FVN Chapter 255: Tutorial 4
Chapter 255: Tutorial 4
chapter 255: tutorial 4
the sky stretched into an endless twilight, the stars and moons faintly visible, lingering on the horizon as though reluctant to fully reveal themselves.
the dim light bathed the surroundings in a soft, ethereal glow, making everything feel dreamlike, surreal.
the sweet aroma of freshly baked waffles and pies wafted through the air, teasing my senses and coaxing a rumble from my stomach.
it was an unexpected warmth in this strange setting, grounding me even as my thoughts swirled with uncertainty.
hm~ hm~
a soft, melodic hum reached my ears, tugging me from my reverie.
the voice was clear and soothing, tickling my senses like a gentle breeze.
i turned instinctively toward the source, my gaze landing on her.
"hm? is something on my face?" liyana asked, pausing her humming to glance at me, her expression curious and faintly amused.
"no... nothing..." i muttered, averting my gaze as quickly as i could.
she tilted her head, clearly half-believing my answer, before shrugging lightly and returning to her task.
her delicate hands moved with grace as she arranged the picnic spread-a small plate here, a neatly folded napkin there.
knives, spoons, cups... every little detail was meticulously prepared, as though this moment was something she had envisioned for a long time.
the scene felt oddly serene, even domestic.
the soft rustling of grass under the evening breeze, the faint clinking of utensils, and the lingering hum of her voice created an atmosphere that was both peculiar and strangely -comforting.
at first, the idea of a twilight picnic seemed absurd.
yet, the longer i sat there, watching her work with such focus and care, the more natural it felt -as though it was meant to be....
like this whole situation was something i'm already quite accustomed to.
i found myself staring at liyana again, unable to help it.
there was something captivating about her, something that felt off and yet perfectly aligned at the same time.
her reactions, her movements, even the faint smile on her lips-all of it carried a strange duality.
for a fleeting moment, emotions i couldn't fully grasp stirred within me.
happiness?
satisfaction?
it felt so out of place, yet undeniably present, like a memory from a life i'd never lived. the longer i looked at her, the more the pieces began to fall into place.
my gaze shifted to our surroundings-the gentle sway of the meadow grass, the perfect stillness of the sky, the seamless harmony of every element in this strange little scene. this place... this moment...
this is probably another one of those dreams...
i don't know why i'm caught in another one of these fragmented visions, but it's clear that once again, fragments from what is likely a broken world are trying to show me something.
honestly, i don't ever want to experience this again, especially considering how the last two ended-one more harrowing than the other.
but whatever the reason for me being here, it's probably important. probably beneficial. ever since i first found myself in one of these dreams-if you could even call them that-i've been pondering the possibilities of alternate timelines and broken worlds.
now, with this being the third time, i'm certain: alternate timelines do exist.
if that's true, then this place... this serene yet oddly disconcerting scene... was likely another path i'd taken.
a path that diverged from my original scenario, splintering into its own narrative.
and if i'm here now, it's not a comforting thought. this is likely another world that ultimately ended in its downfall.
another tragic epilogue.
the last time, it had been by liyana's hands-her beauty and warmth masking the darkness that had consumed everything.
and after that, erebil had been the one to usher in the end, her darkness spiraling the world into the void.
so, this time... is it showing me the path where the white queen was released?
a shiver coursed through me as grim thoughts clawed their way to the surface.
i recalled the devastation the white queen had brought-the absolute ruin, the erasure of everything in her path.
but then-slap!
the sharp sting of reality pulled me from my spiraling thoughts.
my vision cleared as the haze dissipated, and i found myself staring into liyana's face.
her cheeks were puffed in an adorable pout, her eyes glimmering with a mix of annoyance and
concern.
"now you're finally looking at me~" she huffed, her voice light yet scolding. "seriously, is something wrong? you've been off ever since you woke up."
she crossed her arms, leaning in slightly. "i told you, you could get some more rest~"
the way she spoke was natural, almost affectionate, yet it felt like a sharp contrast to the dire thoughts i'd just been trapped in.
whether this was another nightmare or a dream was still a mystery. "hehe~ it's done darling~ you're favorite~"
but one thing was clear... whatever doom was laid ahead for this reality...
i had to stop it.
....
'is this a dream?'
liyana couldn't help but wonder as she observed her strange situation.
her hands moved as if guided by another will, her lips spoke words that felt natural yet
unfamiliar, and her body acted entirely on its own accord.
despite the clarity and decisiveness of her actions, a foreign sensation lingered-a peculiar
awareness that this wasn't quite like anything she had ever experienced.
it felt like she was herself and yet not.
"here, darling. ahm~!" the words slipped out playfully as she held out a forkful of freshly baked pie.
across from her sat riley, her beloved-his gaze warm and genuine in a way that pierced
through her usual guarded heart.
he took a gentle bite, his smile softening into something that felt almost sacred.
a gaze so pure, so unguarded, that it felt entirely new to her.
"now~ why are you so clumsy-?"
her voice carried a teasing lilt as she dabbed at his lips with a napkin, their casual intimacy
something she had never truly experienced, even in all her games of seduction and playful
manipulation.
thump!
her chest tightened, and an unfamiliar, almost painful, warmth spread through her. watching herself move and speak, all while caught in the throes of emotions she didn't fully
understand, filled her with a wretched sense of contradiction.
she liked it.
she hated it.
she couldn't reconcile the chaos growing inside her.
thump!
thump!
and then-
"smooch~!" "d-darling?"
her voice trembled as she felt his lips brush against her cheek, leaving a faint warmth in their
wake.
"there was cream on your cheek," he said simply, as if it were the most natural thing in the
world.
her heart stuttered, a strange vulnerability overtaking her for the briefest moment before she blurted out, "s-still! you can't just lick... haah..."
her words trailed off as a new sensation swept over her-one of raw, unfiltered emotion.
"even though i wanted to take this a bit more slowly and romantically..." she murmured, her cheeks flushed, "...you're the one who started it, okay?"
and then she watched, powerless yet entranced, as her hands-her own hands-moved of
their own accord.
her fingers grazed riley's collar, undoing it with a deliberate slowness that felt foreign and
deeply personal all at once.
her body leaned closer, her breaths quickening, her lips curling into a soft, genuine smile that
contrasted the chaos in her mind.
her toy, her darling, her everything...
thump!
thump!
the rhythmic pounding of her heart grew louder, faster, and more insistent, each beat carving
itself into her very being.
'what... is this?'