Labyrinth of Eternity

Chapter Six

Authors' note: This is kind of a filler chapter, things may get more interesting in the next chapter, it depends on how the pacing goes <3

I am still in a daze when Princess Han snaps her fingers in front of me. "Carla!" she whisper-hisses, gesturing to the rest of the princesses. I blink myself back to reality, almost cursing out loud at my carelessness. Giving Princess Han an apologetic smile, I turn my attention to the others.

"You're distracted today," Princess Gina says while flashing me a worried look. I wave off her concern. Forcing a French accent in my throat, I reply, "I'm sorry. I have a lot on my mind, please don't mind me." From the corner of my eye, Princess Han stares at me disapprovingly.

I twitch my hands under the table as Princess Neelam continues with her report on the students' welfare. Several student council members enter and leave the room during our meeting, and I struggle not to act nervous, wondering if they'd realise I'm not the real Carla. While it's unlikely given that I hone my skills through many missions, I don't want to take the risk. Unconsciously, my mind goes to the various practices I had with sixty-three.

Thinking about sixty-three sends a stab of pain through my heart, and I barely push it away to give my opinions on a certain matter to not attract attention. Maybe I was too harsh with sixty-three yesterday. Yet, this distance is desirable - I don't want her to follow me anywhere. Having her near is another distraction I refuse to have on this mission.

"Now, regarding the student exchange programme," Princess Han pulls up a stack of papers, "We'll be there for a semester, which is around four months. During that time, we'll observe how their student council functions, and the students there. We're also there to give their student council input on their work, as the more experienced ones." At that, she passes a sheet of paper to all of us. "Here are things we have to look out for. If there is anything in the council here requiring our attention, the members remaining here will mail us any materials we need. Updates on our student council's progress will be via online meetings every Sunday. Any questions?"

I am still absorbing the dump of information, organising them in my brain when Princess Gina raises her hand. Princess Han gives her a nod of acknowledgement. "Where is our place of stay if Momos Academy only has male dormitories?" Princess Gina asks. Princess Han bestows her a kind smile and answers, "The student council there has warded off an unused section of the male dormitories for us. Male students aren't allowed there and we're not allowed in the other sections of the dormitory building either." Princess Gina nods appreciatively at the response.

Princess Han dismisses us after she ensures that we have no more questions, reminding us to set our alarms to gather at six in the morning tomorrow for the ride to Momosu. Her eyes pause on me, who is still reading the sheet of paper, and I look up to give her a Carla-like smile. I stand up and leave the room, pulling out the keycard inside my pocket and playing around with it.

Now standing at the door to Carla's dormitory, I take a deep breath before inserting the keycard. I did enter Carla's room for the past few days, but it feels different knowing that I'm going to go through her items to pack for a trip that she was originally going to go to. I steel myself, pressing down the guilt and shutting the door behind me. Then, I take a look at the organised room and dive into my task.

The next day, I drag the dullest luggage I can find in Carla's possession. I grimace at the memory of going through her clothes the day before. Her clothes aren't tacky, but she has way too many dresses and her style is too classy for my tastes. I pick the ones I find more acceptable, yet even then I'm left with many I'll cringe to put on. While waiting for the rest of the princesses, I unlock Carla's phone with the password the imposter gave me when we met up again one day after my confrontation. Annoying as it is to see a mutual contact between us, it hurts a little to see him be so kind and endearing to her while less than welcoming towards me. I couldn't exactly blame him though; we're both playing games in the "friendship" we have.

"Oh! Carla, how nice, you're pretty early today." Princess Gina is the first one to arrive after me, and in the faraway, approaching distance, two other figures pop out. I force a smile for her, brushing my hair behind my ears saying, "Well, I'm pretty excited for this trip." Excited to get this over and done with, so that all I need is to attend a funeral and pretend this never happened. A message I never bothered to reply to reads that the former King of Italy is observing my every move. I did fume for a bit receiving that message last night, but now I place that at the end of my mind.

Princess Han and Princess Neelam catch up to us, and they gesture for us to board the yacht that has just arrived. "Good morning, Carla, did you manage to eat breakfast?" Princess Han asks as a form of greeting. "I did eat something, but it's way too early in the morning for me to have a proper breakfast," I reply with a sheepish smile. She gives me a dazzling smile in return, and I nearly stumble at this side of her that I've never seen as Aella.

Her kindness to Carla makes me wonder about her relationship with Gion. When he's dead, will she be one of the people mourning for him? Or is he simply that distant for her not to feel a hole in her heart at his death? I heave the luggage onto the yacht with the help of the captain. Settling down in one of the seats in the yacht, I lose my thoughts into the waves of the sea crashing on the foundations of the pier, and in that instant toss my heart to the grounds of Poposi.

My thoughts aren't gone for long as my eyes catch the sight of two cloaked figures some distance away from the pier. I'm certain I see dark chestnut hair slipping from the confines of the hood, but I look away instantly. I knew deep down inside that it wouldn't take long for sixty-three to figure out about my mission. Yet, I'm not ready for her to be at the spot where I threw my heart at, ready to give it back. So I close the gates to my now empty heart chambers, hoping that our argument two days prior is enough for her to stay away, to convince her that I hate her, to tell her that I don't want her presence.

I lay my eyes on the rest of the princesses who are in peace, and let myself sink into Carla enough to drop my burdens.