"Wait a second… why am I here? And why is there a letter on my nightstand? Why do I feel so strange? Don't tell me… was I drunk? No, no, no—impossible. I don't drink.
Ah, this is my old calendar. The date says: 5964 (B.C.). What? Even if it's old, the last date I remember was 5967. How is this possible? I need to ask Aruna. Wait… didn't I leave the academy a long time ago? I graduated in 5970. So why…? I really need to talk to her.
And this letter… it looks familiar. I remember someone once sent me a letter with the same emblem. That was in… 59.6.4. Coincidence? I doubt it—this emblem belongs to the Kingdom of Suki. That was the first and last time I saw it. Strange. Actually… I never even read it. So why not read it now?
When I opened it, I froze. The words read:
"Dear Henray, I know this is not the right time. But how about visiting me? I, the king and emperor of the Kingdom of Suki, 'Lono Este Voldigo,' invite you to my domain—you, the king or prince of Midway. And my deepest condolences for your father. I await your reply.
Signed,Lono Este Voldigo."
First question: are his parents Italian? That name sounds ridiculous. Second: I'm a king? Since when? Third: why does he say my father is dead? He's alive. No… I really need to tell Aruna.
I rushed to the academy, searching for Aruna. I couldn't find her. I looked through all our old classrooms. After a long search, I finally spotted her in the special class for first-years. As I entered, the teacher asked why I was late. Confused, I told him I had just overslept—and wondered why he was even asking. Shouting, he ordered me to sit next to Aruna.
Without a word, I walked forward, noticing everyone's eyes on me. Sitting down, I asked Aruna what was going on. She ignored me. I asked again. Still ignored. I pressed her once more—nothing. Tired of being dismissed, I grabbed her hands and demanded to know why she was ignoring me. Shocked, she pulled her hands away and slapped me. The slap was so loud the entire class turned to stare. Whispers spread instantly:
"How could she do that? He's the ex-king! (When the father dies but the grandfather remains, the dead man's son is called 'ex-king.') How dare she? This will ruin her reputation!"
Ex-king? So the letter was true. My father… really is dead. I needed to talk to her after class.
An hour later, during the break, I ran straight to Aruna, who was sitting alone. Strange—she was never alone. I asked her what was wrong. With sorrow in her eyes, she replied:
"Why do you keep following me and talking to me? Do you want to harass me?"
"What do you mean harass you? I just want to talk. And of course it's normal—we're a couple, aren't we?" I asked, confused.
"Couple? That's impossible. Your reputation would be ruined. And for the record… my family killed your father," she said with pain in her voice.
"What do you mean… killed my father?" I asked, lost.
She explained that her father had killed mine to seize the throne. If he became king, no one would be able to stop him—until he was overthrown. But instead, I had become the ex-king, and her father had been arrested for murder. I told her that I was deeply saddened, but relieved she was safe.
"Why do you care about me? We're not a couple!!" she snapped, frowning.
"But… we are a couple," I said in disbelief.
"What?! We never were, and we never will be. I already told you!" she shot back.
My theory was confirmed. Either I had been thrown back into an alternate past… or I was trapped in something far worse.
The story continues. At least one chapter per week, never more than three. If you want to know more, join my Discord :https://discord.gg/qaXpVEQwHh