Hey guys... Finally, after almost a month we didn't meet... I'm back from my little break. Thank you for your patience, especially to Alexriolover95 and Fenix139 who always give a review in each chapter in this story. And, I will respond a little about your review in the previous chapter...

Alexriolover95 : I beg you buddy don't misunderstand Jewel. She isn't going to be a drug addict, lol...! Why did you think about it that far? (o) And yes... he is as you might expect. I hope I don't disappoint you...

Fenix139 : As I expected from you... You are so detailed. There are good and bad news... the good news is that I might be able to answer all your questions, and the bad news is... I hope I don't disappoint you regarding the end of this story.

Now, I can start writing again... Happy reading...


3rd person POV

One sunny summer morning... seven years ago...

A small town located around Moosehead lake that they call Moose Lake, a quiet and peaceful little town. With an average temperature that is relatively cold every year, even in the summer. With a population of no more than three thousand inhabitants, the city doesn't often hold such a large and luxurious event. But on this day, in 2009 a writing contest was held for children who live around the city. A massive and well-known event in the city is held once a year in the town hall. Two thousand people, with a population of children who are less than twenty percent, give birth to the forerunners of international scholars. Therefore, the mayor of Moose Lake decided to hold a writing contest to help writers from young to old to hone their skills years ago.

Like this year, writing contests for children are held as usual at the town hall that is strategically located on the edge of the lake. With a large lawn and views of the Moosehead lake to the east, so that when the sun rises, its light is spread by the surface of the lake.

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A bustling summer morning in the city hall... lots of children with their parents walking into. All of them are contestants of the writing contests who are waiting for the announcement of winners and at the same time when the prizes are awarded. Children between the ages of seven and nine feel so happy and worried. Well... the simplest gifts like candy and trophies, for example, might make them feel nervous like that.

"Hmmpf..." A male scarlet macaw who walked towards the hall alone. A nine-year-old boy who put on a confident smile while looking around him, "I will definitely get that first place. Because I'm Timans Noque, the creator of a famous hero in this city. There's no way my hero will lose." with confidence, he said to himself in front of the entrance.

"Get out of my way... you're blocking the entrance." A young girl's voice rang out from behind him.

The scarlet macaw looked behind him, "Emy?!" he looked a little surprised, "What are you doing here?"

A female yellow macaw stands behind him. Her face showed a cold expression, and her eyes stared sharply at him...

"What am I doing here? Of course waiting for the results." replied the little girl named Emy, with a relaxed expression.

"No, I mean... this is the first time I've seen you here. So, you also sent your story?" asked the scarlet macaw.

"Yeah... this is my first time," Emy answered, still in a flat tone.

"Then, it's unfortunate for you, is not it? Because this is your first time, it must be difficult to get first place." the scarlet macaw grinned confidently.

"Really?"

"Of course... because I am the one who will get the first place!" the scarlet macaw exclaimed with confidence.

"Well, let's see about that... Alex."

The scarlet macaw named Alex is Emy's classmate. They already know each other thanks to their relationship with Aryna who is an editor of children's magazines, and also a novelist, and Alex's mentor too. He has sent many stories, most of which are super hero stories for the magazine. Alex had just published his story into a book that was quite a hot topic among lovers of fantasy novels around Minnesota. As for Emy, actually, she also got the same guidance from Aryna but as she said, this is the first time she wrote a story and sent it to this contest.

About thirty minutes later...

"No way..." Alex's face was shocked, his beak opened, "I got third place..."

And the results have been announced... when a '21 cm x 29.7 cm sheet of paper' was displayed on the bulletin board in the town hall. The paper sheet contains a list of children who get scores from famous novelists in the world. The contestants gathered around that board, some of them felt sad, disappointed... and some felt something contrary to what they felt...

"Oh... not bad. You get third place for that unreasonable story." Emy who was standing next to him, commented after seeing the list before her eyes.

"Shut up..." Alex responded in a limp tone, exhaled and then asked Emy, "Then, how about you?"

"Look at the name above yours..." Emy replied with a teasing tone and a little smile.

Alex lifted his face, looked at the list once more, then moved his eyes up. He saw Deduvox that was one number above his, "No way... you got second place...?!"

