Filler of the Missing Fragment

"You and Pyu were the only ones we found near the Mystic Peaks, Nanang. Everyone else... I don't know... How to say it? 

"They just vanished. No trace."

"That can't be..."

I could see the distress in Putri's eyes, a tumultuous storm of worry and determination. She was clearly grappling with the situation but refusing to succumb to despair. "We found some of their belongings, but the people... it's like they were just... erased."

A chilling memory crept into my mind.

Shadows of Fate, wasn't it?

A plot I crafted for an English drama back in high school, where similar fates befell the extras. They existed just to be swept away, a plot device for shock value, all in an attempt to get a reaction out of my friends.

But this?

This was real, and the eerie feeling that my past creations might somehow be linked to this reality gnawed at me.

That... couldn't be possible, could it? 

In any slim chance that it was like the one in my story, the people missing there... they're not missing.

They died.

And there's no way of saving them.

Leave it to me to find real-life consequences for my teenage drama plots, huh?

"But, I've been trying to gather information, figure out what really happened. There's no conclusive evidence, but there are some talks about a pocket dimension, and it's somehow connected to the heartstone..." Putri's voice was tinged with both hope and dread.

I furrowed my brows, "Pocket dimension?"

And that is something I haven't heard about. 

"A space between spaces," Putri explains, her eyes flicking with uncertainty. "It's like being trapped in a never-ending dream. Their fate is uncertain, rescuing them would be no easy task. But—" her voice trembles slightly, "—there is hope."

A never-ending dream?

That could've been what happened to me. But I kind of only vaguely remember what happened now. Well, that was just like a dream, right?

I shook the thought away. As baffling as the idea of my past creations affecting this world was, now wasn't the time to dwell on that. What mattered was that there might be a slim chance to save them. I had to know more, had to believe that there was hope.

The door creaked open, and a stern figure stepped into the room, holding my brushes and paints, all taken by the royal guards after investigating the Mystic Peaks. I patted my pocket, thankfully... it seems that my sketchbook was still safely hidden.

Putri quickly bowed and said, "Captain Selar, sir."

"Curious," he mused, examining a paintbrush with a quizzical look, "that a traveler would burden themselves with these... rather than more practical tools. A sword, perhaps?"

I eyed the art supplies, my bewilderment growing. "How did you know they belonged to me?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

Captain Selar's eyes narrowed slightly. "The catgirl. She told us they were yours."

Ah, Pyu. Of course. Leave it to her to spill the beans. Though, knowing her, she probably thought she was doing me a favor. Somehow, I couldn't be mad at her.

"We've confiscated these for now," Captain Selar announced, his voice echoing slightly in the room. "There's a hearing with the queen tonight. She wants to know about the Mystic Peaks incident."

The knot in my stomach tightened. A hearing? With the queen? About the Mystic Peaks incident? What relevance did my art supplies have to the investigation?

I tried to put on a brave face. But who was I kidding? A meeting with the queen? That's like being invited to the most extravagant party and then realizing you're the piñata.

How's that for living the dream?

We were soon escorted to a grand dining hall for lunch, where Pyuan was eagerly waiting, her tail twitching in apparent excitement. Despite her enthusiasm, I couldn't shake the sense of foreboding that hung over the room.

The royal guards, the stern captain, and the upcoming hearing with the queen created an atmosphere of tension that was palpable. The spread was lavish, filled with exotic dishes and delicacies, but the nervousness made the food taste bland.

Pyuan's eyes lit up as we approached. "Nanang! You're awake~pyu!"

I managed a weak smile. "Thanks for saving me from those shadows, Pyu. I don't know what I would have become if you hadn't saved me." My voice was filled with genuine gratitude, but my stomach was still doing somersaults, no thanks to the upcoming hearing.

Her face brightened with a proud grin, "I told you I could be of use~pyu!""

Putri leaned in, her voice barely above a whisper. "I've got some acquaintances from the academy. They're now in the palace, serving as apprentices to the nobles. Might be able to get us some intel."

I raised an eyebrow, curious. "Apprentices, huh? That's quite the position."

She nodded, her face serious. "Yes, they're learning the ways of court life, etiquette, and diplomacy. They have access to places we don't. It's a unique opportunity for students in their final year at the academy, like a rite of passage."

Putri's eyes sparkled with determination. "I'll try to reach out to them. After all, they owe me a favor or two from our time together at the academy. We'll find out what's happening with this pocket dimension and how it connects to the heartstone. And if we're lucky, we might get to know what the queen is planning about it."

I glanced down at my plate, the weight of our task settling in. With these two by my side, I couldn't help but feel a growing sense of hope.

All I had to do was keep my sketchbook hidden and trust in my friends.

Just another day in this world, I suppose.

As I thought about our next moves, my hand reached into an inner pocket of my cloak, unconsciously seeking the comforting texture of my sketchbook. They had missed it during their search. This thick, leather-bound sketchbook, a cherished gift from my mother, suddenly seemed even more precious in this strange, new world.

Earlier, I'd caught a glimpse of a grand portrait of the queen that hung in the palace corridor. Her face had seemed strangely familiar, but I hadn't been able to place why.

Now, as I flipped through the pages of my sketchbook, a shocking realization hit me. There, among the various sketches, was a graceful woman with a commanding presence that looked uncannily like the queen from the portrait.

Yet another one of my creations coming to life in this strange new world?

The resemblance was unmistakable, and it sent a chill down my spine. I'd better keep my doodles of giant spiders well away from here.

Talk about living the dream... again.