Chapter 1 An ordinary life

Aurore was an ordinary girl. When she was still in high school, she was what you might call a background character.

She was ranked in the middle of the class, not an exceptional student but not a dunce either.

Her physique did not distinguish her from the others. Without being ugly, she was not a beauty prize either.

Her only distinguishing feature was the color of her hair and eyes. They were bright red like the rising sun from which she got her name.

On top of all that, her shyness and self-effacing character didn't help draw attention to herself.

She had a few friends, though. This group of friends had gathered around a shared passion.

They were all passionate about video games.

As you can imagine, this group was almost entirely made up of boys.

There was only one other girl in this group of friends apart from Aurore.

Lily was Aurore's opposite. Without having the physique of a model, Lily was cute. She paid attention to her clothes and make-up. Her personality was more outgoing, and she became the leader of the group.

It is often said that opposites attract each other, which was confirmed in this case. The two girls quickly became best friends.

They shared the same dream. The two girls dreamt of creating a video game.

Unlike the rest of the group, which was made up only of players, the two girls had the souls of artists. They spent hours discussing character design, gameplay, level composition, music, and everything that constitutes a video game.

The two young girls were inseparable and had decided that after their studies, they would try to create their own game.

Their plan was as follows: Aurore would enter the university to obtain a degree in development and Lily to get a degree in digital art.

As for romance, it was dead calm. Despite her banality, Aurore had a secret. One that only her best friend knew. As Lily had pointed out to her, she wasn't very picky. She was equally attracted to girls, boys, and anyone in between. Of course, Aurore already had crushes, but her shyness prevented her from taking the first step.

The two friends had taken the entrance exam for the same university, and they were waiting for the results. They had agreed to meet at the metro station closest to the university. Aurore was early and waiting for Lily outside the station. The stress made her nervous.

She opened her phone's app store and started looking for a game she liked to calm herself.

"There are only lame games on mobile," thought Aurore with contempt.

"They are just an excuse to extract money with microtransactions."

After browsing the App Store for 10 minutes, she gave up, finding nothing to her liking.

That's when a message notification ringed on her phone. It was Lily.

"There was an incident in the metro. I'll be a little late. Wait for me."

She replied immediately: "ok, no problem."

Aurore decided to find a bench to sit on and pass the time.

After 15 minutes, Aurore noticed her friend across the street. She got up immediately, and Lucien gave a big wave to get her attention.

Lily replied immediately with a big smile. She was waiting for the pedestrian light to turn green.

The little green man lit up, and Lily started to cross the road.

Aurore got up and walked toward her friend.

That's when she noticed a truck coming at full speed. Its driver was staring at his phone.

Aurore then began to run towards her friend, shouting:

"Watch out, Lily!!"

Lily seeing her friend's panic, turned her head and saw the truck. She then froze in place, completely panicked.

"Run, Lilly!!" Aurore exclaimed, running.

However, in her panic, Lily remained motionless, not understanding what was happening.

Aurore arrived at her friend's level and pushed her violently to put her in safety. Unfortunately, carried away by her momentum, Aurore stumbled and fell to the ground.

It was then that the driver finally lifted his nose from his phone and saw the red light and the girl on the ground.

He then jumped with all his weight on the brake pedal, but it was too late.

A deafening screech of tires, the thump of a collision, and the heartbreaking scream of a girl were heard.

"Aurore no !!!"

passer-by then shouted

"There's been an accident. Call an ambulance!!!"

Lily rushed over to her friend lying on the ground and was devastated by the sight of her friend. Her right arm was bent at an impossible angle. Blood flowed from her skull onto the floor like an extension of her hair.

Aurore had her eyes open and felt no pain. When she saw her friend crying, she smiled a little.

"Don't cry. It's ok," murmured Aurore. "I'm glad you're not hurt."

Time seemed to slow down, and an icy cold feeling seized the young girl's body.

"I'm cold…" thought Aurore

Understanding that her injuries were severe, she realized that her last moments had arrived.

She grabbed her friend's arm with her left hand using her last strength.

"Lily, I hope you make it. Make our dream come true."

"No !!! you'll be fine !!!"

Feeling her last strength leave her, she let go of her friend's arm, and her eyes went blank.

Aurore Willow had just left this world.