I am about to take a step forward when the door behind me burst open, and an arm stopped me from taking any step.


    I look back and saw an unfamiliar man. "Don''t touch it. You wouldn''t like what will happen if you touched it."


    I frowned at his words. "What do you mean? And who are you? Where am I? What am I doing here?"


    The man let go of my arms and closed the window. He then looks back at me. "What do I mean? That window," he points to the window."Is an illusionary window. If you touch it, you will be suck by it. The next thing you know, you will be stuck in this world forever."


    He walks towards the study table and sits on it. "Who am I? I am like you, Ysavel. But I think it''s too early for you to know about who I am. What is this world? This is the world between the real world and the fictional world. You couldpare it to the word purgatory. It a world between two worlds. Although we didn''t experience any grievances in here or any harm."


    This world is the world between the real world and the fictional world? It''s like a purgatory?


    I am about to ask him more questions, but he just shakes his head. "It''s better to ask the virtuoseter. You better prepare yourself. There are clothes inside the cab. Change into that, and I will wait for you outside."


    He then started to walk towards my door. He is about to close my door when he looks back at me. "Don''t get close in that window if you don''t want to stay here forever." He then closed the door without even waiting for my answer.


    I sit on the bed. I am still shocked at what is happening. I am in the world between the real world and the fictional world? But what am I doing here?


    My eyesnded on the closed window. And what''s with the window? Is what the man said is true? That if I touched it, I will be forever stuck in here?


    I sigh and shake my head. The guy said I should ask the questions I wanted to ask to the virtuose, but what are they? Who are they?


    I walk towards the cab and saw several clothes inside. There are clothes that look like they came from the real world. Trendy tops, dresses, and coordinates. There are also clothes that came from the fictional world. Medieval dresses. I just choose casual clothes from the real world. It''s been a long time since I wear something like this.


    I look at the mirror and smile. My smile got frozen when I saw the reflection in the mirror. It''s me! It''s the real me. It''s the face of Ysavel hos. I look at my body, and my eyes got widen more. I am no longer in a fourteen year old body. It''s my own body.


    What is happening here? I touched my face and tried to pinch it. I flinched when I felt the pain. It''s true. I''m on my own body now.


    I looked at the mirror and studied the face reflected on it. Although my features aren''t the same as Csille Lauretré but I could see a resemnce. Aside from my eyes and my hair bes ck again. I could still see traces of Csille in my facial features.


    "Do I really look like this? Howe I could see Csille on my own face?"


    "It''s because the two worlds have a connection. Your character''s face shouldn''t be far away from your own features, or else you would be mistaken as a part of the fictional world. And yes, right from the start, you look like Csille Lauretré."


    I look back and saw the man a while ago. He is peeking his head through my door. When he noticed that I was staring intently at him, he scratched his nape. "I''m sorry, I was worried that something might happen to you, that''s why I barged in. I keep knocking for a couple of minutes now, but you didn''t answer. I promise I didn''t see anything."


    I didn''t really mind him barging in. I was already dress up when he entered. What I''m intrigued about is what he just said. I look like Csille right from the start?


    I suddenly remember the first time I came here. Is the reason why I didn''t recognize I wasn''t in my own body is because Csille looks like me?


    "Ysavel?"


    I look at the man and shake my head. "Don''t worry, that''s okay. But I hope next time you would not do it. It''s rude to just barge into someone''s room."


    The man nods his head. "I know, and I''m sorry for that. Anyways, are you okay now? Should I lead you to where the virtuose are?"


    "Wait, what is this virtuose you are talking about? And why do I need to meet them?"


    The man paused and think for a moment. "I couldn''t really exin what they are. You would know when you met them. About why do you need to meet them? They are the ruler in this world. They do a lot of things for us. What are those things? It''s better to ask them and not me. Come on. I''m sure the virtuose would like to meet you."


    I just followed him where he leads me. Outside the room, I saw a very aesthetic hallway. It looks surreal. It''s so beautiful that I couldn''t even describe it. It''s not just about the physical beauty of the hallway, but it''s also about the aura and mood it''s giving off.


    After walking for a couple of minutes, we arrived at the ce where the virtuose are staying.


    In front of us, there is a big door. It''s so huge that its height isparable to a two story building. What in the world is this door? Could they even open it? It looks like it''s made of gold based on its appearance.


    The man looks back at me and smiles. "Amazing it is? When I first came here, I was also amazed by this giant door, but you should see what''s on the inside. You''ll be more amazed." After saying those words, he pushed the door like it''s not made of gold.


    My eyes widened when I saw that. I stared at his arms and frown. With his thin arms, he could he pushed that door?


