Code 0: I dreamt of dying

There was a lake in the middle of a dark forest; it reflected the gentle white light of the perfectly round full moon. In other people's eyes, it could be a marvelous sight to behold, but with some, it could be the simplest sight, as nature is only interacting with its own.

A girl, an exceptionally beautiful girl, who wears a very delicate face with her brown hair flowing naturally on to her shoulders, walked towards the lake but as soon as she gets closer to the centre, bits of herself turned into silver dust, and as the wind blows, she went along with it, and flew to the sky. Scattered she goes like the stars above.

The woman disappeared.

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September 18, 2122 [Kamoi City]

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That was the dream Misty had last night. It was very short, but far too mystical to be forgotten, she actually couldn't get a good glimpse on the face of the woman, but she knew, for god's sake, she knew her. The thought of the silver dust was painfully familiar to her, that whenever her head tries to recall what the woman looked like, feels as if she's shoving thorns and blades in her chest.

Although she hasn't met her.

Misty is alone now, the young woman who at 22, alone all because of the war. The war that started before she could even stand.

Anxiety filled her brain every morning and every night for the reason that the poor young woman doesn't even know when will the next storm of bombs and bullets will come, Misty have no idea if she'd still live the next day.

So why would she even think about a mystical dream that didn't even made sense?

First of all, there are no safe forests anymore, as forests are filled with landmines and camps of cruel soldiers. No frail woman without a weapon or at least a bullet proof vest can step outside anymore. And no one can be that beautiful in the time she had to live in.

This current time.

" Why do I have to live? Why am I alive? "

Those questions will remain as questions for the rest of her poor-life, the life that was only filled with pain and suffering, the life that was clouded by the blood of people who had to protected her in order for her to survive another day.

Misty covered herself in a blanket, shivering although it was in the middle of a hot afternoon and her shelter was as dark as midnight, and as cold as the winter. Misty doesn't even know whose house she's staying in, the shelter is partially destroyed, the holes made by the bullets allowed the lights from the outside world to peek inside.

In the world Misty had to live in, is where the darkness is safer than the outside bright world where everything can be seen. In this world, it's better not to see, as when you open your eyes you'd only see someone's corpse lying on the ground, rotting like a dead bush, in this world, the blanket of darkness covers the horror of light.

In this world, death is more desired than life will ever be. This is the battlefield.

But Misty didn't choose to stop here. All the faces that protected her flashes in her mind whenever she thinks of ending everything in her own hands, all those people who embraced her with love and warmth for her to survive and live are always in the back of her mind whenever she thinks of something atrocious.

She didn't want to put their sacrifices into waste. Misty wanted to live, she wanted to run to reach a quiet place where there is peace.

Therefore, even if she were to get worn-out, tired and about to give up, courage would fill her entire mind. As this, won't kill her as long as the flames -their lives, in her heart remain burning.

The lights that peek through her shelter slowly darken, it means the day ended, without a storm of bullets nearby.

A peaceful day, maybe it would last; the dream about the silver woman, the moon, maybe it was a sign. Misty might finally break free, from the shackles of violence, maybe it finally came to an end "-is this it?" Misty asked herself.

She slowly crawled on all fours towards the door and reached the knob after standing up, slowly she opened the door. The warm sunset welcomed her as its light covered her tired small face. In the middle of the destroyed chaotic city, the sun slowly falls to the horizon, peacefully as if nothing ever happened.

Misty didn't move, the young lady only watched the sun bid farewell. And as the blanket of darkness filled the sky, the moon remained bright, like a guide for lost souls.

Just like that dream, it was peaceful and quiet, like that dream, Misty slowly walked towards where she could see the moon in her full glory, as she got closer, her sight got clouded, by an eerily familiar dust.

Misty looked back to the door, and saw herself, peacefully sleeping inside. Misty; the young lady was left alone in the dark.

The lady tried to run back to herself, but the wind became stronger, she got blown along the wind as the silver dust, the dust of her soul scattered in the sky, like the stars above. She didn't have to suffer any more. The freedom she desired was brought upon her, and now, her life has come to an end.

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The city was bustling as usual. As expected, humans come and go, in the buildings, on the roads and even in the sky, humans have almost conquered the entire earth.

The sun had just set, as a kid, when the sun sets and when the night time comes, naturally, you'd take a rest preparing yourself for the next day.

But it's different when time passes, nights have become sleepless and days become dreamy.

Just like right now.

