1 The Dream

The rain was pouring heavily outside, dulling the sounds of the outside world. The people continued with their lives like any other day, too busy to be affected by the thundering weather.

On the ninth floor of a tall building, a girl was sitting near the window. The droplets of rain kept hitting the glass panel of the window. Like everyone else, the girl was oblivious to the unusual weather outside. There was a coffee cup next to the laptop in front of the girl. Her big round eyes had a look of curiosity as she looked at the laptop screen. Her black hair cascaded down her waist making her pearl white skin stand out even more.

The blue-colored walls were the exact opposite of the dark, gloomy sky outside. The girl picked up the coffee cup, her eyes still glued to the laptop screen. As soon as her lips were about to touch the cup, something even more unusual than the weird weather outside occurred.

The laptop screen started flickering, the screen filled with static.

Panic flashed in the girl's eyes as she tried to tap the screen in an attempt to fix it. The thought of how mad her parents would be if they knew about this made her shudder. But what was unusual was not the laptop screen but also the scratching noises from the fan, the static lines on the phone screen, and even the air purifier; however, she was oblivious to these happenings.

Just as the girl was about to push her chair back and stand up, she lost control of her body, and her body fell back on the chair in slow motion.

'No...What's happening?' she questioned herself.

Everything in her vision was in slow motion. She fought to keep her eyes open, hoping to salvage whatever consciousness was left, but it was a lost cause. The futile struggle sent a jolt of pain through her head, and before she even realized it, she had already closed her eyes.

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At an unknown place, the whole ground was filled with water from a mysterious source. An average-height girl was standing in the middle of the never-ending surface. Her shiny black hair covered her face but couldn't hide the beauty it held.

The girl's eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.

"I'm alive," the girl exclaimed with a whisper.

She raised her head to look at her surroundings. Her vision was blurry, and she couldn't see beyond herself even after blinking her eyes countless times. She looked towards her hands and got lost in her flow of thoughts.

As she was immersed in her own thoughts, footsteps and splashing of water sounded behind her. She turned around but still couldn't see anything. She waited patiently when a low chuckle entered her years. A woman in a white dress was in her vision, but only her dress was visible.

"Who are you?"

The girl asked with uncertainty, ready to let her question go unanswered, but the mysterious lady answered to her surprise.

"You don't need to know who I am or where I heed from; just be aware that I act in your best interest," her ethereal voice calmed the girl but at the same time made her feel uncomfortable. The unknown future made her feel anxious under her calm behavior.

"Where is this place? Is this the afterlife" asked the girl carefully, her palms sweaty with all the tense emotions she was feeling.

"It is not, fear not, you'll understand the importance of this place when the time arrives," the woman continued. "Right now, you need to prepare for something even worse than the thoughts in your mind. You're alive, but your world will be descending into chaos soon."

"Chaos? What chaos?" asked the girl with confusion evident in her voice.

"I'm afraid I cannot tell you but do not fret, you'll be just fine, but you need to remember never to use your true name." Before the girl even realized it, the woman was gone, and her voice was distant.

"Just remember to fight for your survival and to hope." was the last message of the woman before she disappeared as if she wasn't there in the first place.

'Never use my true name,' the girl wondered what the woman meant. As she was pondering over the recent encounter, the familiar feeling came to her, and before she knew it, she was unconscious again.

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The girl woke up; she was back in her room, her head rested on the table in front of her. Everything was back to normal; the video on the laptop screen was playing again.

She slowly raised her head; the sting on her forehead made her wince. As she rubbed her head, she looked around, the rain had stopped long ago, and clear clouds filled the sky. The birds were chirping, and people could be seen walking on the road.

"Definitely a dream," the girl mumbled under her breath as she rose from the chair and walked in the direction of the door, hoping to find something to ease her pain.