Empress of Another World

Ninety Four

Bina’s eyes blurred.

She could barely see the priestess’ beautiful face.

Bina felt her hands on her own. When she looked into the priestess’ eyes, everything turned black again. Just like a moment ago, Bina started to see her past as if she was watching a movie.

The morning of SAT.

The day I somehow arrived at this world.

My family was happy.

It had already been a year and a half since I got here. I wondered what was happening on earth. Was I assumed dead by now?

My friend Mihyun must have seen me fall into the subway track, so it was very possible everyone thought I was dead.

However, I was very much alive and living in this strange world. They wouldn’t have found my body, so perhaps I was considered “missing.”

It didn’t matter, however. All I could think of was how my family must be feeling. It killed me to think of how much distress I must have caused them.

“[Mom…]”

I wondered what happened to the lunch box my mom prepared for me. She got up so early to make it. Did it get destroyed by the train?

“[Dad…]”

Now that I thought about it, I also didn’t know what happened to my backpack. My dad bought it for me for my birthday last year. Where did it go?

“[Sis…]”

When I first woke up in the forest, I was still wearing my old coat, but the items I should have had in my pockets were gone. My cellphone was there. I had all of my family photos in it.

When I woke up in Aeal castle, I searched for days to find these items without success. All I had left were the clothes I was wearing at the time.

I was afraid I was starting to forget my family’s faces. Even in my dreams, they looked blurry.

One positive thing from today was how the priestess’ technique enabled me to see my family’s faces clearly. I missed them so much that I had been trying hard not to think about them.

However, at this moment, seeing their faces, I gave in to my sorrow.

“[Mommmm…!]”

Tears rolled down my eyes uncontrollably. The sadness I felt was painful. I hung on to the priestess and wept. She hugged me as if she was my long-lost mother.

“[I… I want to go back…!]”

***

“Are you feeling a little better?”

The priestess’ voice sounded motherly, and it helped me a lot to calm down.

I nodded weakly.

“Yes…”

My voice sounded horrible. It sounded that of a seventy-year-old woman.

When I could think again, I realized how I had behaved. This was only the second time I had met this important woman, and I cried like a child in front of her. I couldn’t be any more embarrassed.

When I glanced at her, what I have done to her lovely white dress horrified me. My tears had stained it in various areas, ruining it.

The priestess sighed and said to me, “To be honest, I didn’t believe you at first, but now… I have no choice but to admit that you are telling the truth.” I raised my face as she continued. “You… you really are from a different world.”