Prologue: What Dreams May Come

"To sleep, perchance to dream—ay, there's the rub, for in that sleep of death what dreams may come when we have shuffled off this mortal coil, must give us pause. There's the respect that makes calamity of so long life."

A blonde woman in her early thirties stood by a table at the front of the classroom, reading from a copy of Hamlet. Her calm voice carried the weight of its words.

As the bell echoed throughout the school campus, marking 12:30 in the afternoon, the senior students in Class 2-B began gathering their things, ready to leave for lunch. However, the foreign teacher stopped them, closed the book with a quiet but firm motion, and said,

"Sit down, class. We're not done yet."

She lowered the book slightly and looked at her students, searching their faces for understanding. The students let out reluctant groans, clearly wanting to protest, but they stayed in their seats.

The teacher smirked, knowing they had to wait for a couple more minutes or there would be consequences. She then went on, picked up a piece of chalk, and faced the board.

"Tomorrow, make sure you have read and understood Shakespeare's Hamlet, as it will be part of our school play for this year's fair." With a broad smile, she wrote the necessary information on the board.

The class had grown accustomed to their Shakespeare-enthusiast teacher. A low buzz of conversation spread through the classroom as students shared their thoughts. Some exchanged wary glances, uncertain about the play, while others lit up excitedly, already picturing themselves on stage. Whether hesitant or eager, one thing was clear—they had no choice but to follow their teacher's lead.

"The fair is just around the corner. Deliberate among yourselves about the play, and we'll discuss it tomorrow. Got it?"

In unison, the class replied, "Yes, Ms. Collins," and bid their adviser goodbye. The class president took the lead, promising to discuss the matter after class so they could enjoy their lunch.

As students conversed and prepared to leave the classroom, one girl sat near the back window, observing calmly, looking outside, and watching students together with some teachers enjoying their free time on the field.

'What a peaceful day to be alive.' She mused.

It's nearly summer, and the observing girl can feel the warm air against her lightly tanned skin. A light breeze blows, and her silky strawberry-blonde hair sways. Some strands begin to brush her face, and she ties it in a ponytail so it doesn't get messy.

She leans her arms on the desk like a pillow, resting her head and glancing outside the window; she is drowsy from the serene feeling.

Most days, she would be out on the court with her volleyball team, laughing too loudly, swapping random stories, or playfully debating which campus crush was the cutest.

But not today. The girl just wanted to sit back and let the world slow down for a second.

'If only days like this could go on forever.' The girl thought and breathed deeply in relief that she was experiencing this moment. She was almost fast asleep when she heard footsteps closing in.

"Reane, Reane... Rei," a soft voice called her name.

A fellow student from her class gently shook her shoulder. Reane recognized this captivating voice but didn't move.

It was still lunch, and the strawberry-blonde student stayed bent over her desk, pretending to be asleep for as long as she could. It was an opportunity too good to turn down, and she was going to make the most of it. Otherwise, she'd be unable to concentrate on the next subjects, as she will feel sleepier.

"Rei, wake up; we're going to be late if you don't get up now," the girl said in a sweet but calming voice despite her annoyance. But Reane wondered why they would be late. For what?—She could not remember, so she looked up to see a tall, gorgeous girl with shoulder-length brown hair. She was taken aback to see such a striking individual in front of her.

Reane was also taller than most in their age group and quite popular due to her beauty and athletic ability. However, the student's appearance in front of her was on a whole other level.

The brown-haired girl have a lean physique, a cute, round face with rosy cheeks, and pale skin that seemed to glow in the sunlight—the model look that any agency would kill for.

Reane couldn't help but stare, and as soon as her own vivid green eyes locked with the girl's warm amber eyes, for a second, she lost track of everything. But the girl rolled her eyes, gave her a look of disgust, and she snapped out of it.

"Hey, Rei, stop staring; you look like some creepy old guy." The girl mockingly crossed her arms and smirked.

"I told you we have stuff to do, and you're over here zoning out. Are you avoiding me?"

"What do you mean?" Reane looked baffled as she tried to make sense of this beautiful girl in front of her who was somehow familiar like she should know her. The girl's voice sounded so easy to recognize, but she couldn't place her. 'Wait, who is she? What's going on? she thought, her mind spinning.

Then another light breeze passed by, as if to wake her from her state of confusion. She then gazed at the brown-haired girl, who had tried to tuck loose strands behind her ear as they blew about. The sunlight hit her hair just right, the coffee-toned strands even more vibrant, as though they had been placed there for that reason.

Reane found herself staring once again, caught by the stunning sight before her.

'Talk about being blessed; is she a goddess?' She imagined while laughing a little.

The brown-haired girl noticed Reane's cute laugh and, with a playful smile, she extended her hand to gently cup Reane's surprised face.

Tears filled Reane's eyes as she felt the girl's touch, and soon, they were streaming down her face. 'Why do I feel sad?' Her heart hammered away so fiercely that she pressed a hand to her chest as if trying to keep her heart from blowing up, and she began to breathe slowly.

'Why do I feel like I missed her so much?' Reane thought as her tears refused to stop. She held the girl's hand, gripping it a little, not letting go.

The brown-haired girl started to worry. She leaned in closer and bombarded Reane with questions in a concerned tone. 

"Hey, Rei, are you okay? Is something wrong? Why are you crying? Please tell me."

Reane wiped her tears and gave a half-smile. She was about to say something, but her voice caught in her throat and wouldn't come out. She stood up abruptly as she started to panic, looking around the room—there was no one there—empty, except for the two of them. And then, she remembered.

But there was no way this girl should be standing in front of her.

It was impossible.

She shuddered and asked herself—how could this be?

'Wait, am I dead?'

Reane gazed back at the standing student before her, but the ray of sunlight made her unable to see the girl's face. She noticed the girl's mouth forming a sad smile. Unexpectedly, a loud, painful sound shattered the silence, and the whole surroundings brightened, blinding her completely.

Anxiety started to get into her, and she wandered aimlessly into the bright room alone and scared, unable to see anything. 

'Are….Rei…I….' Reane heard the girl's voice whispering something, but she couldn't hear it clearly. Then, all of a sudden, another loud sound came in, which brought her back to reality.