I Was Not Meant To Exist-Chapter 54: Alex Sander VS Katarina Mars

A gust of cold wind swept through the palace located in the center of the city, the sun now leaning toward the west struggling to provide its warmth in the midst of winter.

In one of the palace gardens, stood a pavilion surrounded by flowers that were nearly frozen.

Inside the pavilion, a round table was occupied by two teenagers sitting across from each other.

Neither of them spoke at all as the servants arranged warm tea and snacks on their table.

The aroma of the tea and the scent of the still-warm pastries did not distract their attention from each other.

One of them was a young man with short black hair, his black eyes fixed on the blue eyes of a girl in front of him, her long red hair now tied into a ponytail.

Once the servants finished setting the table, they turned and left. As their footsteps faded, the young man pointed at the girl.

His lips trembled slightly as he spoke, his gaze growing sharper.

"Damn it... why did you lie about that, Katarina?"

Katarina remained silent, the young man’s heart beating faster as he spoke again.

"Why?! I remember the name of that artifact! You said it was stolen during the train incident, so why the hell did you lie?!"

The young man covered his face, leaning back against his chair, his face directed toward the pavilion ceiling.

He remembered the first event he experienced in his new world, an event he would never forget, the one that made him realize that this new world was not much different from the one he used to live in.

The young man let out a breath and looked back at Katarina.

"What did they take back then...?"

Katarina stayed silent, lowering her head slightly and closing her eyes.

Veins bulged on the young man’s forehead, his hand unconsciously slamming the table, causing the tea in his cup to spill slightly.

"...what really happened, damn it!"

Katarina exhaled, opened her eyes, and looked at the young man, her voice slightly soft.

"It was a fake artifact, Alex."

Alex’s face stiffened, he stared at Katarina for a moment, unmoving, even the cold wind failing to make him shiver.

His eyebrow twitched as he spoke.

"What did you say? Fake? That was a fake artifact?"

Katarina nodded several times in confirmation.

Alex’s body trembled slightly, a disbelieving smile slowly forming on his face.

"Are you insane? If that was fake, were the deaths there fake too...?"

Alex fell silent for a moment, remembering the young man who became his first acquaintance in this new world.

Alex pointed toward the frozen garden.

"...do you remember Ilyas?! If that was fake, then he died for nothing!"

Alex’s heart beat faster, pumping hot blood through his body.

He shook his head in disbelief.

"That’s crazy, you know? That’s really crazy..."

Katarina swallowed, looking at Alex as she tried to speak.

"I didn’t know either. I only found out after I returned to the palace after that incident."

Alex scoffed dismissively at her words, covering his eyes with his left hand.

"And you expect me to believe that after your lie?"

Katarina sighed and slowly stood up.

"You can ask the queen, I’ll call her..."

Alex looked at Katarina with disbelief, leaning back into his chair.

"No need, damn it."

Katarina sat back down after hearing that.

Both of them remained silent for a while, letting the cold wind cool the warm tea they hadn’t even touched.

The sound of Alex’s rough exhale broke the silence.

He spoke more calmly now.

"Why did you lie?"

Katarina didn’t answer immediately. She took a sip of her tea to moisten her dry throat.

Her blue eyes fixed on Alex, her gaze as cold as the air.

"To judge what kind of person you are."

One of Alex’s eyebrows rose, his face turning confused.

"Huh?"

Katarina placed her teacup down, clasped her arms on the table, and leaned forward slightly.

"I did it to get to know you better, Alex..."

Alex’s face grew even more confused, and Katarina continued.

"Do you know what I saw that day?"

Katarina smiled faintly, recalling the first time she saw Alex as a teenager.

"A brave young man... he fought the dark side with confidence, even protecting people he had just met..."

Alex swallowed at her words, Katarina’s gaze never leaving him since that day.

"...but all of that contradicts what I know."

Alex sighed softly, his voice quieter.

"We already talked about that at Lake Osteria, I already sa—"

Katarina shook her head, cutting him off.

"You did say that back then, and I did believe it a little."

Alex tried to speak, but Katarina continued.

"But..."

Katarina tapped the table several times.

"The abilities you showed afterward, your drastic personality change, made me think and doubt you again..."

Alex scratched his hair, wetting his dry lips.

Katarina paused briefly, her gaze still locked on him.

"So who are you?"

Alex let out a rough sigh, picking his ear.

"I’m Alex Sander."

Katarina nodded and spoke again.

"I know your name, but who are you really?"

