Chosen One's Sidekick

Chapter 2

“Destine,” Jaune called softly when she saw her sister standing on the balcony that night. Destine was gazing blankly at the sky, lost in thought.

“I’m sorry for what I said earlier.”

Destine looked at her in surprise.

“I didn’t mean to upset you. Maybe your story just meant that much to you... enough to really feel it. I’m sorry.”

“Oh, Jaune, you don’t have to apologize,” Destine said, smiling faintly. “I was just caught off guard because you were right. Maybe I just felt what the heroine felt, and it overwhelmed me. There really are so many possibilities in that story.”

Jaune just nodded and sat beside her, staring into the dark night. She looked up and spotted the stars scattered across the sky.

“Andalania must be beautiful, huh?” she murmured.

“It’s breathtaking,” Destine replied. “You’d see even more stars in their skies than we do here.”

Jaune turned to her quickly. Destine was also looking up now, a soft smile on her lips. But Jaune could see something else—longing, sadness hidden in her sister’s eyes.

Jaune frowned and scratched her cheek, puzzled.

Maybe Destine had really gotten lost in her own story, imagining everything so deeply that she was starting to feel like the heroine herself. Well, she did create the whole thing, after all. It made sense that she’d feel connected to it.

But still… something felt odd.

“Destine, Prince Andalus must be really handsome, huh?”

“He’s incredibly handsome,” she replied dreamily. “He’s strong, brave, kind, and a true gentleman. A symbol of what a man should be—practically perfect. Anyone would fall for him. I guess I’m lucky that I’m the—”

She stopped mid-sentence and looked at Jaune.

Jaune raised an eyebrow.

“I mean… he’s unlucky,” Destine corrected, flustered. “Because he fell for someone who doesn’t belong in his world.”

Jaune nodded. “That’s true. But, you know, I was thinking—his love for her probably wasn’t shallow. Maybe even when he’s old, he’ll still be waiting for her to come back.”

“You think so?” Destine asked, suddenly looking hopeful.

Jaune nodded, a bit unsure. Just moments ago, Destine had looked so downcast, but now she was beaming with joy. Her mood shift was baffling.

That’s probably one of the downsides of being fraternal twins—she couldn’t read Destine’s mind at all. She felt like she should be able to.

“Maybe we should just get some sleep,” Jaune suggested. “Who knows, maybe you’ll dream the next part of your story. And if you do, promise you’ll tell me, okay?”

Destine laughed and threw an arm around her. “Of course! You’re my only listener, after all.”

They went back into the room and lay down together. Destine had her own bed, but since she rarely came home, she’d always sleep beside Jaune whenever she did.

Jaune hoped there would be a continuation. It would be such a shame if the heroine and the prince didn’t end up together.

She was looking forward to hearing what happened next in Andalania.

~~

That night, as they lay side by side in the dark, the wind outside whispered through the window screen like a distant voice.

Jaune thought she heard something — a hum, a chime, a flicker of light behind her closed eyelids.

Then nothing.

~~

Jaune was half-awake, her neck aching and body sore, like she’d been strung up and left hanging.

She also heard strange sounds—chanting in a language she didn’t understand, and rhythmic drumming.

Then—cold water splashed against her face.

She screamed and jolted awake.

“You’re finally awake,” said a short creature standing before her. It had sharp ears and wore what looked like animal skins.

The creature quickly stepped aside, and Jaune was able to take in her surroundings.

The place was filled with more of those short, pointy-eared beings. A large bonfire blazed at the center. Wooden huts were built atop towering trees. Drums echoed as the creatures danced wildly around the fire.

It felt like she had stumbled into an undiscovered tribe.

Her blood ran cold when she spotted human bones hanging from a tall tree—rotting, crawling with worms. She didn’t want to imagine ending up the same way.

She couldn’t hold it in any longer. Jaune screamed.

“What’s going on?! Why am I here?! This has to be a dream—a nightmare!”

She struggled wildly and realized she was tied to a tree, hands bound. She could only sit up. “Help! Destine, wake me up! Please, this is a nightmare! A horrible nightmare!”

She squeezed her eyes shut. “Wake up, Jaune, wake up. This can’t be real. Just wake up.”

“Jaune.”

Her eyes flew open. She turned toward the familiar voice. Her heart nearly stopped when she saw Destine tied to the tree beside her.

But Destine didn’t look scared—not even worried.

“They’re mountain spirits,” Destine said, her voice unnervingly calm. “They don’t harm unless threatened. I’ve… met them before.”

Jaune stared at her in disbelief. “Are you dreaming too, Destine? Please wake me up! They’re going to cook us!”

“I won’t let that happen,” Destine promised.

“What’s going on? Wait—I’ll try waking up again.” She shut her eyes tightly.

“This isn’t a dream, Jaune.”

“What?” Jaune stared at her.

“I’m sorry I didn’t wake you. But while we were sleeping, a light enveloped us… and we ended up here.”

“Here? What do you mean here?”

Destine looked her in the eyes. “We’re in Andalania.”