Chapter 30: This film is dedicated to all those whose sole source of indignation is a trampled-on trifle. - "Sedmikrásky" (Daisies), 1966

I bid Mr. Viridis a farewell in the corridor and then made my way into my room, shutting the door behind me. I walked two step and then gasped, almost falling back with shock.

"Hello, and goodbye. You seem to have a problem initiating these words like a normal person!" I fretted, heading towards the blonde boy lazing on my couch.

Rezel lolled to his side and peeked open an eye to regard me. "Hello."

I tilted my head, figuring something was off. He looked more tired than I had ever seen him.

"...Did something happen?" I asked him softly and he sighed, placing an arm over his eyes.

"I just want a nap."

I gently pressed my lips together, a worried crease forming between my brows as I wondered about him.

"Should I tell you a story?"

I noticed a bitter smile form on his lips. A soft scoff-like exhalation.

"I'm not in the mood for heroes."

Ah...

It must be that sort of a day.

Delicately, I eased myself to the ground beside him and rested my back on the side of the couch. My head was by Rezel's torso, and I regarded him for a moment.

"Then let me tell you about my day. You're the only one to hear of it now."

He didn't reply so I began in a soft voice. I didn't talk much about my father, or the fun I had with him. Instead, I spoke about the place I went to. I talked about the green water and the fishes that occasionally jumped out. The sound of the trees and how the sky was just cloudy enough for me to not feel too gloomy.

"I think we should go there someday." I told him and he removed his arm from his eyes to focus on me as I spoke. "I set some birds free, too."

"Did you speak to them?" He asked quietly and I felt gentle fingers caressing the flowers in my hair.

I brought my knees up to my chest and rested my chin on them. "I did."

"What did you say?"

I turned my head slightly and viewed him from the corner of my eye.

"...I told them that nothing mattered."

I noticed how his eyebrow trembled slightly, as if he was holding back an expression. A sad expression.

"But then I told them to just live anyway. That I hope they'll find it someday." I played with the fabric of his robe that was falling to the ground beside me. It was soft silk and it felt like touching clouds.

"A reason."

Something that makes them believe it matters. A reason to believe in... life. For their existence.

I shut my eyes tightly and made a pained expression to myself.

"To be honest, Rezel... I am a person without much hope for my future. So I really don't know how to comfort people."

There was silence and his movements in my hair stopped. Then a murmur reached my ears.

"Sometimes... being understood is enough."

He reached out for a lock of my hair and I looked at him with sad half-open eyes.

"And I feel like you know... how fucked up I'm feeling."

I nodded and then held onto his fingers.

"Everyday, it's something new. It's like the way I am to feel for the day is already decided by some sort of roster." Rezel scoffed. "And today, I shall feel empty."

Ah...

"How was it in the world of your past life? Hmm?" He asked me, as if desperate to talk about something. I could feel it. How turbulent he was inside right now. As if the emotions were eating away at his mind, and he'd start shaking and then want to hurt himself. Ah, I fucking loathe that feeling.

"Oh, that world was fucked up too." I told him and he raised his eyebrows, before giving me a bitter smile.

"Trees were dying, so were animals. Water had become toxic, in fact and lots of fish life were being endangered as well. It's because of the type of system that the people in the world lived in. It required the destruction of nature, in a way."

"...And the people?"

I smiled.

"It's funny. People were dying too." At my words, Rezel furrowed his brows.

"Just as the general progress of the world thrived on the destruction of nature, there was a system for the humans too. That system stepped on anyone who couldn't contribute towards it, and judged people like some meat. This one is grade A, it goes on top shelf. Hmm, that one is fine, it's grade B meat. Oh, that one is inedible; completely useless, throw it away." I let out a shaky breath and looked at Rezel with a smile. "I was the useless bit. The part of society that couldn't contribute. Someone like me was better off discarded." I shrugged. That was the judgement of that system on me.

It's not the world; it's the system that humans created.

I once remember a song.

Hey you, 'eco-friendly.' 'Nature's protector.' I am nature too.

It made me laugh when I heard it. If global warming, yearly increasing temperatures, ice melting, unusual behaviours of animals were signs from the nature that there is something wrong with the current system...

What does that say about the yearly increase in the people's suicide rates and the increase in the amount of people with depression and other mental illnesses?

I wondered, what about it. Being labelled a failure in school because I wasn't like the other kids. It started that early, my judgement as meat. My ability to help the system. I thought to myself, in my deathbed, I'd like to dedicate this worthless life to the teachers, professors, superiors and the bloody better off ones. I knew that I couldn't just blame them; they were also just slaves of the system.