"Right..." Emy smiled, "Maybe I'm just lucky." she then looked at Alex's slightly pale face, and felt the aura of despair from him, "Don't take it seriously... it's just a little contest. After all, you get a third place isn't too bad, right?" she tried her best to calm him down.

"Haaah..." Alex sighed, then smiled, "Maybe I still have a lot of practice, eh? Just wait, Deduvox!" and his confidence has returned. With a confident tone, he pointed his finger at her, "My hero will not give up...!"

"Yes, yes... Timans Noque." Emy smiled, "But unfortunately, my 'hero' also doesn't want to lose."

"Oh yes... if you get second place. Then, who gets the first?" Alex said with a curious tone, then looked at the list once more. Looking at the top of the sheet, and reading the name of the author who is at the top of the list,"Hyacinthum G...? What is that? This is the first time I've heard that name... "

"He is a new writer." Emy answered who was still standing next to him, "He is the son of Anicius G."

"Anicius G?! The legendary novelist...?" asked Alex with surprise.

"Yes..." Emy nodded.

"But..." Alex then looked up at the list of story titles written by each contestant, "What is that? The story he wrote..." stared at the title of the story belonging to Hyacinthum G on it,"F? Only one letter?"

"F..." Emy responded, "F in sheet music is forte, which means 'loud'..."

Alex looked at her, paused while listening to her...

"The book tells of a young pianist who tried to survive in two world wars in a state of suffering from liver disease... a story that describes how hard life is, makes you reflect on the meaning of a life." Emy went on to explain, "Look, even on the book, the title is italicized... it's exactly like a forte symbol in sheet music, isn't it?"

"But how do you know?" Alex asked once more.

"Because I've read it..." she replied, then whispered to herself, "A really sad story..."

Alex's POV

'Forte, huh?' I said to myself, glancing at Emy's eyes... with a glimpse of a tear that was about to flow from her right eye.

I think the story is really sad, because I rarely see her eyes glistened with tears. In fact, she when she was at school was touted as a cold-hearted loner, and could even be called feelingless girl.

Emy, my classmate is an introvert. She's very difficult to get along with her peers, so she doesn't have any friends. Because she is indeed a bird like that, she is the very picky type in friendship. Not everyone she knew she called a friend, only a few... I could know that because we had known each other for a long time. Whether I am considered a friend by her or not, but one thing is certain...

"Hey..." Emy looked at me with her expressionless face.

"What?" I responded.

When she considers someone as her friends... she will never leave and forget her friends. Good friends, I think, are hard to find, harder to leave and impossible to forget. Even though she is a cold bird, and her face rarely shows expression... she is actually a good bird, maybe she is just ashamed to show her feelings.

"There's still time before the main event begins. Let's have a drink first." she continued, staring at my back. There's an automatic drink vending machine near a long bench. A child... a blue feathered bird sitting on it alone while reading a book.

"Okay..."

I really want to read the story that has reached her heart... I want to meet Hyacinthum G.

The two of us walked towards the automatic vending machine... put the money in it, pressed the drink button we wanted, then stepped onto the long bench next to it, where there was already a kid sitting on it.

"Excuse me... can we sit here?" I asked politely.

The boy turned his eyes away from his book and looked at us, "Yeah..." he replied rather awkwardly. His face expressed something that was difficult to explain in words... but one thing I knew... his eyes were blank.

"Thanks." I expressed my gratitude to him, but he ignored me... his eyes returned to his book.

Emy and I finally sat on the long bench, with the blue boy between us. Since he had absolutely no intention of wanting to shift one bit. It's okay, he was the first to sit on this bench, I couldn't ask him to move from a place he considered to be comfortable for him.

'Is he here alone? He's a contestant too, isn't he?' I asked various questions in my mind.

A few moments later...

And in the end, no one of the three of us spoke out. That blue boy was too focused on reading, and as usual... Emy was also just silent, because she's a quiet bird.

After a while passed... I don't know for sure how long the three of us sat here waiting for the main event, specifically... gifts-giving and awards from the mayor to the first, second and third winners. The forerunner of great writers... according to the mayor, who is now standing on the stage. He will soon read out three contestants who will be given direct prizes from him.

