I opened my eyes.
The scenario was of a city taken by battle.
Demons had invaded that city and would take it for themselves by force. Civilians were evacuated while warriors faced demons, with swords, arrows, spears, pistols and powerful spells.
And I was there. For some reason, I was there.
I could feel the heat of the flames, the cold of the icy wind from the freezing spells and the smell of gunpowder mixed with blood entered my nose.
I was also fighting the demons and I was doing well. Even though I was tired, I still had the strength to continue. However, my luck turned upside down when she showed up.
A demonic woman. Her hair was red as if it was dyed by red wine and her eyes, as red as a jewel, shone with the ferocity of a bloodthirsty creature. I remember the reflected light of the moon hitting her back, making her face darker and highlighting the fierce glow of her eyes.
Despite my fear, it wasn't me that she was hunting. It was someone else, but I didn't want to allow her to attack them. Fortunately, I was fast enough to push the target away from her claws, but I was not fast enough to deviate from its range.
What came next was the feeling of having your back pierced and torn. My body started to exhale the smell of blood. The wound had been serious enough for me to surrender to fatigue. I fell to the ground, with no strength to get up.
Someone had approached me and put me in their arms, shouting my name, but their voice sounded so distant. I think they had said something about "hold on”, but I couldn’t confirm, I was losing my senses. The last thing I remember hearing was the sound of a sword crossing a body and a scream of shrill pain and finally, I blacked out.
………
I opened my eyes once again. This time, I was lying on a bed in a train car. There was no blood, no gunpowder, no fire, no demonic woman. This time, I was awake. This was reality.
Sighing relieved, I got up, sitting on the bed. The private cabin was the same way I remembered when I went to sleep. The difference was that the sun's rays passed through the windows and the curtains had been opened.
I looked at the other bed next to me, it was empty and messy. In other words, Erina had woken up before me.
Speaking of her, I heard the noise of a door handle opening. This noise came from too far ahead, on the bathroom door of the wagon. From there, a young girl with blonde hair and green eyes came out dressed in a white robe and wiping her wet hair with a towel of the same colour. This girl was none other than Erina Banloros, my travel colleague on this train and a long-time friend.
“Gosh, what a great bath!”, She sighed to herself, expressing how that bath had reinvigorated her, “Ah, good morning, Amaris!”, When she noticed that I was awake, she greeted me excitedly. However her excitement became a concerning look the moment she saw my face, “What happened to you?”
“I'm fine. It was just a nightmare.”
“And it looks like it was a rough one...”, Erina commented and was quiet for a few seconds, thinking about what to do now, “Look, how about you take a shower to cool your head? Then you tell me everything.”
I nodded in agreement and got out of bed. After going to get a change of clothes in my suitcase, I went to the bathroom and closed the door. Because it was a wagon, the bathroom was small, but it was structured so as not to look claustrophobic. I could still smell the products that Erina used in the bath, leaving the room with a freshness of refined flowers. I went to the sink and washed my face, raising my head to look at the mirror soon after. Seeing the fog that had accumulated in the glass, I instinctively cleaned it with my forearm, revealing the reflection of my sleepy face.
Looking at the mirror, I felt the need to find out something, so I took off my nightgown and turned a little to the side so I could see the reflection of my back. In my dream, the demonic woman attacked me from behind, tearing my back, so I looked for the presence of a large scar. As could already be expected, there was no injury to my back, which means that there is the possibility that attack of demons will happen in the near future. Sometimes, I confess that I feel sad for not seeing a scar on my back since it would mean that the attack I feared so much had already happened and I had survived.
Having to leave my lamentations aside, I got into the bathtub and turned on the shower. Although a bathtub bath is great for relaxing, Erina and I would arrive at our destiny this morning, so a shower would have to work. The water that hit my body seemed to have the power to put my thoughts in order, as if it were a potion. Combined with the delicious smell of the soap, such a wonderful feeling was created that it made me want to take this shower forever.
But of course I couldn't stay in the shower forever, so soon came the moment when I removed all the foam on my body. Stepping out of the shower, I took a towel and wiped myself. With a dry body, I took the lilac dress I had brought and put it on. My hair was still messy, so I left the bathroom to go to the dressing table.
Sitting on the dressing table was Erina, who fixed her hair in a ponytail with a red bow made of a high quality material whose name does not come to my memory. She was wearing a red dress with white lace and a blue ribbon tied around her waist. Underneath the dress, she wore a petticoat that gave volume, but without making the dress too heavy, a mixture of mobility and elegance.
