The event marking the tragedy

Upon returning home that evening, Himiko went straight to bed after taking care of her two siblings. Exhausted, she hurriedly drifted off to sleep. While sleeping that night, something unusual began to unfold.

Himiko slowly opened her eyes. As her vision cleared, she realized she was underwater, yet she felt no panic, only a peculiar calmness. "It's so cold, but strangely comforting," she mused. Parting her lips slightly, bubbles escaped as she exhaled. More bubbles emerged with her gentle exhales.

Chapter 2 - Diving into the Unexpected

Remaining submerged, Himiko raised her left hand to inspect it, finding nothing amiss on her body. After scanning her underwater surroundings, she closed her eyes and exhaled softly.

"Am I dead? Or was I kidnapped and thrown into the ocean, slowly sinking without my knowledge?" she pondered. "Perhaps if I let myself sink, this heavy feeling will vanish. But would surrendering to self-pity really lead me to death..." Her thoughts persisted. After a moment of descending deeper, a sudden burst of water droplets splashed against her forehead.

Feeling the sensation, she slowly opened her eyes. Widening her eyes, she noticed the underwater environment growing darker, extinguishing the remaining light ahead. She attempted to swim upwards, pursuing the vanishing light. Unbeknownst to her, something gripped her right leg. Looking downward, she saw a colossal creature with a single eye, a white body, sharp teeth, and menacing claws. Its grip pierced her leg, causing blood to seep. The pain was excruciating, forcing her to tightly shut her eyes. Despite the agony, she strained to swim away, struggling towards the surface and the receding light. She extended her hand, but the creature's grip tightened, pulling her downward. Its gaping maw revealed a sinister tongue as it laughed while tugging her deeper. Its claws dug deeper, intensifying the pain. Desperate, she screamed, "Help!" releasing air bubbles from her mouth.

After being pulled downward, she suddenly awoke. Sitting up swiftly in her bed, her body drenched in sweat, she panted heavily, muttering, "Hauf Hauf Hauf."

Glancing around due to her earlier experience, she took a moment to observe her surroundings before looking out the window. Placing a hand on her face while catching her breath, she closed her eyes, sighing as she fell back onto her bed. She stared at the ceiling, recollecting the dream.

"It was likely a nightmare. But if that's true, why does it feel like there's a message in the dream? Nightmares supposedly convey messages, based on your emotions. Yet why do I struggle to decipher mine?" she pondered. Drifting into drowsiness once again, she closed her eyes. Eventually, she fell back asleep. Unbeknownst to her, a dark aura emanated from her, enveloping their house. Alongside the aura, a shadowy figure materialized—a creature born from her dream. It opened its mouth, placing its large hands on Himiko. Abruptly, it brought its mouth closer to her--

Transitioning to the next part:

In the morning, she awoke, still soaked in sweat. Slowly rising, she let out a sigh, noticing the lingering dampness. Leaving her bed, she stretched before getting ready for school. After preparing herself, she woke her two siblings. "Ryu, Rika, wake up. You both have school too, right?" she inquired of her sleeping siblings.

"Onee-San...?" Ryu mumbled softly, followed by a smile as he drifted back to sleep. On the other side, Rika faced her older sister Himiko from her bed. Finding Rika awake and smiling, Himiko reciprocated the gesture. She patted Rika gently, whispering, "I'm off to school. Take care, you two." With that, Himiko rose from her seat, ready to leave for school. Exiting her room, she embarked on her journey to school. While walking, she noticed an elderly person attempting to cross the road with some belongings. "Hm," she murmured quietly. Briefly hesitating, she pondered whether to help. After a moment, she resolved to approach the elderly person.

Character profile time! - Ryu Sato?!

Ryu Sato is the young male sibling of Himiko. At the age of 14, he's the youngest among their siblings and is a 7th grader. He stands at 170cm and has blue eyes with light blue specks. He's hardworking but tends to be a bit dramatic.

Back to the moment

"Excuse me, do you need assistance?" she inquired of the elderly person. The older individual turned with a smile, replying, "Yes, young lady. Thank you." Himiko nodded, and they crossed the road, with her offering support. Unaware, an apple had fallen from the elderly person's belongings during the crossing. Upon reaching the other side safely, Himiko bowed politely and continued towards school. Recalling the sensation under her foot earlier, she glanced back, observing the elderly person picking up an apple from the road.

Simultaneously, a speeding vehicle caught her attention, headed toward the elderly person. Without thinking, she screamed, "Granny!" Discarding her bag, she sprinted towards them, pushing the elderly person gently and swiftly retrieving the fallen apple. However, as she faced the road again, the oncoming car was too close. Time seemed to slow as she neared the road's edge. Just as she reached the side, the car approached. Himiko was struck and propelled through the air. Injured and unconscious, her bleeding arm clung to the apple. Blood trickled from her hand..