Everna Saga: Bittersweet Symphony No. 3

By Andry Chang

Princess Anne Galford's struggle for her life is drawing near to the end. Surviving the pursuit of the killers, Anne, Chloe, Emily, and Stephen take refuge in the magical forest of Tranvia with the gypsies.

In Tranvia, Anne is mentally and spiritually prepared to face all the challenges that lie ahead, not to run anymore. Whatever is in store for her in the future, it's her true destiny.

When finally all the mysteries are revealed, the bittersweet symphony of life will be the key to revealing destiny and the future.

“Andry Chang’s writing is like a complete symphony.
Sometimes it climbs into upbeat, sometimes it slides
into downbeat. There are touching moments,
there are also suspense, action, and mystery parts.
Truly, it’s a beautiful story orchestration.”
-Jasson Prestiliano, JP Soundworks
Everna Saga: Bittersweet Symphony is an epic fantasy serial set in the complete, detailed Earth parallel world of Terra Everna and part of the Everna Saga brand created by Andry Chang.
It’s highly recommended for young adult and adult readers who love:
- Novels are written in a unique, cinematic way
- Lively and likable characters, strong protagonists
- The parallel world setting is like the Victorian Era on Earth
- Detailed and immersive world-building and history
- Earth-based religion blended with fantasy world philosophy
- A pinch of mild romance here and there
- Inspirational moral values and heartwarming moments
- Fictional cultures and geography parallel to Earth
- Recognizable, easy-to-imagine Earth-like details
Main characters:
Anne Galford: Only daughter of King Henry of Lore.
Daini Natsir: A student from Indonesia who becomes the new Anne.
Arcel Raine: An inter-realm pilgrim, Anne’s patron, and guide.
Trevor Branson: Son of Stuart and psychiatrist Anne.
Robert Chandler: A pilgrim who is a sniper and an assassin.
Chloe Hewitt: A pilgrim who becomes a palace maid.
It’s a bittersweet symphony that’s life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Andry Chang
• Release date: Sep 28, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005724795

Andry Chang

Andry Chang is a pilgrim in authorship since 2005. Aside from his everyday life as an entrepreneur, a husband and a father of one, he always makes time to write, draw or developing games. He continues to hone his skills and never gives up, resulting in his published multimedia works.Some of his commercially published writings, either singulars or collaborations are:FireHeart – Legend of the Paladins (2008), Vandaria Saga – Kristalisasi (2012), Qi Xi – Bunga Rampai Asmara (2012), Love Around You (2013), Magical Stories (2013), LEINA – Legenda Imaji Nusantara (2015), Everna Saga – Hikayat Tiga Zaman (2015), Everna Saga – Utara dan Selatan (2015), Everna Saga – Barat dan Timur (2016) (Indonesian Language Works) and Everna Saga - Morf and the Pirates of Flamenca (2016) (English Language Works)

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Andry Chang

Everna Saga: Bittersweet Symphony No. 3

Copyright © 2022 by Andry Chang

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

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Contents

1. 1st Verse MALAGUENA

2. 2nd Verse TENOR

3. 3rd Verse HYMN

4. 4th Verse WALTZ

5. 5th Verse CAPRICCIO

6. Refrain ORATORIO

7. 1st Verse PASSACAGLIA

8. 2nd Verse JIG

9. 3rd Verse RIGUADON

10. 4th Verse POCO A POCO

11. 5th Verse CANTATA

12. Refrain PRESTO

13. 1st Verse PENTATONIC

14. 2nd Verse LENTO

15. 3rd Verse QUARTET

16. 4th Verse MINUET

17. 5th Verse FLAT

18. Refrain LEITMOTIF

19. 1st Verse PIANOFORTE

20. 2nd Verse BARITONE

21. 3rd Verse SHARP

22. 4th Verse ANDANTE

23. 5th Verse MAZURKA

24. Refrain CLIMAX

25. Epilogue FERMATA

Glossary

Author’s Profile

1

1st Verse MALAGUENA

The almighty Vadis’ plans were truly magical and unexpected.

