A sharp, relentless sound slices through the quiet room.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
The alarm clock screams beside the bed.
Fumiko's eyes snap open.
For a brief moment, her mind floats between two worlds, the endless sea of light from her dream and the familiar ceiling above her. Her chest rises sharply as she inhales, her heart still racing like she has just run a marathon.
Reality slowly settles in.
Her bedroom.
The pale morning light slipping through the curtains.
The quiet hum of the city beginning to wake outside.
And the alarm clock that continues its merciless beeping.
"Ugh…"
Groaning softly, she reaches over and slaps the button. Silence instantly fills the room again.
But the silence doesn't calm her.
Because the voice is still echoing inside her mind.
She sits up slowly, brushing strands of dark hair away from her face.
Her breathing is uneven.
Her fingers curl into the fabric of her blanket as the memories of the dream rush back in perfect clarity.
The endless water.
The glowing figure.
The words.
"You are the dawn, child of light."
Fumiko presses a trembling hand against her chest.
"Same dream…"
Her voice barely rises above a whisper.
Her heartbeat thuds against her palm.
"The same dream… for an entire month."
The clock ticks quietly on the wall.
Seconds pass.
But inside her mind, thoughts collide like crashing waves.
"Am I missing something?"
"Is something about to happen?"
"Who… or what… is that figure?"
She swings her legs over the side of the bed and sits there for a moment, staring blankly at the wooden floor.
The dream feels too vivid.
Too detailed.
Too real.
Dreams are supposed to fade after waking.
But this one refuses to disappear.
Every word. Every ripple of light. Every breath of silence still lingers inside her memory.
Almost like it actually happened.
Fumiko shakes her head suddenly, trying to push the thoughts away.
"No."
She exhales slowly.
"I need to stay calm."
Her voice sounds firmer now, even if her chest still feels tight.
"Panicking won't help."
Taking another deep breath, she slowly raises her hands in front of her.
Her eyes focus on her palms.
For a moment, she studies them carefully.
Turning them slightly.
Waiting.
Expecting something.
Anything.
But there is nothing.
Just her ordinary hands, pale under the morning light.
No glow.
No mysterious power.
Nothing that suggests she's anything more than a normal high school girl.
"Special powers…?"
She murmurs quietly.
Her fingers twitch slightly.
"Child of dawn…"
Her brow furrows.
"What does any of this even mean?"
The question hangs in the air.
Unanswered.
A quiet sigh escapes her lips.
Eventually she pushes herself up from the bed.
Whatever the dream means, she can't spend the entire day trapped inside her own thoughts.
School won't wait for mysterious dreams.
And life definitely won't pause for her confusion.
Her morning routine begins.
But everything feels… distant.
She brushes her teeth while staring blankly into the mirror.
The girl looking back at her seems normal enough.
Dark eyes.
Soft features.
Slightly messy morning hair.
But something feels different.
Like there's a secret hidden somewhere beneath the surface.
Something she can't see yet.
She splashes water across her face, hoping the cool sensation will clear her thoughts.
It helps.
A little.
After getting dressed in her neatly pressed school uniform, she packs her bag slowly.
Textbooks.
Notebook.
Lunch.
Each action feels automatic.
Her body moves on habit while her mind continues drifting back to the dream.
The glowing figure.
The words.
The Abyss.
Just thinking about that word sends a faint chill down her spine.
Finally ready, she slips on her shoes and steps outside.
Morning greets her with fresh air and gentle sunlight.
The sky above Yokohama stretches wide and cloudless, glowing in soft shades of pale blue.
A crisp autumn breeze drifts through the streets.
Golden leaves rustle quietly in the trees lining the sidewalk.
Birds chirp energetically from telephone wires overhead.
For a moment, the peaceful scenery eases the tension inside her chest.
The world looks completely normal.
Too normal.
Fumiko walks toward the street corner where she usually meets her best friend.
Her footsteps echo lightly along the quiet road.
A few neighbors pass by on their way to work.
Someone rides past on a bicycle.
A delivery truck rumbles down the street.
Everything feels like an ordinary morning.
And yet…
The uneasiness remains.
While waiting at the corner, she pulls out her phone and begins scrolling through the news out of boredom.
Most of the headlines are the usual things.
Weather updates.
Celebrity gossip.
Economic reports.
Then one headline catches her eye.
Her thumb stops scrolling.
[Another Mysterious Accident in the City, Authorities Baffled.]
