[A/N: I don't know why, but I can feel my philosophy as an author changing by each day. I guess this means that I am growing.
From the countless stories I consumed, I used to not pay attention to how the story was written. Only by getting immersed in them.
How ironic, now as an amateur author, I am aware of how different authors write their own stories. From poetry to foreshadowing, from emotions to plot twists.
From countless literary techniques to now.
Maybe being an excellent author meant being able to change others' lives through their text.
I wonder, how much have I changed yours?
From being invested in my characters to wanting more chapters? I wondered lately. Have I affected you? For the better? For the worst?
Life is truly strange, don't you agree? But alas, I am still an 18-year-old boy learning his way in life, learning his own passion and purpose.
I wonder how the future will unfold. Will I be forgotten? Or will I be recognised as an author or artist?
Ah... I feel like laughing. Am I the same me when I created this fanfic, or have I grown more like an adult? I don't know anymore. Memories are often unreliable. But that's the beauty of life, I suppose.
Enough of my rambling; you're only here to read my story.
Enjoy.]
[A/N edit: I must've written this when I was very sleep-deprived. I don't even remember writing this author's note. Huh.]
---
"You do know about common sense, right?" Kincsem asked both Rudolf and Echo; they were still shivering from being soaked wet. They were huddled near the fireplace, covered by a massive woolly blanket.
"Achoo!" Echo sneezed while Rudolf rubbed her palms against each other to create friction.
Kincsem just looked at them with a dull gaze. "So, why the hell were you swimming in the river during winter?" She rubbed her forehead, annoyed.
"Um... I found a waterfall next to the river-"
"A waterfall? You think this is a cartoon?" Kincsem remarked with a dumbfounded expression before sighing.
Knowing both of these girls, Kincsem was sure that Echo had managed to convince Symboli Rudolf to join her for something. She wondered how much Rudolf was love-struck with Echo?
"Why?" she asked them, and Echo stopped shivering as she tilted her head up, staring back.
"The cold... I wondered if the oceans within us can be that cold."
Staring at those black eyes with white pupils, Kincsem felt goosebumps rising from her spine as she grinned. 'Had she entered her subconscious ocean? No, more like she can sense it.'
Then, with her fisted hand up in the air, she swung down and hit Echo's head just enough for there to be pain, but no bruises.
"Acck!" Echo's tail stood straight as her ears flattened, before quickly folding to her knees, clutching the top of her head.
Tears threatened to leave her eyes as she whimpered; Kincsem sighed while rubbing her knuckles.
It was a while since she gave her fist of love.
Rudolf looked afraid. She can't use her reputation or ability to defend herself! She can't fight back against Kincsem; otherwise she would be punished as well!
No matter how much she wanted to defend Echo, she wanted to survive even more!
'Sorry, Echo, but I'll buy you plenty of carrot candies after the training...' Rudolf thought while glancing away guiltily.
"You could've experienced it in a controlled setting, you moron. What if you got sick? What if something horrible happened, such as slipping on a rock in the water? What if you got infected?"
Kincsem shook her head before taking a seat, glancing at the whimpering Echo Eclipse before sighing again. She felt like she was sighing often these days.
"Why aren't you answering me?"
Echo barely stopped her whimpering as she glanced up with glossy eyes. "I just felt like I needed to..."
Kincsem could only groan, 'I was planning to train their mind during their morning hikes and meditation, but if Echo gets sick, my plan has to be scrapped.'
"Echo."
"Y-yes?"
"Until I say otherwise, you're not allowed to see Rudolf."
Crack.
Echo Eclipse had turned into stone, as she stared with opened mouth wide enough to fit an egg.
"Eh?"
With no more clarification, Kincsem picked the shivering Echo up and left the cabin. Throwing her into another cabin that was right beside them.
Entering this cabin, Echo realised that it was really warm, like a greenhouse. Then she was abandoned by Kincsem; she looked around and found a spa for some reason, and there was even a comfy room with a bunch of snacks and sodas.
"Eh?"