Imagine, if Princess Anne Galford had never interacted and provided excellent service to Stephen Elgrade.

If Anne didn’t think about inventions and science and got inspired, she wouldn’t get to help Stephen develop a petrol car.

If all the craziness had never happened, Anne would not have been breathing today.

More than anything else, if Daini’s modern-minded soul hadn’t taken the place of the original Anne’s soul that was gone to the afterlife, this story would have been completely different. Princess Anne would still die and would never resurrect magically.

However, whether there was Princess Anne or not, the Modern Age would surely come true in time, according to the will of the Source of Destiny. Only the method would be completely different but the results would remain the same.

Gregor Engelsohn was a man who thought himself all-powerful but never understood the workings of destiny, even though one of the greatest secrets in the universe was revealed before him.

That was what Alistair Kane explained to Arcel Raine just before Arcel decided to choose Daini Natsir’s spirit as the new resident of Anne Galford’s body.

In an unconscious state, Arcel’s subconscious brought back all memories about the secrets of destiny. It allowed him to recollect everything that had happened, the result of all the decisions Arcel, Anne-Daini, and the other actors in this story have made.

In the bittersweet symphony of life.

* * *

Elsewhere, Anne Galford, who was almost perfectly fused with Daini Natsir’s soul, seemed to understand a glimpse of the cause-and-effect relationships that would lead to the revelation of the secrets of the Modern Age that would be present in Everna.

Her attitude and thoughts towards everything changed completely. Even Daini’s mind language style which was originally very slang has now been neatly arranged like a Princess’s. But she still maintained modern and progressive thinking that would be the key to great changes in the world.

The funny thing was, Anne’s situation this time was inversely proportional to her status as a Princess, let alone the potential Originator of the New Age. Now, she was stranded somewhere with her comrades, Chloe Hewitt, Emily Raine, Stephen Elgrade, and a car that broke down on the side of the road.

Carried by Daini’s critical attitude, Anne rebuked the driver, How did the car break down like this, Stephen? Didn’t we just refuel it from the spare tank?

Emily chimed in, We’ve come a long way. Are you sure this is the right path to the Tranvia Forest?

For the last question, it was Chloe’s turn to answer, Well, this is the only route to Tranvia that can be passed by motorized vehicles. After all, the road isn’t quite smooth, so the shock of it could do some damage to this ruggedly modified steam car.

Stephen shrugged. Chloe already answered it. Yes, the situation is serious, it’s just that this damage is also caused by the duration of use which is too long since Alceste. The engine overheated, and as a result, the car broke down.

Anne was forced to sit, leaning back in the back of the car. So what should we do now? Walking the rest of the way to the Enchanted Forest?

Chloe responded, I could do it, but I think your feet, which were pampered more often than getting their muscles trained, will break like this car.

Stephen spoke again, Well, we can’t help but wait. Hopefully, this car can run again after we refill the radiator water.

Emily, who was the least tech-savvy in the group, was speechless in this all-technical discussion. Her eyes were just fixed on Stephen as if she wanted to talk about personal things as an old friend.

Seeing Emily’s behavior, Chloe spoke up, Okay, then I’ll get some water for the radiator. Princess comes with me.

Anne held up her palm. Wait, you just said my feet were too spoiled. Anyway, I just want to rest here!

Instead, Chloe patiently whispered to the teenage girl who didn’t know much about the world, Psst, just come with me, don’t bother them. She pointed at Emily and Stephen with her chin.

Then in a slightly louder voice, Chloe continued, Well, to tell the truth, it’s not a long walk to Tranvia. Your feet are not that spoiled, are they?

Anne pursed her lips as if she finally understood the true meaning of Chloe’s gesture. She rushed over, even pulling the green-haired girl in one direction.

I think I saw a creek near the trees over there. Chloe pointed in a different direction than Anne. Bring an empty spare petrol tank to fill with water. We must hurry before it gets dark.

* * *

Anne and Chloe rushed toward the creek in question.

What Chloe had said earlier had some truth in it. Not too far to walk, Anne’s spoiled legs began to feel sore.