Erina Banloros has always been like this. The Banloros are famous traders who reached fortune through their negotiations. Even with so many brothers and sisters, she never lacked anything. On the contrary, she always had enough for her to live in luxury. And how she loves luxury! She always makes a point of living in style with everything she is entitled to, evident in her expensive clothes and decision-making. To give you an idea, this trip in this particular wagon was her idea!
“Amaris!”, Erina turned to see me and got up from the chair, “Sit here! I want to style your hair!”
As I had no reason or desire to refuse - and I already knew she would insist until I gave in - I agreed and sat in front of the dressing table. Since she had a fancy lifestyle, Erina also liked to keep me well-groomed. Whenever she has the opportunity, she gives me new clothes and beauty products. It arrived at a point where much of my wardrobe was made up of clothes she gave me. Even the dress I'm wearing was given by her. And, it can be said that she financially supported me. Being her friend was definitely something beneficial. But the benefits went beyond money, because there was something more important that united us, a secret that could only stay between us...
“This nightmare you had...”, She started, while untangling my hair, “Is it the one that often repeats itself? The one with the Crimson Woman that kills you?”
I nodded my head.
"Crimson Woman"... That was the name Erina had given her when I spoke about the dream for the first time. And I have to agree that this is a very appropriate name, because her red eyes and hair were her most striking traits.
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“It is increasingly clear that this is a premonition...”, Erina said, “Even Miguel confirmed that you were graced by a vision of the future given by Goddess Ysabel.”
Miguel was a priest's apprentice who lives in the same city as Erina. It was thanks to him and his connection with the divine that I was able to discover the meaning of the dream that repeated itself several times. Obviously I was very grateful for his help, but...
“…Even if it's a gift from the Goddess, why did I had to have a destiny like this?!”, I lamented, head down.
“Hey, hey, hey, raise that head!”, Erina held my chin and raised my face, “You had a vision, so you have the opportunity to change things! And you've been taking actions to get around the situation!”
She was right. Since I had this vision, I've been thinking about countless ways to save my life. As I have no idea where and when the attack will take place, I looked for ways to prepare for the confrontation. Since what killed me was the loss of blood caused by the wound opened by the demon, the best investment I found was the healing magics! Of course, I also think about other preventions such as the formation of allies, but healing has been my priority and, modesty aside, after years of study and training, I’ve become excellent!
“And you have me, don't you?”, She added, “You think I'm going to let the Crimson Woman kill you?”
“You're very serious about that, right?”, I asked rhetorically, laughing.
“Obviously! After all, you are the only person I know who is a reincarnation like me! Having you around is very comforting!”
That was the secret that united us. Before we were who we are, we were people from a different world, but we ended up dying early without having done something great in life. However, we ended up reincarnating and retaining memories of our past life. Now, I am Amaris Phenis, the "physically fragile" daughter of Cyrus and Ninfa Phenis - who own a potion store - and younger sister of John Phenis, while she became Erina Banloros, daughter of wealthy merchants and blessed with an above-average strength and agility that makes her the ideal candidate to be a swordswoman. And, even so, I'm the one who is destined to be attacked by the Crimson Woman! She is the one who was born with the conditions to resist the attack, not me!
“In addition, we are entering the Avalon Academy!”, Erina continued. It was usually like that, she had the ability to speak for hours and hours to you let her “We will receive quality training for magic and, as the school is also responsible for training several soldiers, the combat training is also excellent! And, even if we don't pursue a military career, the name of the academy on our resume will guarantee us great jobs! And the opportunities to create connections inside, not to mention! Basically we will our lives earned after we graduate!”
Erina's words were optimistic, but they were what I needed to hear. On her face were visible determination and hope, a very welcoming vision, but soon her facial expression became perverted. I already knew what she was going to say and a laugh formed in my throat in anticipation.
“And most importantly: Avalon Academy is where the most promising boys are, if you know what I mean! And the perfect place for me to find candidates for my harem! I can already see...”, She fantasized while fixing my hair. I don't even want to know what she's seeing in her head, “Oh, what a vision of paradise! My fragile heart can't take it!”
“You already have Zacarias and Miguel and still want more? You‘re on fire, huh!”, I commented, finally letting go of the laugh that I was waiting for the perfect timing.
“Of course! My father has 4 wives, so I don't need to limit myself to just two husbands! He even told me that if I love and respect everyone, without exception, I can have more husbands than he has wives, so the light is green for me!”
In this new world, polygamy and polyandry are allowed by law and when Erina became aware of it, she began to idealize her own harem. Currently, she has two fiancés: Zacarias and Miguel. Zacarias is her first fiancé, the third son of the Count of Levan. From a superficial point of view, it even seems that it is merely a business engagement, but Erina and he have shown mutual attraction. It's very evident when they dance together. And Miguel is the second fiancé and, as I had said before, he is a priest's apprentice. As the cult of the Mother Goddess does not prohibit marital unions to the members of the temple, his engagement to Erina is validated.
