Chapter 8 

"We are in the human world, right?" I look at the whole forest around us. They're the normal kind that I'm used to. Even the smell of the vegetation is the same as I remember it. It all feels so familiar and nostalgic that all I can do is gawk.

This feels like a dream.

"We're not." Klovis, the breaker of dreams and delusions, says. "We're still in the fairy realm. This is the second stage of the test."

I shot him an annoyed glare. "You could have at least let me enjoy my little delusion a little more."

Klovis shrugs. "What? You asked!"

"Whatever." I sigh in disappointment. So much for dreaming of returning to the human realm. I shook my head and decided to focus on the glowing white road before us in the middle of the forest. Strange. I did not even notice this before. "Klovis, you mentioned that every floor has a rule, right?"
"Mhm."

"So what is this floor's rule?"

Klovis checks his arm, frowning as he reads the inscription on it. "Don't stray from the path."

"That's it?" I stare at him, waiting for him to continue in case there are any more.

"That's it." Klovis says, furrowing his brows before looking at the brick road that we are currently standing on. "We just have to follow this road in order to get to the next level."

"That sounds easy enough." The words leave my lips before I can stop them. I quickly cover my mouth before Klovis gives me a look.

"Woman, you just jinxed us." He lets out an exasperated sigh, already knowing to expect something from this challenge.

"Hey, I know you would have said it if I hadn't!"

"Fair enough."

Jade purrs, turning into his smaller form and jumping into Klovis's arms before falling to sleep. Klovis smiles and begins to slowly pet Jade's head. "Sleep well, bud."

I have to say that I am slightly envious that Jade chose to sleep in his arms instead of mine, but I guess Klovis is still technically his master and owner.

"I guess we should get a move on if we want to reach the next floor." I suggested.

Together, Klovis and I start to walk along the brick path. We stayed silent and made sure that we were looking around us in case something would pop out of nowhere and attack us, or rather, chase us. I start to shiver the moment I remember Mirror Klovis 2.0 back on the first floor. It was creepy and frightening. I believe that if I ever get any nightmares, it will be about that mirror monster from now on.

I started to feel something strange. There's a bubbling feeling inside of me, and I start to feel angry and irritated for some reason. Everything began to enrage me, and I could not control myself.

"These damn challenges are stupid!" I suddenly burst out. "Who the f*ck made these!? Why bricks paths!? We're not DOROTHY! Show me who made this rule and I will f*cking throw the bricks on their heads so they'll get better and original ideas!" I hear a frightened wince beside me and see Klovis shivering in fear. Seeing him look at me with such a frightened gaze made me angry. "What? WHAT!? WHY ARE YOU SHIVERING!?"

"Y-You're...You're scaring me." He stutters, and I swear I see him tear up a little as he hugs Jade, who is still sleeping in his arms.

"WASN'T THIS YOUR IDEA!? AND WHY ARE YOU WALKING SO SLOW!? WALK. WALK I SAY!" I suddenly noticed something glowing on his forehead. I reach out and move his bangs to see glowing fairy patterns on them. "Coward!?" I read, raising my brow and looking at Klovis, who is shivering from my touch. "Why do you have a lame word on your forehead!?"

"T-To make it fair, you have 'anger' written on yours."

"Angry? WHO'S ANGRY!?"

"EEK! No one!" He hiccups. "P-Please calm down—"

"I AM CALM!" I scream, feeling my head heat up in annoyance. "STOP TELLING ME WHAT TO DO!" I grumble and angrily stomp while walking. "Come on! Let's get going so we can get off this stupid floor!"

I feel my anger consuming me in an unhealthy manner. Every time I hear an annoying creak or sound, I whip my head in that direction and yell threateningly in the distance. The most annoying sound I heard was a bird that sounded like it was laughing right at us.

"KEKEKEKE!"

"It's that darn bird again! WHERE IS IT!?" I start to walk off with the intention of hunting the feathery animal when Klovis pulled me back.

"No, Livia! Don't leave the path. It's against the rules!"

"Grr!" Yes, I growled like an animal. I have no control whatsoever over my actions. All I know is that everything gets on my nerves! "Once I get a hold of that feathery flock, I'll wring it's wings and turn it into a flappy bird!"

"What's a—"

"KEKEKE!" The said bird finally showed itself, and I saw it perch on a nearby tree. It's a damn weird bird, I tell you. It's as massive as a cat, with multi-colored feathers on its body. It's beak is massive and curved like a parrot, and it lets out the most irritating noise that makes my ears bleed. I see it's gaze on us, watching us like prey. I glare at it in return, showing it my middle finger, which Klovis immediately covers.

"L-Livia, can you not offend the...the scary bird?"

I turn to Klovis with one brow raised. "Excuse me, but are you telling me what I should and should not do?"

"Eek! N-no! Of course not!" He squeaks and immediately moves back in fright.

Coward.

Although I am angry, I know that he is right. I still have a thin thread of sanity in me to know that I should not stray from the path. I begrudgingly started to walk, but then I suddenly tripped from one of the uneven bricks on the ground and fell face first on the road.

"KEEEE KEKEKEKEKEK!" The bird hollers and drowns the area with its creepy laughter.

I quickly pull myself up, moving my head, and see the bird almost falling off of its perch as it laughs while looking at my pathetic form on the floor. The last thread of sanity that I was talking about earlier finally snapped, and I finally lost it. I grabbed the brick that tripped me and threateningly aimed it at the bird.

"LAUGH AND I SWEAR YOU'RE GOING TO BE MY DINNER!"

"KEEEE KEKEKEKEKEKEKEK!" The bird laughed louder and flew away, continuing its mocking laugh.

"THAT'S IT! YOU'RE DEAD!" With the brick still in my hands, I got up and start to rush in the direction of where the stupid bird flew. "I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW THAT I SHOT IDIOTS LIKE YOU ON THE HEAD WITH A STONE BEFORE! YOU'RE GOING TO BE GOLIATH BECAUSE I AM SURE AS HELL GOING TO BE YOUR DAVID. YOU HEAR ME, GOLIATH!?" My throat burns as I yell out those words.

"L-Livia, wait for...for me!" I barely heard Klovis's words as I left him behind. I am not even sure if he is following me or not. All I am focusing on is Goliath flying and laughing.

This damn bird occasionally glances at me to see if I am following it, so I must be funny from its perspective. I guess that I should be thankful that I was looking funny because the bird got distracted by me and suddenly hit a branch and fell to the ground. An excited squeal escapes my throat as I go to pick the bird by the neck.

"Are you alive!? Goliath, you BETTER NOT have died because I am the ONLY ONE allowed to kill you! WAKE UP!" I scream and shake the unconscious feathered creature. "STAY WITH ME, YOU HEAR!? KEEE KE KE! Come on. Lemme hear you laugh that stupid laugh so I can officially silence you forever!! KEEE KEEEE KEEEE—"

"LIVIA!" Klovis managed to catch up to me and clings to me.

Huh, I never thought that the coward would even follow me.

"WHAT?! CAN'T YOU SEE THAT I AM BUSY!?"

"I-I can see that, but—"

"BUT WHAT!?"

"We strayed off from the path!"

I blink and pause. I try to make sense of what he just said. Suddenly, I remember that we are in the fairy realm and are taking some sort of test, and that Klovis and I just broke yet another rule for this stage.

"Oh, fu—"

*~*~*~END OF CHAPTER~*~*~*