    I heard the manughed. "Although this door looks heavy, any person could push it. Even a toddler could open this if they want to. This door based its weight on the strength of the person opening it."


    What? Even a toddler could open this? How amazing this door could be? This looks so cool.


    "Come inside. I''m sure the virtuose are awaiting for you."


    The man opens the door for me. My mouth went agape when I saw the inside of the room. This. I''ve never seen anything like this in my whole life. It''s as if we''re in a different world.


    The room didn''t even look like a room. It looks like we''re in a gxy. There are stars everywhere. There are alsoets and a? I tried to reach my hand to touch the stars, but I can''t feel anything.


    "You cannot touch it. No matter how close it seems to you, you won''t ever touch it. It''s just part of an illusion of this room."


    "Illusion?"


    The man nods his head. "Yes, as I said, this world is the world in between the real world and the fictional world. Everything in here is a fusion of things in the real world and the fictional world. And this illusion is the product of it. The concept of gxies, stars, ands are based on the real world, but to make this illusion works, the fictional world works its way. It''s the reason why you can see it, but you cannot touch it."


    This whole real world and fictional world are making me confused now. How did I get here? Is the forbidden alley connected to this world?


    The man is still busying himself exining things in here when someone speaks behind us. I look around and saw a group of people walking towards our direction.


    The man immediately bows his head when he saw the people walking towards us. "Great Virtuose, your follower, Earl, brought Ysavel hos to all of you, as yourmand."


    I look at the man who is named Earl and to the people who are now standing in front of us. My eyes immediately widen when I saw some familiar faces.


    "It''s you!" I gasped when I saw the little girl who gave me the notebook in the real world. She''s the same reason why I''m stuck in the fictional world. "What are you doing here?"


    The little girl just raised his eyebrow at me and ignored me afterward. I am about to say something to the little girl when I heard a very familiar voice.


    "It''s been a long time since I talked to you, but you still didn''t improve. Still a dumb person." I look at the guy who is shaking his head at me as if saying he is utterly disappointed with me.


    "Your voice! Is it you? Is it you who talks to me in my dream!" That''s the reason why his voice sounds so familiar to me. It''s because he is that sarcastic and rude voice who talks to me.


    The guy justughs at me. "Well, at least you realized who am I. I thought you would be so dumb not to recognize my voice."


    "Pearce, can you not be rude with our visitor here."


    I look at the man who talks just now, and my eyes immediately widen when I realized who is it. "It''s you! Aren''t you the man in the bookshop? What are you doing here?"


    The man just smiled at me. "Sorry about Pearce, he can be rude sometimes, but he didn''t mean to offend anyone. And yes, I am the guy in the bookshop but I don''t really work there. It''s just the book''s way to find you."


    The book! The glowing book. How did I forget about it? The man said that the book traveled just to find me. But the question is, where is the book?


    "Wouldn''t better to talk about this inside?" Another familiar voice speaks from somewhere. I look around and saw a man who is probably the same age as me.


    The man that I met in the bookshop agreed and in just a snap of his fingers. We''re already standing in a very cozy room. It looks like a receiving area.


    The little girl, the rude voice, the man who is the same age as mine, the man who brought me here, and the man who works in the bookshop immediately find a ce to sit.


    The man from the bookshop gestured me to sit to the vacant seat. I immediately sit and stare at them. These people, I have been in contact with them before. Mostly on my dreams. But I didn''t expect I would see them in real life.


    "You are probably wondering why are you here. It''s simple, because you''re one of the people who we guide. Earl," the man from the bookshop points to the man who guides me to this room. "Probably said a few things about this world. But I would further exin it to you."


    "Ysavel hos, the writer of the novel, ''King Are You Gay?'' , wee to the Kosmo Metaxy world. A world between the real world and the fictional world. This world exists because of writers like you. To help you to be a great writer. This world exists because of the desire and passion of all the struggling artists in the real world. And us, the virtuose, are created to guide spirits of the artists to be great in their respective fields."


    I raised my hand at him to tell him to stop. I couldn''t process what they are saying. It sounds gibberish to me. "Wait, I don''t understand anything. Kosmo what? This world exists because of me? You will help me to be a great writer? Am I high, or did I really heard you said those words?"


    The sarcastic voice just scoffed at me. "You are really dumb, aren''t you? You''re not high and what you heard is all true. This world exists to help writers like you, who have a great passion for writing butck talent on it. And you, you are chosen by the book to be a part of this world."


    "A part of this world?"


    The man from the bookshop nods his head. "Yes, Ysavel. The book chooses you to help you be the writer you want to be. And being chosen means you will be part of this world. The Kosmo Metaxy world."


    "I''ll be a part of this world? What do you mean?"