Chapter I: Stranger within a Dream

Along the chaotic mingles of cheering students in the hallway, a lady can be pictured helplessly sprawled on the campus' hallway floor. Coffee, juices—whatever kind of drinks it is, they were all poured unto her, soaking her finely-groomed uniform.

Tears, you say? Hiraya did not even shed a drop of it. Bullies have dried her eyes for all these years, making her getting used of its feeling—the pain, the shame and everything.

A sound of a shoes tapping closer to her can be heared, revealing a lady, looking-down on her.

"And yet you call yourself an heiress, huh?" The lady squatted on its knees and leveled its face on hers.

Alia Mamono. Hiraya's life started to become a living hell the moment that Alia entered the school. All those times, she thought that being a loner, an only child, and being left alone after both of her parents' death leaving only their butlers and maids left for her to rely on would be her greatest pain, but she got it all wrong. Alia was already aware of who Hiraya is, but for the lady, talking aside Hiraya's riches and everything—she is just a weakling, with no one to rely on.

Alia then, tilted the helpless Hiraya's chin, making her meet her eyes but the bullied girl refused to do so.

"Now, now, you won't even dare to meet my gaze you poor little thing. I told you, I'll only stop if you give me this whole campus that you own. " Alia stood up again and mockingly smiled at her.

" After all, a weakling like you do not deserve to own properties like this. " She then turned her back and left the place together with those girls like her.

Just like all those past days and years, Hiraya get back on her feet again and picked her bag up then started to walk away like nothing just happened. If there's anything that she's best at, it's with 'ignoring and enduring'—ignoring the bullies, and enduring the pain.

A black limousine can be seen among the cars at the parking lot. She always hated those kind of car, for the fact that her parents died riding such kind of it, yet here it is, trying to mock her again, as her butlers were using it to fetch her from school. She then smiled naughtily thinking of a way to run away from her butlers again.

"These benches never gets old..." She uttered while running her fingers on each of it, remembering how her family always sit on it during those holidays that they spent together. She was busy reminiscing those good old times not until a drop of water fall on her face.

She smiled. A genuine one. As the rain started to pour harder, Hiraya happily tiptoed to those swings that she used to play at, years ago. Eyes closed, her face tilted facing the dark skies, feeling every drop of its rain pouring on her smiling face.

"Mom, Dad? I missed you, everyday..."

She started to ride with the swing, swaying with the wind. Few seconds passed until those little whimpers were followed by sobs. Tears were rolling down on her cheeks together with the rain, making it invisible from sight.

"Mr. Tokei, our Hiraya is already home. You can leave the campus now." The head of the house sighed as he ended the call.

"Lady,your dinner is ready. And please, I am hoping for this to be the last time that you would get back here alone. You aren't not just a normal person, a few days from now you will be having all the authority for all the properties and assets that your parents left for you. I'll be hiring bodyguards for you when it happens." The lady just nodded and quietly proceeded in her room with a towel on her shoulders.

"I'm tired..." She uttered as she throws herself to bed.

"I am not even interested with these things. I just want to be alone. Why can't they just leave me alone? Forever.."

*knocks*

" Another letter was left between your room's window this morning, Lady. "

'Those letters again. I never opened one. ' She told in her mind while lazily walked towards the door to open it.

'A. '

"Who's this 'A' anyway? Seriously, these letters are weird." Just like those usual days, she opened her drawer and put the letter inside.

"I'm not that bad to throw these, so I'll be keeping it here instead." Her windows are closed but the moon's reflecting light from the glass can be seen as she lay her body on her bed for the second time.

A few days from now, she will be turning 20 yet she isn't even feeling any excitement from it.

"Mom, dad? Why didn't you just take me with you? " She uttered as she plunged herself to sleep.

'Hey... I have a present for you. '

'You... you look just like me.. '

'Ssh now. Let me take you to a place that your heart desires most. '

'You.. your eyes are beautiful. '

'Yes, Ours are.. now take my hand. '

'You are warm..it makes my heart warm as well '

"It's already late, Lady.. why are you still awake?"

The lady's fingers pointed up the sky.

"Oh yes, meteors..."

" It was reportedly announced yesterday on TV that a meteor shower will be happening today." The butler continued until what on Hiraya's hands caught her attention.

"You have opened the letter, my Lady?" He said with his eyes focused on the letter on the lady's hand and a pen stucked on her hair composing it into a single bun.

"Hey there, Aoii.." She called with her back still facing the butler.

"Don't you think this is the perfect time for little changes, hmm?" She took a deep sigh before facing the butler then stared at him for seconds before giving him a weird but a significant smile.

The butler stood in shock.

"Would you mind if I change,Aoii?"

This is the very first time that the Lady call him by his first name.

"I'll be sleeping now, then."

The butler is still in shock as the Lady walked back into her room barefooted, and throws a look back at the standing butler and talked cheerfully—"And please fix yourself, Aoii, your face is scaring me."

A cheerful laugh echoed around the corners of the mansion before the door was shut closed.

The butler, Aoii was left there hanging, watching the meteors pass by one after the other. This is indeed a weird change... he thought.

For the Lady that never had made an eye contact to anyone for once, has met his gaze for the very first time. The butler was happy, but he was having an uneasy feeling that whole time. Something's wrong with his Lady's eyes. A fire... a fire was playing deep within those beautiful but playful eyes.

Or maybe he was just imagining things?

*Mamono Residence*

"A mail had arrived just now, Lady Alia." A housemaid came walking holding a mail on its hand.

'Akane. '

The Lady frowned as she opened the letter. Akane? She does not even know anyone with a name like that.

"Have you seen the meteors? They're pretty right, just like you do—but they are kind of fiery, though. Would you mind to play those fires with me?

Akane. "

Akane.... akane.....

Just who on earth is this Akane?!

She went back her room with her jaw clenched tight and then throws the letter unto the floor.

"The heck was that letter for?! I am only sending my letters to Hiraya for these past three whole years!" She started walking back and forth around her room with one of her finger on her mouth, biting its nails.

"Is she threatening me? I'm not even threatened! That weakling, what's with these letter they did not even affect me, poor her."

Alia jumped on her bed while repeatedly saying things that might calm her down. As the night went deeper, everything wasn't aware what was going to happen.