Meanwhile, back at the main cabin. Rudolf was frozen when she realised she wouldn't see Echo for a long time. If this were a determined outcome, then she should've defended Echo Eclipse from the start!
Kincsem entered, and due to the lighting, she looked evil. Slowly turning her head and smiled at Rudolf. Her amber eyes glinted.
Suddenly, Rudolf felt a horrible premonition coming her way. She slowly shifted away from Kincsem, intending to run to her bedroom. But the words that left Kincsem's mouth made her freeze.
"Do you want to be Echo Eclipse's rival? Truly her rival?" Kincsem said, standing in the shadow while Rudolf, who was standing in the light, turned her head toward her.
"You can feel it, don't you? This year, you may match Echo Eclipse at the Japan Cup and Arima Kinen, but what after this year? And the year after that?"
Symboli Rudolf slowly nodded; she already knew. Echo Eclipse's condition was skyrocketing, and soon she won't be worth a glance in the future from Echo Eclipse.
She may be the Emperor; she may be able to dominate the track; she may be able to track without a loss in her career; but that was because Echo Eclipse never raced against her during any official races.
"The only way that you could keep your title as her rival forever is to go through hell." Kincsem then crossed her arms, smirking.
"Are you willing to enter your own personal hell?" She asked Symboli Rudolf, who stood up, and her blankets fell to the ground. She glared back with immense determination.
She wants to be an opponent that Echo Eclipse could be proud to race against; she wants Echo Eclipse to give it her all to beat her. But most of all, she wants to win against Echo Eclipse.
For Echo Eclipse, is the only one who was permitted by Symboli Rudolf to stand by her side.
"What do I need to do?" Her aura increased, pressuring everything inside the main cabin, except for Kincsem, who smirked, satisfied.
"Learn to die." Kincsem's aura came out, immensely overpowering Rudolf's own aura. If Rudolf didn't know better, she could've thought that Kincsem was using a zone!
She fell to her knees, gasping and gripping her neck; she felt her lungs creaking and her eyes blurring. Her muscles felt like it was tearing themselves apart; her bones felt like being pulverised to dust.
"If you can survive to the end, I promise you. You will be truly worthy to call yourself Echo Eclipse's rival."
From then forward, Rudolf's one month of hell without Echo Eclipse started. Kincsem trained both girls separately and improved their independence from each other.
Kincsem didn't want them to be unable to live without each other. That wouldn't be good for their long-term future.
Rudolf's time during that month was truly hellish; countless times she just wanted to pass out, but she always remembered Echo Eclipse's face. Her spirit refused to give up; she wanted to beat Echo Eclipse; she wanted to run beside Echo Eclipse.
She wanted to be worthy of Echo Eclipse.
And so, she persevered, and her will was tempered into a diamond. A gem worthy of the title "The Emperor."
.
.
.
"Agh!" Rudolf sat up, sweating and panting. She glanced around and remembered she was no longer at that training camp. She was here, in Central Tracen Academy.
She comforted herself, saying that it was only a nightmare; she hadn't returned to that hell.
She turned her head to the other side of the dorm, spotting Echo Eclipse peacefully sleeping.
"Right... She won the Yayoi Sho yesterday..." Rudolf took a deep breath before looking at her palms.
Ever since their return to the academy, Rudolf made sure not to train with Echo Eclipse.
Symboli Rudolf wanted to surprise Echo Eclipse at the Japan Cup, and she hoped Echo would like this surprise.
Her lips curled up, "Don't be surprised if I beat you, Echo." She glanced at the sleeping Echo Eclipse with a warm gaze, and shockingly, the sleeping Echo Eclipse responded, "Try it if you can... mhh... carrot-chan..."
'Carrot-chan?' Rudolf blinked in a daze before chuckling. She is truly in love with this girl, be it when Echo raced, ate, slept, or talked; even her very existence.
She loved every single part of that girl, to the point she thanked the goddesses for letting her be born in the same era as her.
"I guess she won't be able to eclipse her way out," Rudolf whispered and chuckled at her pun before going back to sleep.