Soft brown hair.
A familiar voice.
The way she leaned in too close like she always had the right to invade personal space without asking.
"…Celia. Hey. You're drooling again."
Her eyes snapped open.
The world didn't feel like a battlefield anymore.
No burning air.
No shattered stone.
No blood-soaked mana storms.
Just sunlight.
Warm. Soft. Ordinary.
Dust floated lazily through beams of light coming from the windows. The faint sound of chairs scraping echoed across a classroom filled with chatter.
Celia blinked slowly.
"…Huh?"
Her cheek was pressed against a wooden desk. Warm. Slightly sticky from ink stains. Her fingers were curled loosely around a pen she didn't remember holding.
She lifted her head.
Everything felt… wrong.
Not painful.
Not dangerous.
Just unfamiliar in a way that made her chest tighten.
"…Where… am I?"
A gentle poke hit her cheek again.
"OI. Sleeping Beauty. You finally coming back to Earth or what?"
That voice.
Celia turned slowly.
And froze.
Soft brown hair, slightly messy like she didn't care but somehow still looked perfectly put together. A familiar face. Familiar eyes. Warm, teasing, but slightly worried.
"…Lia?"
The girl blinked.
"Yeah? Wow. You actually said it right this time. I'm shocked. Should I celebrate or faint?"
Celia didn't respond.
Her lips parted slightly.
"…Lia…"
Again.
Quieter.
Like she was afraid the name would break something.
The girl leaned back in her chair.
"Okay, now I'm getting a little worried. You're acting like you just saw a ghost or something."
Celia stared at her.
"…You're here."
Liana tilted her head.
"Uh. Yes? I'm literally sitting right next to you in class, Celia. Are you okay?"
Celia's fingers tightened slightly on the desk.
"…Liana Solmere."
Liana groaned immediately.
"Oh no. Full name. That's bad. That's very bad."
Celia blinked.
"…You're real."
Liana frowned now.
"Okay, now you're just freaking me out. What do you mean 'real'? Of course I'm real. Did you hit your head or something?"
Celia didn't answer.
Because her thoughts weren't here.
They were elsewhere.
Fire.
Blood.
A collapsing body in her arms.
Mariette—
Her breath stopped for a second.
"…No."
Liana leaned forward now, voice softening slightly.
"Celia. Hey. Look at me."
Celia hesitated.
Then slowly met her eyes.
Liana's expression wasn't teasing anymore.
It was serious.
"…What's wrong with you today?"
Before Celia could answer—
Click.
Click.
Click.
A shadow fell over the desk.
"Celia Averna."
The voice was firm.
Controlled.
Unforgiving.
Celia stiffened instinctively.
She knew that voice.
Teacher Mels stood beside her desk, arms crossed, glasses reflecting the classroom light.
"You've been sleeping in class again."
Celia blinked slowly.
"…Again?"
Liana leaned in immediately, whispering.
"Yeah. Again. Third time this week. You've been super out of it lately."
Celia slowly turned her head.
"…Third time?"
Liana nodded.
"Yeah. I've been covering for you, but I can't keep telling teachers you're 'just tired' forever."
The teacher sighed.
"Celia. After class, come to my office."
The words landed heavy.
Not as punishment.
But as confirmation.
Something was wrong.
Celia swallowed.
"…Yes, ma'am."
The teacher nodded once and walked away.
Her footsteps faded.
The classroom slowly returned to noise.
But Celia didn't hear any of it.
Because her mind was collapsing inward.
This is not right.
This is not where I was.
I was—
A battlefield.
A creature made of shadow and lightning.
Mariette's blood on her hands—
Her breath hitched.
"…No."
Liana tilted her chair closer again.
"Hey. Talk to me. You're scaring me a little."
Celia slowly turned toward her.
"…Lia."
"Hm?"
"…Do you remember how we met?"
Liana blinked.
"…That is such a random question. Why would you ask that right now?"
Celia hesitated.
Then continued softly.
"…At the park."
Liana groaned immediately.
"Oh my god. You're not bringing THAT up again—"
"You were crying."
Liana froze slightly.
"…Celia."
"And there were boys bullying you."
Liana sighed.
"They were like, eight years old."
Celia continued anyway.
"…And I ran in."
Liana pointed at her.
"And tackled one of them like a professional wrestler."
