Chapter 287 - A Price for Everything (4)

"You almost killed Rika. Rika was almost stuck into the other dimension, all alone, wandering between the two worlds until her death," I wasn't able to forgive him for giving Ella the idea to kill her brother.

"Rika thinks you should die with her, why don't you join her Ethan?" I narrowed my eyes.

Ethan stared at me more closely like he noticed something. He scanned me from top to bottom from my posture to my expression. Walking closer to me, he ignored all the guests around him.

"You're Rika," Ethan couldn't believe his own words.

"You look so different. You look like one of them," he whispered.

Under the moonlight, my eyes glowed cherry pink, the colour of my mana. My entire body was soaked in fairy dust as I tried to brush them off me. My delicate skin glimmered from the faint hint of light, unlike before. I could notice more changes here than the other dimension as the polished floors reflected my appearance.

"You see because of a certain someone, I had to exchange something to come back here," I crossed my arms.

"Are you a fairy now?" Ethan gasped.

"I only look like them, I'm not them yet," I stomped on Ethan's shoe as hard as possible.

"I'll have to message Luke," Ethan held in his pain.

I didn't want to stay at such a place anymore. I didn't want to stay in these glitzy mansions, full of people trying to grab as much power as possible. I wanted to go back him to my family, afraid that they wouldn't call me their daughter anymore. I had to go visit them. My parents barely knew what I looked like as I rarely met them.

All they had were those picture albums sent by the school as the only source of our connection together. I needed to be reassured, knowing my parents will be still able to recognize me. Luke burst into Ethan's mansion as he immediately noticed where I stood. I wondered how he was doing for the past few days.

Did their parents find him a new partner, thinking I wouldn't return? I hoped this was the case as I wanted to leave the first district. There would be no fairies nor monsters in the safe third district. Unfortunately, he was immediately able to recognize me even when my appearance has changed. It was what I expected from Luke, who was able to notice the tiniest things. We did live together for more than eight years.

"You're still alive," Luke pulled me into his arms.

"The books say that people who go onto the other side never return," he squeezed me even tighter.

"I tried going through everything when I could. But there were barely any helpful doc.u.mentations about them left," he trembled.

"Can we go home now?" I awkwardly stood still, ignoring his shaking hands.

"We have to go to the Impalia mansion. They have another fraction event today," Luke reluctantly let go of me.

"There's no way I'm going to another event," I was adamant.

"Let's talk in the hover car Rika," Luke sighed.

Luke covered up his emotions as he dragged me to his hover car. I sat down, waiting for him to continue the conversation as the hover car drifted higher into the sky. I couldn't believe we were going to a fraction event after all that happened. It was like I was being pulled into one situation to the next.

"I want to go to my parents in the third district," I crossed my legs.

"I don't want to stay in the unsafe first district anymore," I continued when Luke stayed silent.

"We can visit them after Sunday," he studied me, looking at all the changes.

"What if I want to leave now?" I shook my head.

"Everything has a price Rika. We joined the Impalia fraction to get their help a few weeks ago. I've been attending the events alone while going through all the books to get you back," Luke explained.

I had enough of the first district. Every single thing had a price, and nothing was done out of good will. Everyone expected something in return from me who had to give everything I had. When I thought there was nothing more for me to give, they broke me apart one by one, always finding more.

"But wouldn't they understand?" I grumbled.

"If I had really died and became a fairy, I wouldn't have been able to attend anyways," I shouted at him.

"Do you think I want to go too? Do you think I want to take you there when you barely came out from the other side alive?" Luke raised his voice.

"We need to go so we can ask them for help in the future," his hands trembled.

Unfortunately, I knew he was right. This was why I couldn't say anything back. Everyone in the first district was merciless. It was part of the unfair world we lived in. I jumped out of the hover car before it completely landed near the ground. If I had to go, then I would just attend, not doing anything else for them. The grand doors opened as Luke and I unwillingly stepped inside.

The event had already started, making us the last people to come in. Luke escorted me inside as the guests all turned to face us.