes meeting mine. There was something unreadable in her expression. It was curiosity, confusion. She took a step toward me.
"You're Isabella, aren't you?"She asked.
The world tilted. I stumbled back. My vision blurred at the edges. I can't be here. Not with her. Not when I knew exactly how this story was supposed to go. The hero of this story just appeared and everyone soon are going to turn against me.
Elena, the real Saintess was standing right in front of me. She had just healed that child like it was nothing, like she was born to do it. Because she was and I wasn't. I needed to leave.
"I have to go." I stammered, my voice uneven.
I turned on my heel, my heart slamming against my ribs as I moved to disappear into the crowd. If I could just, I suddenly felt how a firm hand wrapped around my wrist.
"Isabella"I heard Xavier's voice again.
I whirled around, but before I could say anything, Adrian stepped in front of me, his arms crossed.
"Why are you running?"Adrian asked.
Alastor wasn't far behind, his piercing golden eyes narrowing at me.
"You're acting suspicious."Alastor said.
I could barely breathe. My pulse roared in my ears, drowning out everything else. Trapped. I was completely trapped. I yanked my wrist away from Xavier's grip and took a shaky step back.
"You don't understand." My voice cracked. "I shouldn't be here, none of this is right."I whispered.
"What are you talking about?"Xavier asked.
Adrian frowned, his expression unreadable, but there was something in his gaze, something that made me feel even smaller. Alastor, though… He was watching me too closely. Too carefully. Like he was trying to figure me out. Panic flared in my chest, and before I could stop myself, the words spilled out.
"Just stop following me! You all should just leave me alone!"I shouted.
Silence. Xavier flinched. His expression twisted into something I didn't recognize. Adrian took a half step back, something like hurt flickering in his eyes. Alastor's face was blank, and unreadable, but his golden eyes dimmed slightly. And the suddenly a system's notification appeared in front of me.
" Friendship Level Decreased! Xavier 50% → 45%, Adrian 30% → 25% Alastor 35% → 30%."System said.
The system's words burned into my vision. The percentages dropping and it was like watching progress slip through my fingers. I had never lowered a percentage before. But I barely had time to process it because Xavier suddenly grabbed my arm again, his grip firm but not painful.
"We're not leaving you alone, Isabella. Not when you're like this."Xavier said.
Adrian exhaled, running a hand through his hair.
"You're hiding something. We all know it."Adrian said.
Alastor crossed his arms, eyes sharp.
"The real question is… why?"Alastor asked.
I couldn't breathe. I was suffocating. Elena was still there, watching everything unfold with wide eyes.
I couldn't do this. I couldn't. Without thinking, I ripped myself free from Xavier's grip and ran. My heart was pounding so loud it drowned out everything else. I could hear them calling my name. Xavier, Adrian, Alastor, but I didn't stop. I didn't dare stop. Elena was here. The real heroine of this world. And I was nothing but a mistake. I pushed past villagers, my breath coming in short, panicked gasps. My legs burned, but I didn't care, I just had to get away. Far away. But before I could make it any farther set of strong arms wrapped around me from behind. I let out a strangled gasp as my feet left the ground.
"Enough." Xavier's voice growled against my ear.
"Let go! Let me go!"I shouted.
"You're not running away again." His grip didn't budge.
Adrian and Alastor were right behind him, their expressions unreadable. Adrian exhaled, rubbing his forehead.
"You're acting insane, Isabella."Adrian said.
Alastor, ever the composed one, simply stared. His golden eyes pierced right through me, and for a moment, I thought I saw something there. Something dangerous. But I couldn't think. I couldn't breathe. I was trapped. A choked sob escaped my lips before I could stop it.
"You are spiraling. Your body cannot handle this stress. Find a way to calm down before you collapse." System said.
I let out a shaky breath, my vision blurring. No. No, I couldn't collapse. Not here. Not now. Xavier loosened his grip slightly but didn't let go.
"Talk to us." He said, voice softer this time. "Tell us what's going on."
I clenched my jaw, shaking my head furiously.
"I-I can't."I said.
Adrian sighed heavily.
'Then we have a problem."Adrian frowned.
Alastor's golden eyes narrowed.
"Because we're not letting you go until we get answers."Alastor said.
"Warning: physical condition critical. If stress levels continue to rise, the host will be forcibly shut down."System warned.
I gasped as a sharp pain shot through my chest.
Xavier's arms tensed.
"Isabella?"Xavier asked.
Adrian took a step forward, his earlier frustration replaced with concern.
"Hey, breathe. Just breathe."Adrian tried to calm me down.
But I couldn't. The world was spinning. My chest felt tight. Everything hurt. I swayed on my feet.
"No-" I tried to say, but my vision went black. I heard shouting. Strong arms catching me before I hit the ground. And then, nothing.