Fatheema swept her gaze across the entire space. What she saw was a vast, boundless place—like being in outer space.
Both her feet seemed to stand on a wide expanse of clear, calm water.
Slowly, she walked across its still surface. The soles of her feet felt cool and comfortable, as if there were no pressure at all with each step. Her hearing became incredibly sharp, her vision unusually bright—every one of her senses heightened.
From the watery surface beneath her, bubbles began to emerge—pure white spheres.
One, two, four, eight…
More and more of them appeared, floating gently throughout the empty space, drifting randomly without direction.
Inside those spheres were faint images, like videos playing within each one.
People, objects, events—some clear, others abstract and incomprehensible.
Now she fully realized—she was inside a dream.
She remembered the last thing she had done: lying in her bedroom after returning from school.
The moment her body touched the bed, her consciousness faded… and shifted into this state.
Fatimah felt a deep sense of calm.
Her entire body was light, free of burden or pressure.
She opened her eyes.
She found herself again in that vast, endless space—like the universe itself.
The ground beneath her resembled the surface of still water, completely motionless.
"Where is this?"
"What kind of place is this?" she asked herself.
Her memory returned to the moment she fell asleep.
"Ah, I fell asleep earlier. So this means I'm dreaming."
She recalled the strange events she had experienced—especially at school.
Her mind returned to the fight with that mysterious girl.
"Who is she, really?"
Once again, she questioned herself.
From the watery surface beneath her feet, a glowing white sphere slowly formed and floated toward her. It stopped right in front of her, and inside it, faint images began to appear.
She watched as if a sequence of events were being played like a video.
Her fight with Hanako…
The flag ceremony incident…
Her classmates who became victims…
Scenes of previous events at school—things done by Hanako.
It felt like fragments of Hanako's memories.
And then—
The images shifted into unfamiliar scenes—places and times from long ago, with strange buildings, clothing, and environments.
Shadows, screams, and terror from victims of that spirit flashed one after another.
Suddenly—
The scenes became chaotic, distorted—like a corrupted video file.
Then—
Bwush!
The white sphere dimmed… and burst.
She tried to recreate it by imagining Hanako again, but the sphere would not reappear.
Maybe the information she had was still limited, she thought.
"So… her name is Hanako. A spirit that emerges from darkness."
"She's had many victims for a long time.
The early images came from Japan… then shifted to my school."
"Why?
Did she ever stop?"
"Was she sealed, injured, or restrained somehow? Is that why the timeline jumped?"
"Why has she appeared again now?
How do I defeat her? Can she even be destroyed… or sent back to where she came from?"
"Who could solve the case of this spirit, Hanako? Why did it have to be her? Why should she take the risk?"
"I need to find someone who can handle this. I don't have to risk myself!"
"I should report this to the school authorities!"
"Fatheema, why are you being cowardly and irresponsible? You've fought her before—and you managed to corner her."
"Try facing her again. Become a hero. You'll be rewarded."
"You've been given power. That means you also have the responsibility to use it properly."
A conflict raged within her—between running away and standing her ground.
She hadn't yet found a strong enough reason to fight.
Her encounter with Hanako felt like mere coincidence. Nothing had been taken from her—no real loss. She tried to think rationally.
Then she sat cross-legged.
"I'll try to summon something else… something more useful—not those frightening things!"
She began to call forth beautiful visions—places she had dreamed of, her martial arts achievements, her future school, and the people she loved.
Within that space of consciousness, she felt peace once more. Happiness filled her heart.
The burden in her mind slowly faded.
And then—
Her awareness seemed to rise… to something higher.
No longer just a human driven by worldly desires.
So peaceful.
As if she were slowly falling into a deeper level of consciousness…
A faint smile formed on her lips.
And then—
Suddenly, a cold, dark wind surged into her eyes.
Zeep!
Her vision turned completely white—
And abruptly, images appeared: her friends running in panic, chaos everywhere.
"The camp? My school…"
"My friends?!"
Then—
A black vortex emerged.
Flashes of light—
A girl appeared.
Wearing a white-and-gray high school uniform, short sleeves, a skirt reaching her calves. Shoulder-length wavy hair.
She grinned wickedly, revealing sharp fangs at the corners of her lips.
Her eyes burned bright red.
Hanako unleashed her power.
She raised her hand—
Activating her curse!
Wuzz!
Then she laughed—a high-pitched, horrifying, manic laugh—
Accompanied by the terrified screams of her victims.
"No!" she screamed.
And—
Zeep!
The vision vanished.
"What? What just happened?" she gasped in shock.
"As far as I remember… there really is a scouting camp at school…"
"Oh no! Those kids—Anik, Odah, Andi—
They… they're going to become victims!"
In that vast, space-like realm, she sat silently, lost in thought, trying to figure out what to do.
Finally, overwhelmed, she lay down on the flat surface.
She let her thoughts drift freely, trying not to care anymore.
Slowly—
Her consciousness faded.
Into deep sleep.
***
Andi and Silvi walked toward the school's infirmary. Andi held a small flashlight, while Silvi wore an LED headlamp.
When they reached the front of the room, they shone their lights through the transparent glass window.
Inside, they saw a girl standing with her back turned to them.
"Hey, who's there? Why are you here? Everyone should already be resting in their tents!" Andi said as he opened the infirmary door.
The two of them stepped inside.
"Did you hear that?"
The girl turned around… and smiled at them.
Both of them felt confused—they had never seen her before.
A girl in a white-and-gray school uniform, short sleeves, skirt to her calves. Shoulder-length wavy black hair. Her face had distinct Asian features.
"Are you looking for me?" she said softly. Her voice was gentle, cold… yet strangely unsettling.
Then—
Without warning, her eyes glowed bright red!
Andi and Silvi froze.
Their voices caught in their throats. Their bodies refused to move.
It felt as if their breathing had stopped.
And then—
They collapsed, unconscious.
***