Chapter 1: It all Starts with a Dream

A vague figure shows in front of me, a silhouette of a woman...I can't recognize her, but she spoke to me, she said

"Do you remember your first promise to me?"

"Those words resonate through my soul, it sends shivers down my spine. What could it mean? Do I know her? Do I have connections to her?"

These thoughts continued to circle my mind, on and on it goes, a never-ending stream of questions upon questions.

"What promise did I make to her? Is it an important promise? What is it?"

As the dark figure slowly fades into my view suddenly...

*Bzzzt Bzzzt Bzzzt Bzzzt*

I opened my eyes into a familiar place, the sun barely touching the windowpane, the ceiling fan slowly making its rounds. The messy papers on the table, the guitar hanging on the wall, the books lying on the floor.

"It was just a dream huh?" I thought to myself.

I've put an end to the noisy alarm, hearing it is like a nightmare to everyone who just wants to have a little bit more peace and quietness. I've put on my glasses, looked on my reflection on the mirror just found on the top of the table.

"Yeah, I should probably fix this..." I said towards my bed hair "Or I can just fix it once I took a bath."

I picked up my phone on the bed, it's not some flashy phone, just an old model of an iPhone, I do not want snatchers flocking around me. I've put on my earphones, opened my music folder, and played "Kaze ni Fukarete". I know that Korean music is very popular around the world, but I choose to listen to Japanese music instead, not saying that Korean music is bad, but I just found myself liking Japanese music more.

I headed downstairs towards the kitchen, opened the cabinet.

"Should I cook today or just settle for some instant ramen?" I asked myself

"No one's gonna care anyway, plus it's not bad to reward myself sometimes" I added,

I grabbed the cup of instant ramen on the cabinet and put it on the counter, after boiling some water, I poured it on the cup and proceeded to eat.

"It's not that bad after all" I've thought to myselfAlthough quite pitiful to look at, as a graduating High School student who's living on his own, this is life.

I took a bath after eating, put on my uniform, grabbed my back hanging on the door of my room, and headed outside. The train station is walking distance from where I currently rent a place to live, plus the train stop is conveniently also near my university. I boarded the train, sat on an empty seat, and plugged in my earphones.

Across me, I saw a girl wearing the same uniform we wear. I tried to figure out if I know her or not. I don't think she's an acquaintance of mine, perhaps a new student? I didn't even try to bother her, it's still 7 AM and no one's on the mood to be disturbed.

Six minutes have passed and I'm already at my destination.There stood an ominous-looking campus, quite old yet well-known, after a few walks or so, I'm already at my room, my seat is just beside the windowpane of the room. Best place to sit if you were to ask me, I get to enjoy the view of the outside, and being on the side kinda feels like you have a personal space or personal bubble that no one dares to enter.

Our professor comes in, we stood up and greeted him, and sat down. It kinda feels repetitive now honestly, or so I thought. A girl entered our room, stiff yet her walk seems so sure as if she rehearsed this over and over again to perfection. Then it hits me, I remember our professor telling us of a new transfer student, we've been told that she's quite a prodigy herself, talented on many things.

"Class, this here is our new transfer student I've told you of." our professor announced to us

"Good Morning, pleased to meet you. I'm Claire Bosconovich, looking forward to working with you" the girl responded in a soft voiceAverage in height, wearing the same uniform as ours, straight black hair, her face seems familiar...

"Wait..." I've thought to myself

"She's the same person across me on the train earlier wasn't she?" I added

"Let's see here, Claire, you can sit beside Kevin over there," our professor said as he pointed out the empty seat beside me.

"Is that okay with you Mr. Kevin Sanchez? Well it's not like we have any empty seats left beside the one beside you," he added

"It's fine sir", I quickly replied

Claire proceeded to sit down, her actions were so tense as if she's like a robot who's been programmed to act so cold. Her eyes were so sharp like a predator already locked on its prey, her posture was upright. A cold, bloody, merciless murderer, that's my first impression of her, but I'll give her the benefit of the doubt, a first impression must not be the basis of one's judgment on another after all.

"A murderer", Claire muttered

"That's your first impression of me wasn't it?" she added then turning her eyes on me

"I get that a lot, throughout the years that passed, I slowly adapted to that persona people always think me of. perhaps it's for the best," she said to me

I was shocked that she knew what I was exactly thinking at that moment, I swear this girl has psychic powers or something.

"It's just my first impression anyways, also, people aren't often surprised when their first impression on another person is wrong," I replied.

"Then again, some people voice out their thoughts clearly, and some don't. I'm one of those people, the ones who prefer to stay quiet, the ones that do not want much attention." I quickly added

"Perhaps I'm in a Silent City then?" she replied in a sure voice

"Perhaps it is," I said to her, ending our conversation.

Silent City huh? Something tells me that this girl will turn around that silence, that somehow this cold and frigid city will turn it into a noisy and warm city. That the silence I've endured myself will be shattered into pieces...