As for me, I never stopped to think about weddings. I don't even know if I want multiple spouses or even one to begin with!
“Just don't forget to keep in touch with your two fiancés, otherwise they will be jealous!”, I advised in the midst of laughter.
“Of course, of course, but don't even think I forgot about you!”
“Huh?”
“As the Academy has many quality guys, this is our opportunity to find a boy for you!”
I choked on my own saliva when she said that.
“Come on, Amaris! Are you going to tell me that you didn't think about it? Say it: what is your preference? Tall? Short? Thin, fat or muscular? Short or long hair?”
“... If I tell you, you will take away my peace.”
“Oh, c’mon! Loosen up!”, To my surprise, Erina's expression was quickly saddened, “I don't want you to become obsessed with Crimson Woman and end up going insane...”
“Okay, okay, you don't have to make this abandoned dog face”, I said, turning to her and stroking her head, “Let's see... I like guys with long hair. You know, when the wind hits his hair and your heart skips a beat! And bonus points, he has glasses!”
Erina, who was sad a second ago, became radiant again.
“My, my, what an elegant type! I'll keep an eye out, okay? I'll get at least two for you!”
Giving me a wink, Erina turned me back to the starting position I was in and put the finishing touches on my hair again. She changes her mood so fast... was she pretending just to get information from me? Anyway, it's not something I should worry about, the most she's going to do is drag me around the campus in search of boys with long hair.
“... And it’s done!”
After Erina announced it, I analyzed the result of her efforts: She had made a long braid in my hair, tying only at the tip and leaving the beginning loose. The ribbon she used was lilac, like my dress and was tied in a firm and adorable bow. Erin didn't play on duty, I really looked very beautiful!
“Thank you very much! You adore to spoil me, don’t you?”
“It’s because I like to see my best friend looking divine!”, she commented, admiring herself and me in the mirror.
“In that case, how about you spoil me with a breakfast?”
“I was already thinking about it!”, Erina walked excited to the phone, but before calling the room service, she said, “And I was also thinking: LET'S ORDER CHAMPAGNE!!!”
“No”, I automatically refused.
“We are already fourteen years old! It's in the law!”, Erina whimpered.
Another curious detail of this new world, in addition to the possibility of having multiple husbands or wives, was that the minimum age for consumption of alcoholic beverages was 14 years. It was very surprising for me, that came from a place where the minimum age was 18 years old. As much as I was now 14 again, I had my reasons for letting the opportunity pass.
“Even so, I don't want to be drunk when we go to see John. He said he wanted to take us to lunch, remember?”
John, as I said before, is my older brother. He graduated from Avalon Academy last year and is now living in Norwill, the city where the school is located. Just the mention of his name was enough to make Erina drop the idea of champagne.
“Oh, John!”, She sighed with a blushed face, “My future third fiancé!”
“I've never approved of this”, I've already warned her beforehand, “He is nineteen, you’re fourteen!”
“Five years from now, you won't be able to stop me!”
“Leave my brother alone... And ask for breakfast, please, I'm starving.”
“Running away from the subject, huh?”, She teased me, but she didn't insist too much on it, “but I'm also hungry, so you'll get away with it... for now...”
Finally given in to hunger, Erina called for room service and asked for breakfast for both of us. Minutes later, our meal was delivered to us and, boy, what a breakfast! The soft and warm loafs of bread, the very fragrant coffee, the cereals and fruits seemed to have come out of a painting! It seemed like it would be a contempt to eat a masterpiece like this! This train trip has been so luxurious!
While we were eating, I realized that Erina murmured John's name. She was interested in my brother, but it was because of an accidental influence of mine. This happened five years ago, when we had met and had discovered that both of us were reincarnations. We began to give an opinion about our lives from the perspective of a reincarnation, then I had said that John looked a lot like protagonists of fantasy books. That said, Erina asked me if he would be from a book for children or a more “mature” book and, in the greatest innocence, I said that it looked more like an adult book. It was at that moment that she looked at me with malice and asked me "So he's going to be hot when he gets older, right?" At that moment, I’ve realized her intentions and tried to put an end to the subject, but then she cornered me with the question "If you hadn't reincarnated as his sister, would you pursue him?" Unfortunately, I was honest and said yes. I still regret it till this day. I should have lied!
Anyway, I was happy that I could see my brother again. He continued in Norwill after graduation, because he decided to become a teacher there. "I wonder how he is now?" That's what the thought on my mind.