But so what? I am not.

I wasn't qualified to even be a slave.

So we all know we are such slaves, and we all know our 'hands are tied.'

By whom?

Aren't we all fucking humans?

This is what I meant. Nobody cares to save the drowning people. Because we aren't qualified for this world anyway. No, someone had actually said that to me once. I'd told them about how the school system has a problem, and one look at the student suicide rates is all it takes to know. You know what they said?

They implied that those who couldn't catch up needed to go anyway.

Cut off the bad bits. Throw away the inedible meat. You are the tumour.

They were a scholarship student. A group of them, actually.

I was speechless. But what did I expect? How would a person on dry land know what it feels like to drown? How would a living person know how it is to die?

"People were fucked up there, too. The longer I lived, the more I noticed how everything was just so bloody fucked up. In fact, we all were wondering what for." I sighed harshly and shut my eyes tight again. "People were letting go, getting addicted... killing themselves." I clenched and unclenched my fingers. "But it wasn't them. I swear, it wasn't them."

I opened my eyes and noticed they were teary.

"It wasn't their fault, Rezel. I swear it wasn't." I roughly placed my fingers on my head, making a few flowers fall out from my hair. "It was the entire system. It was just so fucked up."

I looked at him. "No, think about it. Remember when I told you about zombies? Remember the zombie apocalypse film? Remember how some characters were so amazing, they survived. They were better prepared for it, they had luck, they were smart, they thought about things. They were better prepared for it. Not everyone can survive in that sort of world, you know? Not everyone is made for that sort of system. What, will you blame that kid, that girl or boy that ended up getting eaten by the zombies? How, they weren't fucking made to survive that situation, they weren't made for that. Maybe, who knows, they could survive if they were helped. In my world, there was this damn system, Rezel, and I swear... I swear, there was no place for me in it. I tried. I really fucking tried, I swear. I really swear. I knocked on all the doors, I tried to swim in that water. Many others were doing it so I tried as well. Why couldn't I do it? They can so why can't I? I asked myself so many times. Why weren't any doors opening for me? Why am I wrong? Why is it that the way I am is so bloody wrong? That society... that system, that place... it really didn't have a place for me, Rezel. I kept being called a damn failure!" I sobbed. "But I swear I was really trying!"

Then one day, I just lost hope.

I didn't realize Rezel had gotten down from the couch to sit beside me. I didn't realize when he took my hand in his, just like that night he slept over here.

Someone had told me.

'You're not the problem.

The world is.

Those who make it this way,

and ultimately those who let it run this way.'

After some time, I calmed down. I realized how Rezel had come here with enough problems of his own and I'd made it about myself, like some stupid asshole. I was silently cursing myself when Rezel asked me a question.

"Did no one try to kill the zombies?"

"Huh?"

"Kill all the zombies. End the apocalypse."

He looked at me.

"Did the people of your world not think of a revolution?"

I didn't say anything. There were protests, there were fights, about all sorts of things, I guess.

Kill all the zombies.

A revolution.

Yeah... we need that.

End the apocalypse.

Change the system.

It was made by pigs anyway.

I shrugged and then sighed, as if trying to clear out the baggage. I smiled at him.

"It's high-time. Anyway, I like your robe? It's too soft."

Rezel gave me smile, and we both decided at the same time to move on.

"A good eye, you've got. It's a silk banyan robe from my favourite merchant in the market." Then he widened his eyes. "In fact, he's in town right now. He's always travelling, so I always make sure to stock up on his imports whenever he's here. Do you want to visit him?"

He asked me with so much excitement that I just about got a whiplash. But then I clenched my fingers and noticed he was still holding onto my hand. I gave him a slowly growing excited grin.

"Heck yeah! And, it's a gift from you."

He wriggled his eyebrows for a moment and then laughed loudly. "I don't even know what to say to you. You dare..."

I stuck my tongue out at him and he suddenly brought his fingers to my face and pinched at my cheek. Before I could say 'ouch', we were in an alley, seated together on some wooden crates. I gaped at him, and he snickered, jumping off and holding his hand out to me.

"My lady."

I took his hand and jumped off as well. "That's probably the first time you haven't called me storyteller."

He made a face. "So that's were my mouth felt so weird just now." I smacked his shoulder as we casually made our way out of the alley.

We window-shopped randomly and I noticed how today has actually been such a busy day for me. It was already night and the orange glow of the lamps brought the market vividly to life. Stall vendors were calling out for customers, but they didn't have to yell to loud because the street was full anyway. It was nice to think of a world where people had enough money to spend on things they liked. I thought once again how this part of the empire was doing well because of the tragic male lead, the emperor. Of course, it still wasn't completely perfect.

