As time passed, I slowly got used to my routine as Tsisana Zephyrine. Neither my work or studies were too difficult, and I enjoyed the time I spent in the company of swords. Truthfully, I had practised kung fu on Earth, but never had the time to fully dedicate myself to it. I was glad that, in this world, I was free to be myself and do whatever I wanted.

With routine always comes boredom. In fact, I would go as far as to say that it is impossible to be happy without those blissful moments of tedium. Some people are always looking for excitement, but they forget that happiness lies somewhere else. To be happy is to be at peace, and to be at peace one must go through tedious times. That is why I enjoyed every moment of my routine as Tsisana, and was reluctant to let it go.

I had arrived in this fantasy world ten days before, but now I felt I was completely used to it. Tsisana’s memories kept flowing in, but now at a slower pace. Sometimes they came in the shape of dreams, which was much less painful. The more I learnt about her and her life, however, the more I felt we were similar. She hated people, and so did I. She always treated people nicely, but kept her distance. She enjoyed being alone, as I did. It is true, however, that I was not as keen on swords and cutting human skin as she was, but I did have an obsession with the human body. I spent hours either drawing it or studying anatomy. I simply hadn’t tried to cut anyone open.

I was in my office writing. At first, I had written down the plot of Villainess Undone as detailed as possible, in case I ever needed it. I had no intention of leaving the Zephyrine’s land, but it did not hurt to be careful. I also made a point of writing it in my earthly language and not the Empire’s Common Tongue, as it was called. If my notes were ever discovered, I hoped they would not be deciphered. 

I heard a knock on the door. It was Basil.

“My Lady, a letter has arrived. It’s from Carmella Academy”.

He approached me and handed me the envelope. I opened it and smiled. Escaping fate is never easy, is it?

Under normal circumstances, I would have loved the idea of attending a place such as Carmella Academy. I loved studying, after all. Even if Tsisana had enrolled in the Swordsmanship Department, I could always change it later on. I could study Magic, Fine Arts or anything I desired. If I were to be honest with myself, part of me felt sad I would not be able to study there, but escaping death was my most important priority at the moment.

I opened the letter and read it carefully. To my surprise, it was not from the Student Admissions Office, the Dean, nor from any administrative body that might exist within the institution. The letter bore the Academy’s seal, but was signed by someone named Levi Snijders. I had no idea who that was.

It is a great shame you have decided not to attend the Academy. I will not inquire as to why you have made such a decision, however, I was intrigued by your unique fighting style on the day of the exam. I propose a duel and, if I win, I would like to ask you to reconsider your decision. You are, naturally, free to decline, but would that really be in your best interest?

The audacity, I thought, and was about to throw the letter in the fire when I suddenly heard a voice:

“Would that really be in your best interest?”

My body froze for a moment. The voice felt so familiar it was uncanny, but I could not remember who it belonged to. There was a playful yet kind aspect to it, and my brain could not decide whether to fear it or to welcome it. There was no one else in the room besides me and Basil, who remained silent, as if waiting for me to say something or to give him an order. Reluctantly, I told him to leave and let out a sigh. 

Was I losing my mind?

“Yes, you are losing your mind”, said the voice. “Are you stupid? Fight the boy, it will be good fun”.

I looked around, but still could not see anyone else. Was I hearing things? Was it a spirit, or a ghost of some kind? For a moment, I thought I was losing my sanity. I even entertained the possibility that I had been dreaming this whole time, and that voice belonged to a doctor who spoke over my comatosed body. My mouth became dry and I started to panic. I pinched my arm, so as to confirm that I was still living and breathing inside Tsisana’s body. That was when I heard a loud sound:

Bang!

And right after that, the painting of Boreas Zephyrine that was behind me fell down.