Mirror of the Past: The Villainess' True End

CHAPTER FIVE: Echoes of Familiarity

After my brief conversation with Kairos, I couldn't shake the lingering feeling of familiarity that persisted in me for a few days. Kairos' cryptic words haunted me, but I kept fighting the urge to solve the mystery behind those words, or let curiosity take over me.

The days after my first encounter with him passed with surprising normalcy, and the initial shock brought by my transformation faded not long enough, though a few lingering glances remained. Though how amusing it is, that despite their curious looks, none of them dared to approach me directly. If not because of Kairos' way of intruding in my life with casualty, my university life would feel like I have been placed in a two-way mirror, where I could observe without being disturbed, making me question myself if I was too abrupt with changing 'her'.

Today's class is Physical Education, and I couldn't help but chuckle as I entered the gymnasium in my fencing gear. The foil hung loosely in one hand, while my other hand held the fencing mask securely at my side.

The gymnasium is buzzing with energy. Students talking, gear clattering and feet shuffling were mixed into a dull hum that barely registered in my mind. I stood still, staring blankly at the fencing mats laid out before us. My body was there, but my mind felt elsewhere. Even though it was very different from the training hall I was used to, there was something about it that put me at peace, as if I was entering a familiar area for the first time since entering this planet. It wasn't at all like the training hall we had back home, yet for some reason, I felt comfortable there, as if I was entering a familiar place for the first time since entering this world.

Holding a sword had once been second nature to me, but ever since I became the crowned princess, the time for my swordsmanship class was eventually removed from my schedule. That's why since I came into this world, this might be the third time that I would praise the original Karina for enrolling in this subject. My creator seems to gather knowledge for my swordsmanship in this particular subject. She studied it ahead of time and even watched various video clips of the national fencing team. It could be the reason why I am particularly excited today, since it has been a while since I held a sword.

As I took my seat in one of the benches while waiting for my other classmates to finish changing in our fencing gears, someone sat next to me and didn't even hide their intense stare, so I turned my gaze at him, at Kairos, who had an unfamiliar expression on his face ever since we started talking. As usual, he had a relaxed expression but the traces of boredom weren't there, instead there was a hint of excitement on his face, as if something exciting were about to happen.

"What is it?" My curiosity finally won this time, his change of expression made it happen. Since our first encounter, I never saw his demeanor change except from this class. I assumed that because it's physical education, but knowing his ability to perform well in everything, I doubt that having a match with these people around us would excite him that much.

Kairos turned his gaze at me but instead of an answer, all I got from him was a smug yet undeniably charming grin. The subtle tension between Kairos and I grew little by little as I found myself spending time with him from time to time in our classroom, talking mostly about our academic subjects. It wasn't planned, but it happened naturally—his presence becoming a constant in my life. Surprisingly, his presence brought a feeling of nostalgia in me, it was both comforting and unsettling, pulling me back to a certain event in my life in the kingdom, to a time when I met that person who has the same name as his, but bore no resemblance to him.

The Kairos I once knew were what people in this world would call an "extra". A minor character who has little or most of the time, has no significance in the story, whether they appear or not. But as someone who was created differently, it wasn't the case. All the people I met, whether they were mentioned or not in Karina's narrative, are relevant in my life. They might be the reason why I was different from the other characters that 'she' wrote. And with Kairos' case, the fleeting moments I had with him, has this spark, a connection that I couldn't quite explain. He was written in the book as the Duke of the Northern Region, yet the name he wants me to call him is owned by someone else in the world that I came from.