Chapter 4: A Confession

Akiko's slow strides in the afterglow of the sunrise appeared a moment ago. Her eyes are wandering, restless, and appear ponderous; she must be thinking about a thing. What will she say?

As the sun began to rise, Akiko slowly walked through the halls, her steps slowing as she struggled to find the right words to say. She was lost in thought, her eyes restless, and her mind filled with worry. She was dressed in a gown chosen by her lady-in-waiting, Emily, but even the finest clothes couldn't lift her spirits. She knew that she had to face her subjects today, but the thought of pretending to be someone she wasn't made her feel uneasy.

It had been just a day since Akiko had awoken in this strange place, with no memory of how she got there. She had found herself in the middle of a green field, and when she woke up, she was being treated like a Queen. But Akiko had no idea who she was or even what reality she was in. All she knows is that she is Akiko Fujimoto, a high school girl from Japan. This is what she will say, a confession to them.

As they approached the throne room, Akiko could hear the excited chatter of the nobles and courtiers waiting inside. Despite her nerves, she tried to push aside her anxiety and focus on the task at hand. The throne room was grand and impressive, with high ceilings and intricate carvings on the walls. The throne itself was a massive, ornate chair made of blue crystal and diamonds, a symbol of the power and magic of the kingdom.

As they neared the room, Emily stopped and turned to Akiko. "Your majesty, I forgot to tell you something," she said, producing a glowing rose. "Miss Maxima asked me to give you this." Akiko took the rose, touched by Maxima's kindness. "Thank you," she said, trying to sound confident even though she had no idea who Maxima was and she wondered who is this person, Maxima.

She was in the throne room, but she didn't look at the crowd yet so she wouldn't be stressed. But as she took a deep breath and prepared to face her subjects, she couldn't help but wonder who she really was and where she belonged.

As Akiko ascended the steps to the throne, her nerves returned. She tried to steady her shaking hands as she took her seat. She scanned the crowd, hoping to see a friendly face, but all she saw were strangers.

As she sat there, trying to think of something to say, she noticed a woman with piercing green eyes staring at her with a judging look. Akiko felt uneasy as she realized that this woman was the one who told her that she was not a queen. She quickly glanced in a different direction.

But before she could dwell on this thought, a knight called for silence, and all eyes turned to Akiko. She stood up, her heart racing, knowing that she couldn't continue to pretend to be someone she wasn't. She had to be honest with these people, even if it meant risking everything.

"I'm sorry," she began, her voice shaking. "But I can't pretend to be someone I'm not. I'm not the queen. I don't know how I got here or why everyone is treating me like I am, but I'm just a normal high school student from Japan. My name is Akiko Fujimoto, and I have no idea how I ended up in this place."

There was a moment of stunned silence as Akiko's words sank in. She held her breath, waiting for a reaction, but all she saw was a sea of frozen faces, no one moving or reacting to her confession. It was as if they were statues, static and unmoving.

Akiko was relieved that no one tried to harm her, but this was so bizarre that no one was moving, like they had been frozen.

Then, the woman with the green eyes stepped forward. "So, you're not the queen," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "That's interesting, because you look exactly like her." And let's not forget the fact that you have her exact same aura and beautiful face." Akiko gasped as the woman continued, "But if you're not the queen, then who are you really? You say that you are Akiko... Fujimoto? That's such a weird name."

The woman took menacing steps towards Akiko, and in a moment, she was standing right in front of her.

Akiko's heart raced, and her instincts told her to run, so she ran away. She tried to exit the throne room, but before she could take a single step, she felt a sudden, overwhelming weakness wash over her body, and she collapsed to the floor.

Not again, she thought. She couldn't move, no matter how hard she tried. It was as if her muscles had turned to lead and she was completely paralyzed. Fear coursed through her veins as she heard the sound of menacing footsteps approaching. She looked up and saw a pair of green eyes staring down at her, belonging to a woman with long, dark hair.

The woman flicked her hand, and Akiko's body lifted off the floor as if it weighed nothing. She floated there, suspended in midair, staring at the woman with emotion and defiance in her eyes. The woman's lips curled into a smile, but it was not a kind or friendly smile. It was the smile of someone who enjoyed causing pain and suffering.

Akiko knew that she was in grave danger and that she needed to find a way to escape. But with her body completely unable to move, she was at the mercy of the woman with the green eyes.

"Where is Celesta!?" the woman shouted at Akiko, using the true queen's name.

Akiko's mind raced as she tried to come up with an answer. She had no idea who Celesta was or where she was. All she knew was that she was in way over her head and had no idea how to get out of this mess.

As she tried to speak, her words caught in her throat. She couldn't let the woman know that she had no idea what was going on. She had to come up with something, anything, to save herself.

But as she opened her mouth to speak, the woman let out a cold, cruel laugh. "You don't know, do you!? You really have no idea with whom you are dealing, huh? Come on! Stop playing games, you Outsider!"

A deafening scream echoed through the throne room, startling no one since they were all still in a statue like status. It was Akiko's voice, filled with fear and desperation. She wailed and begged for mercy, pleading with her captors to let her go.

"No! Please! I didn't do anything wrong. I don't even know why I'm here! Please don't hurt me! Ugh!" Tears streamed down Akiko's face as she begged for mercy, her body trembling with fear.

It was clear that Akiko was terrified and pleading. Despite her pleas, the woman seemed unmoved by her cries for help. They stood there, towering over her, their expressions hard and cold. It was clear that she was not going to show her any mercy. Akiko knew that she was in grave danger and that she needed to find a way to escape before it was too late.

All of a sudden, the atmosphere in the room changed. Akiko slowly drifted back down to the floor, her breath coming in short, erratic gasps. Her face was a mess, covered in tears and sweat. She looked up at the woman standing over her and saw something unexpected—an unexpected look of concern and compassion in the woman's eyes.

The woman leaned down and gently wiped Akiko's face with the napkin she had in her hand. "Okay, I'm sorry. It's fine now. "No one is going to hurt you here," she said soothingly.

Akiko was confused. Was this the same woman who had just terrified her and caused her body to become paralyzed? Why was she suddenly acting so sympathetic and caring towards her? Had some kind of magic spell been cast on the woman?

"I... I overdid it," the woman said, looking apologetic. "I was just checking to see if you were some kind of enemy. I guess you're not, since Outsiders usually don't cry like a baby when they're caught."

Akiko sat on the floor, still in shock from the sudden turn of events. She couldn't believe that the woman who had just terrified her and caused her body to become paralyzed was now acting so sympathetically and caringly towards her. She was filled with doubts and questions and was not sure if she could trust.

Maxima let out a soft, almost undetectable sigh.

"I can't believe I really screwed up this time," she said, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Well, I guess I owe you an explanation so you can trust me. My name is Maxima, and again, I'm sorry about that."

Maxima offered her hand to Akiko, a genuine gesture of goodwill and an offer of help.