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September 18, 2022 3:55pm [Haya river park]

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"Can we meet up? I need your help"

"I really need to talk to you about something"

"It's urgent"

A girl hurriedly tapped her phone to text, she looked anxious walking back and forth, as if all her actions were outlets of her frustrations.

"Why aren't you answering me?" That message failed to send.

She tapped her shoes and began to walk back and forth again and stopped as soon as she got a notification from her phone.

"Wait for me, stay there and don't go anywhere else."

That was the message she received.

That didn't calm her, in fact it made her even more anxious, she let out a silent scream the girl violently scratched her head in frustration

The girl was a highschool student, her name was Aicah, 17 years old and tall for her age, she looked pretty, and had a very delicate face, her brown hair falls perfectly onto her shoulders, glowing red when the sun touches it.

Aicah sat on the bench and waited for at least an hour.

Or two.

No one came.

Until Aicah finally gave up and cried, it's all good, since no one was in the park that afternoon.

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Misty woke up, from a terrible lucid dream of dying, she didn't have the time to think about her dream; all because she is surrounded by water.

Misty is drowning.

Far from what she expected to wake up from, although strange but it's been a long time since she had touched water, Misty thought. Maybe this is a free bath?

But, the water was too much, it covered her entirety.

Her struggling was pointless, strangely, Misty had enough energy to struggle althought earlier she could barely walk.

/Where did it come from?/

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5:39 [Haya River park]

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The benches were empty, the sun is slowly setting, no one was there anymore except people who just happen to walk there

Not even Aicah was there.

But in the middle of the river, someone was drowning.

/Someone save me/

A desire to be saved again, like a struggling insect, or a desperate human who always relies on others to survive

Or to put burden on others' shoulder in order to live

Misty was always like that.

She died a little while ago and that's not happening again; that's what Misty thought. Maybe, if faith gave her one last chance, maybe if the gods allowed it, she could live a little while again, to see peace even once in her life, and to see bright lights again.

Maybe... just maybe...

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A passerby caught an unbelievable sight. The passerby was a young teenager, the sight was in the middle of the gentle and shallow lake. Someone smart enough found a way to drown.

The teenager didn't even have to jump in, to "save" the struggling individual. All they had to do was walk in to the lake as if they're casually walking on a fancy restaurant, and then just grabbed the struggling arm.

.

.

.

---The sun is setting

Gates have opened

Souls danced

A chance was given----

.

.

.

.

A hand grabbed Misty, the hand was owned by a teenager.

Misty finally stopped struggling.

The teenager had a bitter look on their face as they let their hoodie down, revealing the face of a young girl, her hair dyed orange with an uneven cut. She had hazel brown eyes burned under the colour of the sun.

"Ooh?" Sound escaped the teenager's mouth.

"What's with you, Aicah? think you could get away with me?" The teenager looked proud, she had a boastful attitude, her grip got tighter.

"Aicah?" Misty groaned, she struggled to get the grip out of her hands, the teenager simply let go, making Misty stumble on the shallow knee length lake.

"If you wanna die, this won't do it... I mean... If you want, I could help 'ya" the teenager smirked. She had a menacing grin that sent shivers down to Misty's spine.

"Who are you?" Misty asked. "And who is Aicah?"

The teenager was visibly confused. Her cheeks flushed in anger. "Hah? Are you kidding me!?" She stomped her feet, purposely splashing water on Misty's face. "You didn't just drowned for attention you also hit your head, pretending to have amnesia, huh?"

The teenager tucked her hands on her hoodie's pockets as she flipped her side bangs, removing her right hand on her pocket, her hand ran through her hair and sassily flipped it again, every action she made is perfectly timed, as if there was a conductor and a director combined controlling her, she was sparkling and overflowing with charisma, from head to toe she was unique, her entirety was covered with charm.

Misty was dumbfounded, she couldn't move her mouth to speak, for the sight in front of her, boils her insides like a hot pot.

"You annoy me." Misty coldly declared. "Where am I? Where did you take me?" She added with the coldest tone.

The teenager bitterly smiled "You're sassy as ever, Ms. Smarty pants."

There was a moment of silence...

"You? You're in heaven." She smirked. The wind brushed through her beautifully dyed ginger hair, it danced with the wind, as if it was fire because of the sun's rays.

"Heaven..." Misty echoed what was said, captivated by the teenager's eyes, that looked like an angel's.

----No, a demon is in front of me, Misty thought.

----I'm probably in hell.