Just then, there was a sound of a racket and a few people screamed about a thief. A swift figure made its way towards us.

"Her again..." I heard Rezel mutter from beside me and I looked at him with confusion. He sighed and swiftly reached out his hand and in a moment, the figure of a woman was stood by us.

"Let go!" She hissed. "Or I'll make sure you find frog shit in your every meal!" She twisted to make Rezel let go of her arm and then widened her eyes when she noticed who'd caught her. "Ah..." Her shoulders sagged and she dipped her head in what seemed to be embarrassment. I noticed a strange creature on her shoulder. It looked like a furby but... ah, fuck, it was very much alive. I had a hold back a squeal at the sight of a new sort of creature right in front of me.

"You caught her!" The stall-vendor ran towards us, gasping for breath and then glared at the woman, who was scowling at him until Rezel rolled his eyes at her.

"You're just asking to be fed to the dogs," Rezel spoke to her and she gave him an awkward smile.

"I couldn't help it... haha..." she showed us her teeth in a troubled grin.

Rezel shook his head and tossed a gold coin towards the stall-vendor, who leaped to catch it. His greedy eyes then looked back at us, seeing an opportunity to exploit. "This isn't enough for the damage she did!"

At his words, the woman's eyes flashed. "Isn't enough?!" She hopscotched on one leg as she tried to remove her boot. "I'll show you enough, you ugly piece of swamp weed!" Rezel gave me a helpless shrug and the woman continued. "Not even the Bunyip would eat you, rotten leaf full of holes!"

The stall vendor turned red with anger and opened his mouth when Rezel butted in. "Just take her." He pushed at the woman's shoulder and she stumbled forward, somehow still miraculously managing to maintain her balance. She huffed and the man reached out to her when Rezel held out his hand.

"Then return the coin."

"What..." The stall-vendor opened his mouth. Rezel raised an eyebrow, and I noticed how the aura around him had changed suddenly.

"The woman or the coin."

The man didn't look like a stall-vendor of a big store, and a gold-coin was probably enough to afford more than half the things on a small stall, if not all of it. Anything the woman stole could most definitely not amount in an entire gold coin.

"Well?" Rezel tilted his head impatiently and narrowed his eyes. The man gulped before grumbling and stepping back. He gave the woman one last glare and walked away grouchily, but I noticed him grinning down at the gold coin in his hand. Ahhh, what a sneak!

The woman put on her boot again and then huffed at Rezel. "I was going to thank you but then realized how I wouldn't be caught if not for you anyway!"

Rezel smirked lopsidedly. "Is that so?" At that moment, two guards passed by us and we looked around to see many more patrolling the area. Yeah... she definitely would have been called.

The woman's eyes widened. "Where did they come from?!"

"Due to somebody, there's been an increase in reports of thieves." Rezel gestured around with a grin and then flicked the woman's forehead. "This is the result of your own actions. If you're going to steal, can't you do it more quietly?" The woman rubbed her forehead grumpily, and the creature on her shoulder reached out its tiny hands towards Rezel, like a child asking to be carried. That's when the woman noticed I was standing there. It's too bad because I was quite enjoying the drama.

Rezel too turned towards me and introduced the woman to me. "This thing is the neighbourhood kleptomaniac potion seller." I nodded in reply, as if that was a totally normal introduction. Not. Seriously, what kind of a fantasy world did I get myself into.

"I have a name, please!" The woman cried at him and then turned towards me with a bright smile, her expression a complete 180 from when she was just looking at Rezel. I almost got a whiplash. She held her hand out towards me. "My name is Saara!"

I too gave her a smile and reached my hand out towards her when it was caught mid-air by Rezel.

"Never shake her hand. No, just don't touch her." The woman made an incredulous face at his words but Rezel continued. "She's a master thief. Weren't you wearing a ring?"

At his words, I noticed that one of my rings, indeed, had vanished from my finger. I looked up with extreme confusion to see the woman sheepishly placing a ring on Rezel's open palm. As soon as she touched his skin, however, she jumped with a hiss. "Why'd you shock me!" She asked, rubbing her finger.

"A warning."

"Tch." The woman clicked her tongue and then looked at me. "So, who are you?"

"...Rose."

She eyed me and at that moment I remembered something.

"Wait... do you sell magic... things?" I asked her and she looked at me cautiously before nodding.

