"Haru… wake up."
A distant voice echoed in my ears.
"Haru."
The voice sounded closer now.
"Haru, wake up!"
My eyes slowly opened.
Bright light filled my vision.
I blinked several times, trying to adjust.
Instead of a forest…
Instead of the Tree of Life…
I saw rows of desks.
A classroom.
Strangers surrounded me.
"What…?"
My head spun.
"There you are, sleepyhead."
A girl stood beside my desk, smiling brightly.
Her eyes were filled with excitement.
I frowned.
"Who are you?"
Her smile faltered slightly.
"And why am I here?" I continued. "Where is Goddess Suzune?"
The girl looked confused.
"Haru… are you okay?"
She gently placed her hand on my head.
I immediately pushed it away.
"Do not touch me."
The entire classroom fell silent.
"Haru…" she whispered.
"Don't you remember us?"
Her voice trembled slightly.
Disappointment filled her forest-green eyes.
"I do not know you," I replied coldly.
The girl blinked in shock.
"Goddess Suzune?" she repeated slowly.
"I don't know anyone by that name."
She pointed to herself.
"I'm Sune… your childhood friend."
Then she gestured toward a boy leaning
against a desk nearby.
"And that's Ichiro Yukimura."
The boy wore a hoodie with headphones resting around his neck.
"Your best friend."
I stared at them both.
Confusion filled my mind.
"I do not know either of you," I said.
Their expressions stiffened.
"You mortals should stop lying."
I stood up from the chair.
"Do not follow me."
Without waiting for a reply, I walked out of the classroom.
The forest behind the school was quiet.
Too quiet.
I searched the trees desperately.
"Suzune…"
No answer.
Only wind.
I clenched my fists.
Where had she gone?
Footsteps rustled behind me.
"I said stop following me," I muttered without turning around.
"Haru…"
It was the girl.
"Sune."
She looked worried.
"How could we leave you alone here?"
She pointed toward the boy behind her.
"Ichiro and I are the only ones you have left since your parents died."
My body froze.
"What… did you say?"
The boy—Ichiro—stepped forward nervously.
"Haru, we're your friends," he said. "Calm down."
Then he frowned.
"Also… why do you keep calling us mortals?"
He laughed awkwardly.
"Aren't you human too?"
My mind spun violently.
None of this made sense.
I looked down at my body.
Strange clothes.
A uniform.
Where was my cloak?
My armor?
My boots?
"Mortals…" I whispered.
"You must be mistaken."
I slowly turned toward them.
"My name is Haru… yes."
"But I am not the Haru you speak of."
They exchanged worried glances.
Then Sune said softly:
"Haru… your mother passed away years ago."
Something inside me snapped.
Before I realized it, my hand grabbed Ichiro by the collar and lifted him slightly off the ground.
"What did you say?"
My voice trembled with rage.
"What did you do to my mother?"
Ichiro gasped.
"H-Haru… I can't breathe…!"
Sune rushed forward.
"Haru please! Let him go!"
Her voice shook with panic.
For a moment… I saw fear in her eyes.
Then suddenly—
The air around us grew cold.
Very cold.
A strange symbol flickered across my wrist for only a second.
Then it vanished.
Ichiro collapsed to the ground as I released him.
He coughed violently.
"Haru… are you insane?" Sune shouted angrily.
"He's your best friend!"
"I'm okay…" Ichiro wheezed. "Don't yell at him…"
But both of them looked at me with fear now.
I stared at my hands.
What just happened?
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.