Come on, hold on a little longer, said Chloe seeing Anne grunting and bowing. Look, that’s the river!

Seeing the sparkling surface of the clear water far in front of the grove of trees, Anne also put an ear to make sure what she heard was the sound of the rush of the river water.

The prospect of freshness in front of the eyes pumped a new spirit in Anne. Her footsteps which had slowed down gradually became faster.

Anne forced herself with Daini’s progressive spirit, even though her whole body screamed for rest. The unbearable drowsiness made Anne’s vision blurry, a moment bright, a moment dark.

As a result, Anne accidentally bumped into a strange woman who was also walking towards the river from the other side of the dense trees. Suddenly the Princess was pushed to the ground.

With a groan, the woman with curly jet black hair, and wearing a white bandana that covered the part of her head bag like a tight hat rebuked, Hey, look when you walk! How terrible, in a deserted forest like this you can still collide with others!

Anne’s drowsiness dissipated at once. The blonde-haired girl stuttered, S-sorry! I was so sleepy that I didn’t notice the road in front of me. Sorry again, I didn’t mean to at all.

The curly-haired snorted. Humph, alright. I was also in a hurry earlier, so I didn’t look left and right. By the way, who are you and why did you come to a deserted place like this?

Chloe came up with a diplomatic approach. My name is Chloe and she is Daini. We were going to Tranvia Forest for scientific research, but our car broke down. So we need to fetch water from the river to cool the engine.

Wow, a car? The curly girl’s brown eyes widened with interest. Like the steam cars that roam in Alceste?

Well, more or less, said Anne.

But how can an urban car be driven this far? You are from Alceste, right?

Yes, but may we know your name?

The curly girl then gasped and cleared her throat. Uh, sorry, I shouldn’t have asked questions before introducing myself. Where are my manners? My name is Janet Pedrosa, and I’m the leader of a group of gypsies who camp near the creek you’re headed for and also heading to Tranvia. If you don’t mind, I’d like to see your ‘great car’.

Anne and Chloe just smiled at each other. The bandana girl turned out to be friendlier than they thought. Chloe then spoke to Anne, Would you like to show our car to someone we just met?

That depends, said Anne, who then spoke to Janet. I don’t mind, as long as we’re left to fetch some water in the river without any disturbance.

No problem, said Janet. Come and follow me. If you do some research in Tranvia, I think we’ll be able to talk about it at length at camp.

* * *

After fetching water from a creek, Anne, Chloe, Janet, and a gypsy man went in a two-horse-drawn carriage to where Stephen’s car broke down.

At first, Stephen and Emily were wary of the gypsies who they thought were too friendly to the people they just met.

But Janet showed her sincerity. She helped push the car and tied it to the rope for the carriage to pull. So, like Chloe and Anne, Stephen and Emily’s suspicions of gypsies were halved.

Back at the gypsy camp, the car was left tied to a horse-drawn wagon. The reason was, even though the radiator was now full of water again and the engine was relatively cold, the car couldn’t be started. That meant that other parts of the car were damaged, not just a matter of overheating.

Exhausted, Anne, Chloe, Stephan, and Emily decided to rest at the gypsy camp. The women stayed in different gypsy families’ wagons, while Stephen slept in the car.

The gypsy camp consisted of forty-eight horse-drawn carriages with tarpaulin-type wagons arranged around the clearing, forming a perfect circle.

Although the members of this group were less than two hundred people or almost equivalent to the population of a small village, the atmosphere of the camp seemed crowded as if it was densely populated.

Naturally, almost all the time the group members worked according to their respective roles. They contributed to the group and receive contributions from the group without taking into account the value and benefits. They only use the money to transact with parties outside the group.

So, it was no wonder everyone worked with enthusiasm, accompanied by hums, songs, and laughter.

A female teacher taught some gypsy children with a fun delivery method, sometimes interspersed with games and jokes that invited the children to laugh.

Men chopped firewood, repaired cartwheels do woodworking, and did various other jobs in very unique ways. While humming the same song at almost the same time, they adjusted their rhythm and pace of work to the song. As a result, the sounds of clanging and knocking from normal work that should have been noisy became pleasant to hear, as if they were all playing music in a symphony orchestra.