Her eyebrows knit together.
Curious, she taps the article.
The report loads quickly.
Her eyes move across the screen as she reads.
A car crash with no visible cause.
A sudden citywide power outage in one district.
Several people collapsing in public places with no medical explanation.
All within the past few weeks.
Fumiko's grip on the phone tightens slightly.
Her heartbeat quickens.
Abyss.
The word slips quietly into her thoughts.
The glowing figure's warning echoes again.
"The Abyss is stirring."
A shiver creeps down her spine.
Could these strange accidents be connected?
Could something… unnatural actually be happening?
Her mind races.
If the dream is somehow real…
If the warning is real…
Then does that mean she's supposed to do something about it?
The thought feels absurd.
She's just a student.
Not some chosen hero from a fantasy novel.
Before her thoughts can spiral further–
"FUMIKOOOO!!"
A loud, energetic voice cuts through the morning air.
Fumiko looks up just in time to see a familiar figure running toward her.
Ami.
She sprints down the sidewalk, waving both arms like she's trying to signal a helicopter.
She's clearly out of breath.
Fumiko sighs in amusement.
When Ami finally skids to a stop beside her, she bends forward with her hands on her knees.
"Haah… haah…"
She struggles to breathe.
"Morning…"
Fumiko crosses her arms, raising an eyebrow.
"You're late."
Ami straightens slowly, scratching the back of her head.
"Hehe… sorry…"
She flashes an awkward grin.
"I got stuck in traffic."
Fumiko stares at her for two seconds.
Then she smirks.
"Ami."
"Hmm?"
"I've known you for ten years."
Ami blinks.
"And?"
"You overslept again, didn't you?"
Ami freezes.
Her expression collapses instantly.
"…Maybe."
Fumiko bursts into laughter.
Ami groans dramatically.
"Okay fine! Yes! I forgot to set my alarm again!"
She throws her hands up.
"I was watching a drama last night and lost track of time!"
Fumiko shakes her head, still smiling.
"You're hopeless."
Ami pouts.
"Hey! That drama had a really important cliffhanger!"
"Uh-huh."
"But don't worry!"
Ami suddenly declares, striking a heroic pose.
"Tomorrow I'll wake up early and be here before you!"
Fumiko snorts.
"Yeah, right."
"You doubt me?!"
"Absolutely."
Ami gasps in fake offense.
"You wound me."
Fumiko laughs again.
"Just don't be late tomorrow. The PE teacher already looks like he wants to throw you into the sun."
Ami shudders.
"Don't remind me."
Both girls begin walking toward school together.
Their laughter drifts down the quiet street.
For a little while, the strange tension inside Fumiko fades away.
Talking with Ami always feels easy.
Normal.
Like the world isn't hiding mysterious secrets.
But deep inside her mind…
The dream still lingers.
---
Miles away, in the heart of Tokyo's business district, a very different morning unfolds.
Towering skyscrapers stretch toward the sky like pillars of glass and steel.
The streets below buzz with the steady rhythm of the waking city.
Cars move like flowing rivers of metal.
Crowds fill the sidewalks.
Inside one of the tallest buildings, far above the noise, a man stands alone in a spacious office.
Floor-to-ceiling windows reveal the entire city below.
He stands silently with his hands clasped behind his back.
His posture is perfectly straight.
Sharp.
Controlled.
The early sunlight reflects against the glass walls, outlining his tall silhouette.
His gaze is fixed on the distant skyline.
But his mind is far away.
Behind him sits a large desk made of polished dark wood.
On its surface rests a single photograph.
After a long moment, the man finally turns.
His eyes settle on the picture.
Something flickers briefly across his otherwise calm expression.
A hint of emotion.
Pain.
Longing.
He walks over slowly and picks up the photo.
In the image is a young girl.
She has gentle eyes.
A warm smile.
Dark hair moving in the wind.
His fingers tighten slightly around the frame.
Outside, the city continues moving without pause.
Cars drive.
People talk.
Life flows forward like it always does.
Unaware of the invisible threads of fate slowly tightening around it.
---
Back in Yokohama, Fumiko and Ami continue walking toward school.
The morning sun shines warmly across the streets.
Students chatter as they pass by.
The world feels peaceful.
Normal.
But somewhere deep inside Fumiko's heart…
The voice from her dream still whispers.
And though she doesn't realize it yet–
The dawn it spoke of…
Is already beginning.