"Yeah. They're the highest quality items in this market. All other stall-vendors are liars!" She waved her hand dismissively. "My items are the best. Why? You need some? Do you want to get rid of someone?"

Rezel snorted from beside me but I was too lost in my memories of the book to react. This person was a character from the book! Well, a side character. More like a comedic relief. Her items were totally fake but she was brilliant at faking. She'd appear and sell fake stuff to the characters at times, and somehow say some really cryptic stuff along the way, that never really made sense. Not to mention...

The creature on her shoulder was desperately trying to get Rezel's attention as the two bickered.

That's not some ordinary pet monster.

I gulped. A sudden feel of nerves overcame me.

That's... the familiar of a god. Ila, the goddess of stories. And no one knows! Not even the woman, nor the heroine as it was spoken in third-person's POV!

Only I know this and how useless because now I'm just more stressed!

Shit, what's with this world. All these extreme characters are too easy to find!

I tugged at Rezel's sleeve. He turned towards me curiously. I gave him a smile. "It's getting late." I noticed the woman looking at me from my peripheral and hoped the creature wasn't paying much attention to me.

Rezel nodded and walked ahead in the street, without even speaking a goodbye to the woman. I quickly went after him, not knowing what to do, but when I'd turned back to look at where the three of us were standing, the woman was nowhere to be seen.

"How do you know her?" I asked him. He shrugged casually.

"I know most of the magic stall-vendors here. I have to keep checking for quality to make sure no one explodes."

Then he gave me a devilish grin.

"And sometimes I like selling fake stuff with her to the assholes that come along."

"Pfft!" I snorted. "Doesn't that make you the asshole?"

He shrugged again. "Never said I was a good person."

I nodded. "What a villain."

He raised his eyebrows lazily at me. "Says the villainess?"

We snickered together as we reached the destined merchant. "Shit, this is so bloody pretty!" I held up a traditional Russian dress, then looked at a white cotton shirt with Hungarian embroidery. There were also afghan dresses, as well as a huge flowing brocade kalidar lehenga. Some of these looked like clothes royal families of these cultures would wear and I was left in awe, feeling like I was in some historical world play's costume rehearsal.

As I was busy feeling through these clothes and putting them to my body, I noticed Rezel tilting his head. He stretched and then tapped on the table with his finger. "Five...?" He mumbled to himself.

"What are you doing now?" I asked him. "And how does this look on me?" I tried on a silk brocade robe similar to the one he was swearing and he smiled at me, narrowing his eyes.

"What, are you blatantly copying me now?"

I made an incredulous face at him. "Copying who? As if you created this style..." I mumbled to him and he snickered. "Anyway, it's not even that great!" I kept the robe back and exchanged it for a Indian shawl heavy with embroidery and sequins. I wore it around my shoulders and glanced at myself in the mirror. Rezel had come to stand beside me and I saw him in the mirror. He was looking at me. I turned towards him with a tilted head and he leaned down towards me.

"But I don't mind you copying me?"

"Are you still continuing this..." I grumbled at him, and moved to go around him but he sidestepped, getting in my way. "What are you doing?" I snapped, realizing how I actually felt a little nervous for some reason.

"Storyteller, you seem to have become quite popular." He murmured and reached his hand out towards my face. My eyes widened and I felt his touch on my ear.

"You've been using a lot of your elemental's blessing?"

I realized what he was talking about. "Ah... yeah. I keep getting in trouble for some reason." I frowned. "Is there any chance you're getting rid of another noble who might have some more elemental's blessing lying around?" I joked, making him grin.

"Or I could give you something better?" He tilted his head with a smile and I looked at him questioningly. What could be better to protect myself with than an elemental's blessing? But before I could ask him, he straightened up and moved back. "It seems there's some cleaning to do." I moved to walk along with him and he glanced at me at his side. "It's quite fun with you around?"

I raised my head as if to say isn't that obvious? And he chuckled.

I bought quite a lot of things and was teleported back to my room by Rezel, who again left without a goodbye.

I freshened up after the long day and went to bed, falling asleep almost immediately.

The next morning, at breakfast Avea told me something strange.

Five bodies were found hung in poles outside the market. They were cloaked and on the ground beside them, was a message written in their blood.

"What..." I frowned. "What was written?"

Avea paused, and gave me a grave look, as if to add to the drama. The colour of her hair shining blood-red as the rays of the sun hit it through the window better helped me imagine the scene. Two words were painted on the ground with blood.

"A warning."

***

Not been read for checking yet. Will be edited later.

Fucking loved Daisies. It was too, too sad. Relatable. Need more movies like this; more movies that show the common person's despair.