19 Chapter 19: If everything were just a Dream...

"What would you do if everything you've seen, feel and experience right now are all just a part of a dream, and everyone you've met didn't exist from the start?" 

As the whistling sound of the wind freaked me out, the words she uttered shoot straight into my heart.

"W-well…" 

Slowly, I looked at her, who was smiling bitterly, as her hands holding her hair, so that it won't fly off, were shaking.

I have an answer and that is, "I would be sad" 

All I need to do was to say it to her, but those 4 words wouldn't come out from my mouth, no matter how much I try.

With the sound of the rustling wind covering me, I became paralyzed and unable to answer her…

That night, I dreamt of the usual black haired boy. 

In that dream, the boy asked me the same question Elia asked me and I managed to answer him, but as I woke up, I wasn't able to remember my answer, anymore.

A sigh left my mouth.

"Just, why the hell was I unable to answer her?" ruffling my hair, I mumbled to myself, before sighing, once again. 

…

I looked up the sky.

"Only a few more days and the spring break will end, huh..?" whilst mumbling those words, I head my face, from the sunlight, with my right hand.

I am now on my way to the library, for the teacher I passed by earlier, asked me to bring two boxes of books there.

"Edward!!" someone called me from behind.

Upon turning behind, I saw the magenta student council president chasing over me, whilst panting.

"Good day to you!"

I greeted her, as she caught up to me and stopped in front of me, to catch her breath that was going ahead of her.

"Y-you know, I spent an hour looking for you…" 

I tilted my head to the side and asked her, "Why were you looking for me? Ah! Do you want to eat lunch together?"

"Well, I still have some jobs to do, so I'm afraid I can't accompany you with a lunch"

I raised my shoulder up, after hearing her answer and told her, "Then, let's have one next time!"

Alicia looked up to me, with shining eyes.

"Wai-wait! That's not why I approached you!" she corrected herself and I asked, "Then, what do you need from me?" 

She shoved a paper towards my face, and said, "This paper!"

I put the boxes of book down, and took the paper from her, which was the paper of permission we go from Alicia for Elia.

"What about this?"

I looked at Alicia and asked her so, which the latter sighed.

"What is that paper for? It is written here that you are getting permission for someone to stay with you, but that someone's name isn't written anywhere" 

I mumbled, "Huh?" 

…

"Ah!" a sound left my mouth, as I saw Elia on my way to the library.

Right, she was permitted to stay on the school grounds. So, it isn't strange to see her walking around the academy.

Permission, huh?

"What's that, Ed?" she pointed at the boxes I had on my hand, and I answered, "Books the teacher asked me to bring to the library" 

She tilted her head to the side and asked, "Aren't you a prince? Why are you asked to do things like that?" 

"I maybe a prince, but at places like this such status doesn't matter. Everyone here is of an equal status called students" 

Was my tone a bit boastful..?

Elia kept on looking over the boxes, before humming, whilst taking the one on top and made me jolt, "!?"

"I'll help you, let's go!" 

I nodded, "O-okay" as I followed her with the other box, on my hand.

…

"This one's the last!" she loudly stated, as she put the last book in one of the shelves, which made me, "Shhh!!"

Elia gasped, and quickly covered her mouth.

"Sheesh, we're in the library so stay quiet, won't you?" a sigh left my mouth, along those words, which made Elia whine down.

I rubbed my nape, with a slight blush, whilst saying, "Thanks for helping me, Elia"

She looked up to me with her eyes and mouth wide, and she smilingly nodded, "You're welcome, Ed!!"

Whilst humming, she walked ahead of me, towards the exit of the library, which made me gaze over her back.

Beneath our feet were tracks.

Seeing those lit an unknown feeling inside me, and made me reach out my right hand and call Elia.

Upon looking at her back, I was reminded about the day I tried to catch the blue butterfly, which in turn killed me.

"Ugh..!" 

I grabbed my chest and shivered, with my body standing still. 

"Hmm, what is wrong, Ed? Are you in pain?" the mysterious girl asked and turned back, to approach me. 

Somehow, seeing her in front of me like this, made me see a strange image where I was standing still and gazing over a blue butterfly.

"Hey, Elia why did you asked me that question?" 

The question she asked me that day, which I couldn't answer, kept on my mind, and was haunting me like a ghost. 

She crossed her arms behind her and turned her back against me, whilst saying, "You can say, that I was confirming things" 

I looked down. 

"Were the things you were confirming something you can't tell me?" she nodded to this question of mine.

"There was a thing about your existence that kept on bothering me" 

Hearing those words, she slowly turned to me and I, who raised my head up, locked my eyes with hers.

"What is it? Tell me, Ed" the mysterious girl asked, with a bitter smile that looked like it was pleading many things to me.

I gulped.

"Elia, when I first met you, I was confused by your existence. 

I wasn't sure if you were really a human like how my hand told me, and up to this day, I am still bothered by it, to the point that I can't spend a night not thinking of you.

Which is why I spent the whole break that only has a few days left, to investigate you"

I managed to say these things without looking away from her, but… it's already hard for me to keep it.

"Can you listen to it? To the result of my investigation…" 

I was waiting for her answer, but all she gave me was a bitter smile which was seen wavering a lot.

  "Go ahead" 

The mysterious girl looked down, whilst hugging herself, with a face that was about to cry, any moment now.

"First of all, the rumors" 

Upon saying those words, I was reminded of the rumors everyone was muttering, like madman.

"A ghost girl possessing others' body to look for her brother" 

The first thing I thought of when I heard that rumor was the story about the twin Gods, Ghart and Exelia. 

It really resembled that story. 

But, if the fact that the ghost girl is truly possessing others' body, which is of course said with the assumptions that she really existed.

If that fact was true, then normally there wouldn't be any way for the others' to know the ghost's purpose. 

Since, they would have been already possessed, before they could even get a gist of it. 

Yet, it was specifically said in the rumors, that she is possessing others' bodies to look for her brother.

But, there weren't any proof that someone was possessed by the said ghost girl, even though, there were some who saw the girl.

Not just that.

Normally, ghosts are vague to the fact that there are times you can't distinguish their gender, yet the girl was perfectly descripted. 

This girl has a light blonde hair that shines beautifully like the moon and has blue eyes as pretty as the sky. 

I thoroughly explained that to her, which made her smile disappear, and was replaced with a serious face I haven't seen before. 

"Second, is the climate… It was spring, but it was as hot as summer" 

That might be normal because the summer is close, but the heat was much hotter than a normal spring or summer

"And lastly, this..!" 

I took a paper from my jacket pocket and showed it to Elia. 

  "This is the proof that we got the permission from the student council president, and it was announced to the professors and students

But, earlier when I passed by the president she asked me, "What is this permission for?" with the paper in hand"

Remembering that scene is kinda hard for me, who vaguely understand things.

"So, where would all of this that you found out, by investigating, lead to?" placing her hands behind, Elia stated so. 

I put my hands down and shook my head, along with the words, "I don't know" which in turn made Elia's composed face break into a dumb-looking one.

A deep breath in and out.

  "All of these will only lead me to a never ending spiral of thoughts. But thanks to these, I've finally found the right question to ask you" 

Upon hearing my words, she fixed her face and mumbled, "The right question…"

I took another deep breath in and out, whilst grabbing the collar of my shirt to stop my shivers. 

"Elia…" 

With trembling voice, I called her and the mysterious girl looked up to me, whilst closing her lips shut, as if it was to stop her tears.

"Just, why did you appear before me?"