Veins bulged on Alex’s forehead as he clenched his teeth in frustration, wanting to answer, but Katarina spoke first again.

"Because the Alex Sander I know should have died that day."

A cold gust hit them both, stronger than before. Alex, who had been fine, now felt chills.

Katarina pointed at Alex’s stiff body.

"Are you really Alex Sander?"

Alex swallowed, speaking at the same time as Krystal in his mind.

’Damn...’

’She’s exactly right.’

Alex stayed silent for a moment. Katarina chuckled softly, leaning back in her chair.

She covered her mouth as she chuckled, her blue eyes still watching Alex.

"So... you’re not Alex?"

Alex didn’t deny it. His empty mind raced, trying to find a way out.

"Then what do you mean I should have died that day?"

Katarina sighed, calming herself, then took out a necklace from her smart bracelet.

A necklace with a red crystal appeared, and inside the crystal was a liquid.

Alex choked slightly when he saw it while drinking his tea.

Katarina placed it on the table between them.

"How about we talk about this necklace based on what we know...?"

Alex scratched his temple.

Katarina rested her cheek on her right hand.

"...I think we can figure out who we are by discussing this necklace."

Alex crossed his arms, his foot tapping the ground.

"How do I know you’re not lying?"

Katarina untied her ponytail, stroking her hair.

"You’ll find out yourself..."

Alex gave a small nod as Katarina combed her hair with her fingers, her heart beating faster.

Her blue eyes looked at Alex confidently.

"I don’t know the name of this necklace, or if it even has one..."

Alex listened in silence as Katarina continued.

"...but this necklace shouldn’t be here now. It should exist far in the future."

A forced smile appeared on Alex’s face.

"What do you mean?"

Katarina smiled faintly, recalling the moment she first received the necklace, when she felt like the happiest girl in the world—before everything slowly collapsed.

"Julian gave this necklace to me far in the future..."

Katarina smiled at Alex, whose expression turned confused.

"...he gave it to me while exploring the Silent Mountains."

Katarina lowered her head slightly and rubbed her forehead.

"I accepted it happily and always wore it since then."

Alex swallowed, his hair standing on end as he leaned closer.

"What do you mean by always wearing it?"

Katarina exhaled and glanced at the frozen flowers.

"I wore that necklace until my death..."

Katarina looked at Alex, whose eyes widened.

She chuckled, but tears slipped down her cheeks.

"This is my second life, Alex."

Her tears broke in the cold wind, bringing her back to her past life—the life that should have been her end.

She covered her tearful eyes with one hand.

Her voice trembled, but she forced herself to continue.

"I’m living my second life, Alex..."

Alex’s body trembled. He held his head with both hands, his black eyes shaking.

Krystal and Alex spoke at the same time in his mind.

’Damn...’

’Damn.’

Alex stayed silent while Katarina calmed herself, wiping her teary red eyes.

She smiled faintly and let out a relieved breath.

Leaning back, she looked at the pavilion ceiling.

"That feels relieving..."

Alex swallowed as he realized Katarina wasn’t a seer, but someone who had returned from the past.

He closed his eyes slightly and spoke to Krystal.

’What do you think, Krystal? That’s a huge secret, right?’

Krystal sighed.

’Damn... that gives me chills.’

Alex rubbed his aching forehead.

’Any info about that necklace?’

Krystal paused before answering.

’None...’

Alex was about to speak again, but a touch made him open his eyes.

Katarina had thrown a biscuit at him, her face back to being cold.

"What are you doing? I told you my secret, now it’s your turn."

Alex scratched the back of his neck and chuckled.

"For someone who went back in time, you’re pretty relaxed."

Katarina shrugged, eating the now-cold cake.

"I’m relaxed because you have a secret just as big, right?"

Alex shook his head.

"No, I don’t..."

Katarina laughed in disbelief and pointed at him.

"If you’re lying, I’ll tell my father you’re a dark side spy."

Alex laughed too, shaking his head.

Krystal spoke in his mind.

’I think you two would make a great duo...’

One of Alex’s eyebrows rose.

’That’s a bit sudden, isn’t it?’

Krystal agreed. Alex tapped the table, thinking, remembering Katarina’s tears earlier.

’Maybe I’d react like that too...’

Alex looked at Katarina, who was still eating.

He picked up the necklace and shook it, making the liquid inside swirl.

His voice made Katarina stop eating.

"This necklace is called Athika’s Tears..."

Katarina wiped her lips with a napkin.

"Athika? That sounds like the name of our god..."

Alex nodded.

