I dreamed of that place again.
The abandoned building.
The cracked walls. The faded graffiti. The strange mark carved into the concrete.
But this time, someone was standing in front of it.
A silhouette.
Tall… but I couldn't tell if it was a boy or a girl.
Who is that?
I tried to move closer. Step by step. The distance between us grew thinner.
Just a little more…
If I could just see their face—
And then—
I woke up.
I opened my eyes.
Aster flowers swayed gently above me.
So it wasn't a dream.
I was still in the Garden of Aster.
A small smile escaped my lips as I sat up.
I looked around for her.
Aysel was in the middle of the field, crouching down, playing with a small creature. Of course she was. She always loved fluffy animals.
From afar, I studied her.
Thick eyelashes. Green eyes that caught the sunlight. Long, light ash-blonde hair flowing down her back.
An elf?An angel?
No.
Just Aysel.
And that thought alone made my chest ache.
How could someone hurt someone like her?
The more I thought about it, the more something dark stirred inside me.
I promise you, Aysel.
I'll find out who did this.
I'll make sure you can rest in peace.
She suddenly waved at me, signaling for me to come over.
I walked through the field of asters toward her. The entire place felt like stepping into one of those reincarnation novels I used to read — a modern girl reborn into a fantasy world filled with strange creatures and ancient landscapes.
When I reached her, I saw what she was holding.
It looked like a hamster.
Except it had a tiny horn on its forehead.
"You're awake?" she asked.
"Yeah."
"This little guy isn't exactly mine" she said, gently petting it. "It's one of the creatures here. They kept me company when I was alone."
"I see."
"It's cute, right? I miss Rexxu." Her old pet.
I didn't say anything.
"Anyway" she stood up, brushing the dirt off her dress. "Today I'll show you more of this place. But first — change your clothes. You'll attract attention wearing that."
She handed me a dress.
I don't like dresses.
But she had a point.
After changing, she stared at me dramatically.
"See? You look beautiful. Way better than your emo clothes."
"Shut up."
"Sit. I'll fix your hair."
"As long as I'm not bald."
She snorted.
Ten minutes later—
"Perfect" she declared proudly.
I touched my hair awkwardly.
"Thank me later. Come on. Let's explore."