I am grateful to be in third place... though actually, I was a little shocked by the appearance of two new writers who won first and second place. It's okay... I won't give up being a famous fantasy novel writer in the world.

"Welcome contestants, parents, ladies and gentlemen..."

As usual, the mayor opens first with his boring speeches. Many times I yawned, waiting for him to finish his speech.

"Thanks to the mayor for his warm welcome on this sunny morning. And now, the time has come for us, to welcome our three prospective young writers...!"

Here it is... after thirty minutes of boring speech, finally the time has come...

"We have three talented kids here, this morning. These children's feelings are expressed on a plain white sheet in the form of letters, words, sentences, paragraphs, to chapters...!"

I can meet Hyacinthum G...

"In third place, a young writer that we know very well. He is the bird responsible for the creation of serial stories in various children's magazines, as well as the creator of heroes who are very much loved by our children. He has also published a fantasy and sci-fi novel at the age of eight... He is Timans Noque. This time he wrote a new sequel from his character's journey, with a background in sixteen alternative worlds, a world that looks like earth but everything in it, is the opposite of what is on earth... the story is titled, Planes of Oblivion."

My pen-name... my author's name... that is the name given by my little sister, Lisa. Timans Noque... if the name is explained, it actually comes from Latin. I've no idea how she could get such a name, the important thing is I like to use this name.

Walking awkwardly towards the stage for the second time in one year. Maybe this event isn't as crowded as in the city, but I'm grateful to be able to get on this stage with my friend who will soon be called. The applause of the children and their parents began to echo in this hall, just after I stood on the stage smiling at them all... esteemed readers.

"Then, we have a new writer. She calls herself Deduvox, this blond feathered little girl has written a deep, dark story. A main character who is anti-social, isn't accepted in society, lives alone in school, even in her own home. Here she is, the author of the story titled My Boring Story... well, even though in reality it made the readers curious, including me. My Boring Story... a story that isn't boring at all. Anyway, let's welcome Deduvox!"

'Oh yes... if I'm not mistaken, the genre of her story is psychology, and romanticism, isn't it?' I whispered to myself, 'Until the main character finally meets someone who starts to give color to her life... and her life has begun to change.'

Emy stepped onto the stage, her eyes fixed on the floor with her long breath which she repeatedly did, 'Is it possible she felt nervous? For cold-hearted bird like herself?' I asked myself.

The audience's applause echoed along with the second writer who climbed onto the stage...

"And finally... the son of Anicius G. As expected of her son, even though this is the first story he wrote, but the plot is very weighty. With historical, war and psychological themes... it has made the story rather complicated, right?"

Okay, show yourself... Hyacinthum G!

"The story of a liver disease pianist who tried to survive in two world wars created by a writer who has the same surname as Anicius G... let us welcome Hyacinthum G!"

'Impossible... he is Hyacinthum G!' I cried in my mind when I saw a male blue bird walking up the stage, 'So it turns out he is Hyacinthum G ?! A quiet kid who was sitting alone on the bench while reading a book...?!'

Really beyond my expectations, it turns out that the blue kid is Hyacinthum G... meaning from the beginning we had met him...

Hyacinthum G... walking onto the stage didn't show a happy face at all... even though his face smiled, but his gaze was empty.

"Here are, gentlemen and ladies, our three young writers!"

Lively applause once again echoed in our ears. After on the bench, now the three of us stand together on the stage, still in the exact same position. Hyacinthum G is in the middle, Emy is on his left, and I'm on his right.

"Alright, look at the camera."

A photographer wants to take our pictures, after receiving the trophies and awards from world-renowned novelists... and this photo will be...

"Everyone says, stories..."


Chapter 14 : Old Chapters Part 1, Three of a Kind


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A proof of our first meeting...

And done...

I feel if this flashback story is long enough, maybe five to seven more chapters, and after that we can go back to the present. Honestly, I still haven't completed this flashback yet, only a few. But at least, I can answer all the questions that make you curious.

Okay guys... thank you for taking the time to read this chapter. If you either like it or not make sure to leave a review... you may criticize, advise, or do whatever you want. But nonetheless, I hope you guys enjoy it.

And one more thing... I want to thank Alexriolover95 for allowing me to include his OCs...

'Alex and Lisa belong to Alexriolover95'