Celia blinked.
"…I did?"
"Yes. You did. And then you yelled at them like you were a tiny angry general."
Celia stared at her.
"…That sounds incorrect."
"It's extremely correct."
A pause.
Then Liana softened slightly.
"…But yeah. That was elementary school."
Celia exhaled slowly.
"…We've been together since then."
Liana nodded.
"Every year. Same class. Somehow. I think the universe is just tired of separating us."
Celia's chest loosened slightly.
"…Right."
A small silence settled.
Not uncomfortable.
Just familiar.
The bell rang.
CLANG.
Students stood up. Chairs scraped. Noise filled the room.
Celia moved automatically.
But—
"…Lia."
Liana looked up.
"Yeah?"
"…Come with me."
Liana raised an eyebrow.
"To where?"
Celia hesitated.
"…Teacher's office."
Liana stared at her for a second.
Then sighed dramatically.
"Are you asking me like a normal friend, or ordering me like a dictator?"
Celia blinked.
"…Both?"
Liana laughed.
"Oh wow. Okay. Sure. I'll escort you to your doom."
Celia muttered.
"…It's not doom."
"Sounds like doom."
They walked through the hallway together.
Side by side.
Like always.
Like nothing had changed.
Liana bumped her shoulder lightly.
"So what did you do this time? Sleep too aggressively?"
Celia looked at her.
"…I don't know."
"That's not reassuring."
"…Sorry."
Liana softened.
"Hey. I'm joking. I'm here, okay? You don't have to look like you're about to get executed."
Celia didn't answer immediately.
Then quietly—
"…Yeah."
That was all.
At the office door.
Liana stopped.
"I'll wait here."
Celia blinked.
"…You're not coming in?"
"Nope. That's where adults go to ruin your life slowly."
"…That's fair."
Liana smiled.
"But don't take forever. I get bored."
Celia nodded.
"…I won't."
She stepped inside.
The lecture was long.
About discipline.
Focus.
Responsibility.
But Celia barely heard any of it.
Her mind wasn't here.
It was elsewhere.
Where magic screamed.
Where monsters breathed.
Where she had died—
When she finally stepped out—
Liana was waiting.
Leaning against the wall.
Arms crossed.
"You alive?"
"…Barely."
Liana smiled.
"Good. That means you survived adulthood training."
Celia muttered.
"…It felt like punishment."
"Same thing."
The walk home was quiet.
Comfortable.
Familiar.
Liana nudged her lightly.
"So. You gonna tell me what's wrong?"
Celia hesitated.
Then—
"…I feel like I was somewhere else."
Liana blinked.
"…That is the vaguest scary sentence you've ever said."
Celia looked down slightly.
"…I don't know how to explain it."
Liana slowed her steps a little.
"Try me."
Celia paused.
"…It felt real."
"…And now this feels real too."
Liana didn't joke this time.
"…Celia…"
Celia shook her head slightly.
"…Forget it. It's nothing."
Liana sighed.
"I swear, you get weirder every year."
Celia muttered.
"…You're still here though."
Liana glanced at her.
"…Of course I am."
They reached their street.
Two houses.
Side by side.
Liana stopped.
"Okay. Home."
Celia nodded.
"…Yeah."
Liana smiled.
"See you tomorrow?"
Celia hesitated.
Then softly—
"…Yeah."
A pause.
Then Liana leaned in slightly.
"Don't sleep in class again, okay?"
Celia muttered.
"…No promises."
Liana laughed.
"Goodnight, Celia."
"Goodnight, Lia."
Celia stepped inside.
The door clicked shut.
"I'm home."
Her voice echoed through the empty house.
No answer.
No warmth.
Only silence.
"…Right."
She walked to her room.
Sat down on the bed.
Stared at her hands.
"…What is happening to me?"
Her chest tightened.
A memory flashed.
A falling body.
A scream.
Her own voice breaking—
"…Mariette."
Her breath stopped.
"…That wasn't—"
Silence.
Then—
A voice.
Soft.
Warm.
Familiar in a way that didn't feel comforting.
Just… known.
"…Hello."
Celia froze.
Her body went still.
Her breath stopped.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"…Who…?"
And for the first time—
The fear wasn't about monsters.
It was about remembering something she shouldn't have forgotten.