"A woman gave it to me, but I don’t know what it does."

He placed the necklace back and handed it to Katarina.

She took it and looked at him.

"Who was that woman?"

Alex scratched his forehead, confused.

"I don’t know..."

Katarina chuckled, pointing at him.

Alex raised both hands.

"I really don’t know her face, I forgot it as soon as she left..."

Katarina nodded, trying to believe him.

"Where did you meet her?"

Alex smiled, leaning back.

"The afterlife? Or the realm of death? I don’t know exactly. Everything was dark..."

Katarina fell silent but asked again.

"Did you die after the train incident and return when you met her?"

Alex shook his head, confusing her further.

He pointed at his face.

"What’s inside this body isn’t Alex’s soul..."

He stretched and exhaled while Katarina watched silently.

"You’re right. I’m not Alex Sander, but now I carry his name as mine and his story as my own."

Silence fell between them.

Katarina blinked several times.

"Then who are you...?"

Alex imagined his past self, rubbing his chin and chuckling.

"Who was I...? The last warrior? The agile one? The madman? The strongest captain?..."

He smiled at his old titles while Katarina listened.

He sighed and looked at her with a gaze he never showed others.

"My old name was Adrian..."

He looked at the frozen garden, tapping the table.

"...I’m not from this world."

Silence again.

Alex grew uneasy at Katarina’s lack of response.

"Hey... say something, damn it! You’re scaring me!"

Katarina soon chuckled, covering her mouth.

"That’s a big secret, huh?"

Alex nodded proudly.

Katarina calmed herself.

"Then where is Alex?"

Alex clicked his tongue and pointed at himself.

"I am Alex, damn it!"

He explained the dream where he saw the original Alex disappear.

Katarina could only stare in disbelief.

They fell silent again.

Alex drank his now-cold tea.

"What’s going on in this world? I just arrived and already got beaten up..."

Katarina smiled, remembering his near-death at the train.

"This world is heading toward something big... and that train incident was just the beginning."

Alex leaned forward seriously.

"What event?"

Katarina thought for a moment.

"The near future... I don’t know anymore, because it’s already changed."

Alex raised an eyebrow.

"You remember the attack on the Overmas mansion, right?"

Alex nodded, and Katarina continued.

"The dark side targeted the Bone of Malakar stored there..."

"...but they failed."

She crossed her arms. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"So... I don’t know what he’ll do next."

Alex tilted his head.

"He...?"

Katarina nodded, standing and walking toward the frozen flowers.

Alex followed.

"Thomas... I don’t know what he’ll do next."

Alex froze.

"Thomas...?"

He swallowed and rubbed his forehead.

"...isn’t he Mira’s father?"

Katarina nodded.

"Yes... Thomas. He orchestrated everything. He created the fake artifact scheme during the train incident to gain the king’s trust..."

She pointed at Alex.

"You were supposed to die..."

Then pointed at herself.

"...Reva died too, and I was the only one who survived."

Alex grabbed his hair, realizing how far behind he was.

Katarina explained how Thomas kept trying to obtain the Bone of Malakar, even framing and attacking human cities.

Alex crouched on the ground, exhausted.

"Is Thomas the only problem?"

Katarina almost laughed.

"Do you think I died from illness? I died in a war in the future..."

Alex laughed madly.

"Damn..."

He stood beside her, both staring at the frozen garden.

A voice interrupted them.

"Princess!!"

They turned.

Reva, Ken, and Aril approached, with Julian, Eve, and Arthur not far behind.

Alex and Katarina exchanged looks.

"If they find out, it’ll be a disaster, right?"

Katarina nodded.

Alex suddenly remembered something.

"Where’s that gambler?"

Katarina thought.

"I think Mira is making a potion..."

Alex grew more confused.

"Thomas failed again today... is it really okay to let him go home? You said he made a contract with a demon, right?"

He scratched his cheek.

"Nothing bad will happen to that gambler, right?"

Katarina didn’t answer.

Her mind raced with worst-case scenarios.

Alex chuckled awkwardly.

Katarina’s stiff body suddenly moved—she ran out of the pavilion.

Alex immediately chased after her.

"Damn..."

They passed Reva, Aril, and Ken, who were confused.

They also passed Julian, Arthur, and Eve in the corridor.

Alex and Katarina ran as fast as they could toward Mira.

Their sprint was witnessed not only by their friends, but also by a man wearing a white mask and a white robe.

A tired sigh came from behind the mask.

"Damn... where is the princess going?..."