She saw her again, standing at the edge of the cliff, hair dancing in the wind, eyes full of stars.
The sky above them cracked like glass. But the girl just smiled — soft, fearless — like she never left.
"Sara," she whispered, "why are you still running?"
Sara tried to speak, but her throat burned. She reached out. Just as their fingers touched, the world shattered.
She woke up. Alone.
Her room was dark and peaceful. Moonlight streamed through the window. The cold clung to her skin.
The window was open, and the breeze brushed through her hair. She had short hair—wolf cut. Despite the cold air,
her body was soaked in sweat. She sat up and poured herself a glass of water from the table beside her bed.
She drank it all in one gulp, but her heart was still racing. The pain in her chest was sharp.
Clutching her heart, Sara struggled to breathe. Nothing helped. Her condition worsened. Her breathing quickened,
and she began to lose control. The glass slipped from her hand and shattered on the floor. Tiny shards spread everywhere.
She dropped to her knees, hands gripping her head, teeth clenched, eyes shut so tightly they nearly bulged.
The pain consumed her until, slowly, it faded. Peace returned.
In a broken voice, she whispered, "W-why... why does she have to be you?"
Tears streamed down her cheeks.
She stood and walked barefoot over the glass. Her feet bled, tiny shards embedded in her skin, but she was too numb to feel it.
She lay back on her bed, staring at the ceiling, tears flowing silently as memories flooded her mind.
She didn't move for hours.
The alarm finally broke the silence. Morning had come. The pain in her feet returned. Blood had dried, but the glass was still there.
She bandaged herself, glancing around at the room that had witnessed her breakdown.
No time to think. She had to move.
Sara was 23, a student at the University of Tokyo, pursuing her Master's in Economics. An introvert, she rarely spoke to others.
She didn't have many friends. She arrived at the university and spotted Alexa, the first person she encountered.
She murmured to herself, "Here trouble comes," smiled faintly, and walked toward her.