Princess Thia?

"What do you mean?" Thia asked.

"I don't know if you have realized this yet, but your curse is a very powerful one. It comes from a being you shouldn't be able to manifest her ability, but here you are. There's something special about you, Thia, something that makes you capable of holding on to such power. But power comes at a price, that's why I'm asking, what is it you want to do with this power, what do you want to achieve?"

Thia thought for a while, and she didn't know what to say.

Ever since she had lost her family and her home, she hadn't really felt anything. It was as if she was living a blank life. Back at HappyLand, she remembered when Ryker told them about relevance. She thought with strength, she would get what she needed to never be looked down upon anymore. To not suffer loss again. With strength, she would be able to save her friends. But she still watched as someone she cared about died in front of her again. She couldn't bear to think of what would have happened if she hadn't awakened Iku at that moment. She probably would have died with her friends.

"What do I want?"

"You know you don't have to figure it out, child. You're still very young. You have enough time to decide your future," the queen said.

"You are right, Your Majesty, but there is something I want to do."

"What is that?" the queen asked.

"I want to find the person who killed Ija," Thia said.

"Then let me help you with that. I'll help you find those who sent the assassins. Destros knows I have business with them. But, I also need your help."

"What is it, your majesty?"

"I want you to work for Eru again. I know you don't trust us after what happened in Omi, but I need your strength, Thia. The queen said. I will ev—"

"I'll do it," Thia said before the Queen was done talking. "As long as you protect my friends, I'll help you."

The queen stared at Thia in astonishment and smiled.

"She's just like Tonia," the queen thought.

After their conversation, Thia went back to her room. The Queen told her she would deal with the mess she caused by sneaking into her chambers.

****

"I can't believe you sneaked into the queen's room," Cage said after hearing Thia's story. "What were you thinking?"

"I didn't know it was the queen," Thia tried to defend herself.

"I didn't think you would be the one doing something that crazy. I thought that was Thena's thing," Hansi said.

"Hey, who are you calling crazy?" Thena said.

"Sure, I would have done the same if I was a weirdness magnet like Thia, but I'm not that crazy."

"Who are you calling a weirdness magnet?"

"What? Are you trying to deny that curse of yours is a magnet for weirdness? You can smell death, touch death, sense a monster, and once, you sensed that weird boy from close to a mile away watching us. Admit it, you are a magnet for weirdness," Thena said.

"Yes," Cage admitted.

"Definitely," Hansi said.

"Certainly," Miriam agreed.

"Hey," Thia said before they all burst into laughter.

"But, I'll take a weird friend anytime, as long as that friend is you," Miriam replied.

"Thank you, Miriam, you're a better friend than these guys. Don't worry, when I become the princess, I'll remember my true friends," Thia said.

Everyone grew silent when they heard what Thia said.

"Oh, yes, the other thing I wanted to talk to you about. The Queen decided she was going to adopt me. I'm going to become the princess," Thia said with a smug face.

Everyone opened their mouths wide in shock.

"She's joking, right?" Hansi asked.

"She's not," Thena said.

"It seems you all are going to be Shorty's subjects," Thena said.

"That includes you, Thena," Miriam said, as she disliked the way Thena exempted herself.

"I bow to no one," Thena replied.

"No one is bowing to anyone," Thia said.

"And it hasn't been decided yet. Everything will be completed after I return from Wize. For now, I'm just using the name Princess Thia as a cover for a mission."

"But it's going to happen," Hansi said.

"I don't know yet," Thia replied.

"So you are going on a mission to Wize?" Miriam asked.

"We," Thena said. "The Queen asked me to go with her."

"Is she not going to make things harder for you?" Miriam asked Thia.

"Of course not, and I can handle Thena."

"I'm standing right here," Thena said.

"So when are you leaving?" Hansi asked.

"Tomorrow," Thia replied.

"What exactly are you going to do in Wize and why do you need to be the princess to do it?"

"I'm going to search for the prince of Wize," Thia said.

"I thought he was dead," Cage said.

"Rumors say he is, but there is someone we have come to suspect might be the prince."

"Really?"

"You know, I've heard of the prince from my stepfather," Cage said.

"Really?"

"Oh yes, his mother is actually from Omi and she's also my father's sister," Cage said.

Everyone stared at Cage in amusement. Sometimes they forgot the boy with the sunglasses had come to HappyLand voluntarily.

"So, what can you tell me about him?"

"Not much, but I heard my step-sister always referred to him as a pervert, even though he's just ten."

"I heard he's a fat boy that loves creeping girls out," Cage said.

"That can't be right," Thia thought. If this boy is the one with Ashell then his profile should be like that of me and Gor. A boy with at least some strength.

"Is he strong?" Thia asked Cage.

Everyone was surprised at Thia's weird question.

"I was about to ask the same," Thena said.

"Ok, they are both weird," the rest of them thought.

"Not really," Cage replied. "As the prince of Wize he was taught the ways of battle, but the prince never really did well in that aspect."

"My stepfather once took me to Wize two years ago, and I met the prince. From what I saw, that boy is doing more eating than training," Cage said.

"Maybe he's not the one with Ashell then," Thia thought.

"Kin Orun, I wonder how he would look when I meet him," Thia thought.

A nervous excitement bubbled in her stomach. This mission felt different. It wasn't just about revenge or protecting her friends, there was a strange pull towards Wize, a feeling she couldn't quite explain.

In the desert Kingdom of Wize, a young boy suddenly sneezed. It seems someone is talking about me Kin said.

"You are supposed to be dead," Ashell said.

"I know, and it feels like death is searching for me," Kin said

"I hope it finds you on time, that way I get to go home," Ashell said as Kin stared at the men staring at him with a deathly gaze. 

"Remind me again, how did I get here?" Kin asked