Tomoe got up from her bed, her eyes wandering around.
My clothes, my bags, and... She looked at the photo frame on the table. She clutched it tightly to her chest, staying like that for a long while.
Tomoe gave it one last glance, especially at her father's smiling face and put it down. She checked the time. It was 9:30 PM, Sunday.
She had fallen asleep at Nurse Joy's place at around 9:00 PM. Just thirty minutes later, she had woken up again.
This time, it was her real world.
What is the time difference? she thought, walking toward the door. She opened it, and a clear night sky greeted her.
She was just checking to see if it was really nighttime. The strange phenomenon shook her to the very core.
Closing the door, she sat on the couch.
If I sleep again, will I go back to that world?
She didn't want it. She didn't want to go back to that world, and she certainly didn't want to leave her comfort zone.
She covered her face with her hands. What do I do?
She stayed like that, desperately trying to think of ways she could handle the situation.
Haah...
She sighed and looked up. The chandelier blessed her with its warm hue.
I don't know what to do. A long breath came out. Do I have to live like this for the rest of my life?
Can I... She clenched her fist. Not go there, and just live here? Please.
She closed her eyes, reminiscing, but a sudden dizziness hit her. She was feeling sleepy again.
She noticed something was off. Pushing herself off the couch, her feet automatically shifted into a balanced boxing stance. She threw a sudden jab-cross combination. Her fists snapped forward with crisp, effortless speed.
There was no agonizing ache in her joints. There was no burning soreness in her thighs from a full day of walking. Her body here was completely untouched.
Did my body not travel there, or did coming back erase the ache?
She had an idea. Moving back into her bedroom, she touched the exact spot on the mattress where she had been sleeping. It was warm. She touched the sides of the bed; they were way less warm.
My body stayed in this world... is it just my consciousness? From all the available clues, she came to a definitive conclusion.
It was her consciousness. Her soul.
She had never believed in gods, spirits, or anything supernatural. Until today.
Tomoe moved back to the hall and sat down. The more time she spent in the bedroom, the sleepier she became. It was the last thing she wanted to do.
I cannot sleep. But how long could she calm the internal urges to let her body rest?.
She knew it was a futile attempt. Eventually, her body would cave in. She was nervous, and the heavy silence of the room did not help.
She needed something that could distract her and let her mind rest. Opening her mobile phone, she tried watching some videos, but it did not help.
She tapped into a gacha game on her phone, desperate for a flashing screen to distract her mind. Instead, the glaring red negative sign next to the Primogem count stared back at her—a brutal reminder of a ruined account. The screen felt hollow. The flashing colors could not break the rising panic clawing at her throat.
Nothing was working for her. Her chest grew heavy, and a sense of absolute panic was rising within her.
Tomoe opened her call log. There was nothing there except for a single contact. It was her father.
Her hand hovered over the contact name before she quickly closed the log and put the phone aside.
She blasted through the front door and walked out, her pace incredibly fast. She wanted to leave the academy and submerge herself in the night market.
She hoped that if she found herself surrounded by crowds of people, she could temporarily forget about the things that had happened.
She wanted to run away.
Run away from the distant future.
Run away from the distant past.
Outside the academy gates, she booked a cab to the market.
The market was still bristling with people who wanted to enjoy a night out, alongside exhausted workers who had simply fallen asleep right on the footpaths outside the shops.
Tomoe could feel her heart rate finally calming down. Right now, the only thing she could think about was trying not to look weird.
People on the road gazed at her. Her violet hair shone in the night, and her fair skin, colonized by prominent burn marks, told a silent story.
To the vendors and late-night workers, she looked like an imposing, unbothered giant. Her jaw was set hard, her focus seemingly absolute. But beneath the cold facade, her palms were slick with cold sweat.
What should I do now?
Confused, Tomoe started to think of anything that could help her stay awake until morning. Maybe, in the gaps between the noise, she would try to figure out what was going to happen to her.
...
The morning sunlight gazed down on the earth, lighting up the city streets.
Tomoe was standing outside the academy gates, heavy dark circles clearly visible beneath her eyes. Her face was dripping with water. She took out her handkerchief and wiped it dry.
It's almost not working anymore.
The quick boost of refreshment from the cold water was losing its effect.
Today was the opening ceremony, and she could not afford to miss it. Maybe the event itself would help her. She thought the pure enthusiasm and cheers of the student body might keep her awake.
It took her twenty minutes to reach the venue.
The area was completely packed with students. Every single person seemed to be present, even though there was still half an hour left before the start.
She stood at the very back of the line. She was tall enough to see everything happening on the main stage clearly.
Some students looked behind them with a quick smile, thinking they might make one more casual acquaintance. Instead, they were greeted by a stern, towering face covered in burn marks, complete with intense dark circles. It looked like a living nightmare.
They immediately whipped their heads back around to look ahead.
Tomoe was used to it. She didn't say a word.
The cheerful sounds and streaks of enthusiasm from the crowd were working very well, to the point where she had to look beside her.
It was a girl, shorter than her, with flowing, scarlet-red hair and long bangs covering her left eye. She was enthusiastically munching down a burger, making sounds that rang like a loud bell in Tomoe's exhausted ears.
Rindo looked up at the giant girl beside her. "Want some? This is my special burger."
She tiptoed closer and whispered, "I put some dangerous ingredients in it." She let out a mischievous laugh.
"No." Tomoe shook her head and looked straight ahead.
The chairman was finally walking toward the stage.
"Ahem..." The chairman grabbed everyone's attention.