Even the women in charge of washing and cooking meals in the communal kitchen also hummed the same song and matched their work rhythm with the song.

Everything seemed too magical in Anne’s eyes. Even Daini’s mind had the impression that she was watching a typical musical scene usually found in Indian films.

Especially at nightfall, rest time was filled with musical entertainment, centering all activities around a bonfire that burned at the center of the gypsy camp formation, completing each day full of meaning and color.

The highlight of the event was the performance of a high-speed gypsy song and dance called Malaguena. Five pairs of dancers around the bonfire waddled very energetically.

Janet Pedrosa who danced in the middle position became the prima donna, the center of the audience’s attention. Her body swayed very agile, beautiful, and almost acrobatic, in harmony with her partner. Janet’s exploding spirit seemed to be contagious, transmitted to all the audience who joined in the clapping. Not even a few also danced on the spot.

The Malaguena dance moves were faster and more complex than the Tango, which Princess Anne had learned and used to teach her ex-fiance, Leslie Cairns a lesson.

Anne’s group was among those who clapped quite enthusiastically. Their incredible exhaustion after escaping a big chase from Alceste seemed to be paid off by a new intake of spirit from the rhythm of Malaguena.

It was only Anne who still kept confusion and worries in her heart. The girl said in her mind, I wish you could come and dance with me here, Trevor. The atmosphere here is magical, full of music and beauty, almost like a tasteful Raine’s Deli. Oh, Vadis, please save Trevor.

Oh Vadis, please also save the man who has sacrificed his life so many times to save me, even selflessly. Please, be with him always, a good man named Arcel Raine.

2

2nd Verse TENOR

This time, it seemed Princess Anne’s hopes were in line with the wishes of Vadis, the God of Light.

When Arcel Raine’s eyes opened again, he found himself in a rather luxurious room in what he recognized as the headquarters of the Order of Altair, Excalibur’s Sheath Restaurant.

The first thing Arcel saw was a large gold-framed painting hanging on the bedroom wall. The painting depicted the figure of a knight in full armor who raised his sword high. He held a shield and rode a griffin, a creature with the head of an eagle and the body of a lion, with its two front legs held high.

Arcel stared at the red-haired knight. His eyes widened when he recognized the resemblance between his face in the tall mirror next to the painting and the paladin’s face.

What Arcel heard next was an old man’s voice full of authority. What you see is a painting of one of the greatest heroes of Terra Everna, namely Cristophe Deveraux. He also held the titles of Sage the Fifth, Fifth Emperor of Arcadia, leader of the Forces of Light in the Third Holy War, and one of the initiators of the Latter Arcane Age. What a coincidence, the one by the painting now is the hero who is his equal and who resembles him the most.

Arcel’s eyes widened. Is that true, Grand Master? he asked.

Of course it is. History has witnessed it, and now you will surpass Cristophe by assisting the process of starting another new age.

Arcel sighed. Maybe Alistair had put the painting and mirror in this room on purpose so that he could always remember his identity as a hero, be motivated to move forward, and never give up even though his life was on the line.

Well, from today onward this room in Excalibur’s Sheath Restaurant is your new residence, said the man dressed in all white. My trusted aide Narayanan Singh has taken your belongings from your old apartment and brought them here, for that place has long been known to the enemy and you will no longer be safe there.

Thank you, Grand Master, Arcel responded. Arcel wanted to protest because it was only now that he had been moved from his old apartment, not since Robert had attacked him in that apartment before. But he changed his mind because he realized only now the Order deemed the move as necessary and had time to do it. Especially after the two heads of the Order of Altair and the Order of Gregorian intervened in this clash.

However, Arcel just remembered that there was one very important thing he must do regarding his mission. He said, But I have to catch up with Princess Anne, Chloe, Emily, and Stephen. I have to protect…!

Alistair raised his palms to level with his eyes. You have done enough for Princess Anne. You’ve defended enough, and now it’s time to take the initiative to attack the enemy.

"But if Engelsohn had gone straight for Anne,