CHARLOTTE: The Injured White Peacock
Not Dreams

Ellena who had been trying to reach Ruby, now stopped. He thought hard about Ruby's sentence just now that said something strange. A moment later, Ellena chuckled. “Hahaha, what's up, Ruby? I know it's just a dream. So, I won't believe—”

“This is not a dream, Ellie!”

Pawning.

One jolt landed on Ellena's forehead. The girl was complaining of pain because Ruby touched her nose hard even to leave a red mark. Ellena just realized, this pain is so real. Is he in another world?

“R-Ruby, j-don't tell me that I was thrown into this foreign world?!” Ellena tried to guess. His belief that started from a dream has now become a reality.

“Yes, here's the truth. Welcome to Wolestria, Ellie.” Ruby spread her arms as if welcoming Ellena with great honor. While Ellena was wide-eyed and kept pecking. “But, now you are in the country of Everfalls anyway.” Ruby's smile expanded again.

Ellena stepped closer to the edge of the grassy hill, once again watching this strange world. Birds fly freely in space. The animals roam easily. The clouds looked softer than Ellena's own world. In fact, Ellena was surprised when she saw a land floating on the air.

He only realized that everything he saw right now was too real and beautiful, not just a dream that became a sleeping flower. Ellena felt everything through her five senses.

Starting from the eyes, he saw how beautiful this world was created. His nose smelled of warmth, his skin felt a soft touch of this foreign air, his ears heard the peace and his tongue seemed impatient to taste how comfortable in this land of Everfalls.

Both Ellena's neutrals are widening. He greatly admired this foreign atmosphere, to him it looked so beautiful and majestic. In a few moments, Ellena's lips withered. He was at a loss for words. A fantasy world, a world Ellena dreams of.

A smile began to appear on Ellena's face. The neutrals glowed, Ellena was enthusiastic. In the clouds too, there are some strange-shaped animals that fly, even greeting each other with other birds when they are different species.

Too beautiful.

“R-Ruby..” Ellena later, but her eyes are still staring into this dream-like alien world.

“Why? Are you aware, Ellie?”

Ellena's head just nodded. His eyes continued to point towards the natural beauty in front of him.

“You see this world so beautiful, don't you? I agree with that too. But, it is very painful to see someone hurt themselves for centuries. Seeing death, but yourself can't feel it.” Ruby suddenly became a serious boy.

Ellena also looked. He did not understand Ruby's foreign-sounding sentence. Ellena also asked rather than constantly harboring questions that were not clear the answer. “What do you mean, Ruby? I don't understand.”

Then, the song of the Blind Witch was sung by the Queen and carried away in the air at Everfalls so that all residents heard the queen humming.

“Ellie, did you hear her voice again?” ruby asked to shift the subject. Presumably, he was indeed reluctant to talk about it again even though Ellena was very curious. Ruby's smile expands while enjoying the melody and forgetting the sentence she said earlier.

However, Ellena who was curious again asked, “Ruby, earlier you said ap—”

“Have it, just listen to that voice first. Did you enjoy it, Ellie?”

“Ya.” Ellena nodded. He gave up his curiosity and followed the flow of the topic created by Ruby. “That's who's vote, Ruby? I feel the sadness of his singing.”

“It was the voice of the queen of this country, Queen Charlotte The Pavo Cristatus.” Ruby explained.

However, Ellena's reaction was exaggerated. He was surprised not to play. His body pecked back and his eyes widened perfectly. There were many things that were shocking in this foreign world and Ellena was not ready to accept it. Even so, he had once fantasized about heading into this world, but did his wish indeed come true?

“H-he i-this is really the place where Queen Charlotte who raised her own palace to the sky?!” Ellena still can't believe it.

Even if denied, reality is reality. So, Ruby wouldn't lie to Ellena. He nodded his head, asking Ellena's question.

“K-you must be lying, ‘kan, Ruby?!”

Then, Ruby pulled out a necklace with a reddish-orange crystal, almost matching Ruby's hair. After that, he draped it on Ellena's neck. “This is Ruby Crystal as the key to get you back to your home world, Ellie.”

“T-wait, I can't go home? Y-you must be kidding ‘kan, Ruby? You brought me here, huh?!” Ellena was really shocked. How could he live in this foreign world? Where are Miko and the others? Did Ellena really enter the world of the ancient novel? It feels so impossible and absurd!

“Yes, Ellie. I possess Miko and unseal her into this world through Miko's ancient novel so you get here. Actually, the novel doesn't exist at all. I made it there to be a portal connecting our world. At first I wanted to take Miko by force so I possessed her, but the girl hesitated and spoke in her heart that you were the more deserving. That's why I brought you.” Ruby who had been floating in the air while flapping her wings, now she stepped on the ground and grass. “You won't be able to go home before you complete this mission, Ellie.”

Ellena surprised. “Mission? What mission is it?”

“Open the curse seal of Queen Charlotte.” A sneaky smile emerged from Ruby's lips. “You've read that hallucination novel, haven't you?”

Ellena nodded quickly. He was really curious about what Ruby said next.

“When you are able to make Queen Charlotte return, then this crystal will activate and bring you home to meet Miko who is currently looking for you everywhere.”

“Miko looking for me?”

“Yes, your body and soul disappeared from your home world, Ellie. Right now everyone is looking for you, especially Miko. To be honest, the materials inside your body will not last long in this world. Therefore, you must complete this mission before your body is destroyed and will never return to your world.”

Ellena was unable to speak. He just stared while surprised by the fact conveyed by the little girl in red.

Then, the Queen's singing returned. Today Charlotte hummed three times, more than usual. It was as if he was sending a deep message to all his people. However, no one could reach the palace floating high up there.

All the people could only wait as they continued to wish the queen all the best in order to get back to them. For a country without a leader or a ruler will be a forgotten and wasted country.

Wolestria has five states that surround it, namely Everfalls, Nolaria, Esaland, Rustford, and Holland. Every country has leaders with their own characteristics. This beautiful world, holds many secrets.

“Try you listen carefully to the song of the Queen.” Ruby instructed Ellena.

Ellena closed her eyes again. It touched Ellena's heart. The wind agrees with that. Ellena's whole body was warm. A voice that has a message, that's how it is. At the last stanza, Ellena finally felt it. Charlotte's feelings were perfectly conveyed.

Again, Ellena shed her tears. It felt very painful despite only hearing the song of the queen he admired. The feeling of sadness and fear is really real!

Previously, Ellena believed that it was just a novel. However, this was not an imaginary world created by a writer. Ellena is present and her desire to save Charlotte is completely granted.

Sudden.

“Heh, stay away from me, Little Boy!” Someone screamed in fear. In addition, there was the sound of satisfied laughter of girls.

“What is it, Ruby?” Ellena asked directly.

While Ruby did not answer, she immediately escorted Ellena to the source of the voice.

There was a man being defeated by a little girl who gave him a tarantula. The blonde haired girl with space bun hairstyle was holding the tarantula with her tiny hands without any protection.

“Hoya, hoya, Uncle. Navi wants to get to know you,” said the girl while continuing to direct a moving tarantula to a man who seemed to have been on the verge of a boundary. The girl's smile was full of satisfaction seeing a man frightened just because of a tarantula that to her was like a cute baby.

“He-hentikaaaaaaaaaaan!!” the man's screams could no longer. Both corners of his eyes were already wet.

****