Chapter 1: In the Beginning

Prologue

They say love can build a better world, that it can create a brighter future. But what I've seen has made me question that belief. Perhaps it's because I've lost my memories. The world has stripped me of my identity, taken my past, and left me with shadows. What more can it take?

Chapter 1: In the Beginning

Beneath a sky untouched by clouds, where stars shimmered like scattered jewels, she lay on a hilltop in silence. The night was still.

The beauty around her was unlike anything she could describe—colors she couldn't name danced in the sky, strange yet mesmerizing.

She knew the words for what she saw, but none seemed worthy.

She lay on the grass beneath a great tree, its branches swaying gently in the cool wind. As her mind slowly gathered its scattered thoughts, she became aware of her solitude in the night.

She sat up, brushing leaves from her dress and strands of grass from her hair. Rising to her feet, she looked out once more.

"Ahh..." she sighed softly, struck again by the wonder before her.

At first, it had been the stars placed in the sky to shine on the earth—heaven's lights hung high to guide the lost.

Now, it was the lights of the city below, glowing like fireflies scattered across the earth. There was beauty here, and she was pleased with what she saw.

A gentle touch on her left shoulder made her flinch.

"Elizabeth," a voice called, calm and familiar, charming.

She turned to see a young man—not too tall, but slightly taller than her. His eyes sparkled with the same brilliance as the sky above, and his smile held a quiet warmth that melted her hesitation. She didn't remember his name, but she trusted him.

"Let me walk you home," he said, taking her hand. His touch was warm, grounding.

She nodded, and together they descended the Hill of Edenus.

Elizabeth Cross and Lusion Miage walked side by side through the city's loud streets.

To her, it all felt new—the cars, the lights, the distant hum of life. It was a blur of noise and motion, unfamiliar yet strangely comforting. Though her past remained hidden in fog, in this moment, she felt safe.

—

Morning, 27 July 2020

An alarm dragged her out of sleep, grating and relentless.

She groaned, sat up, and looked around. Strangely, her room was clean, though she remembered it being messy and untidy.

She didn't have time to question it. A shower, warm water cascading over her—heavenly, brief—and then she was in the kitchen, the house eerily quiet, as if no one else was home.

She blinked. Her mother was already there, snapping her fingers in front of her face.

"You're late for school!" A lunchbox pushed into her hands. Her little brother hurried past, though oddly, she couldn't see his face. She followed him out to where the school bus waited.

The bus took them to Arcus Academy, a massive institution buzzing with students.

The sheer presence of so many people overwhelmed her. Their loud, careless conversations irritated her.

"I heard Tiffany has a sex tape." "Last week was a bomb, we should do it again!"

The words floated around her like noise from a chaotic radio. She blinked, and she was already in class, the teacher not yet there, the room still noisy.

"Hey," a voice said next to her. It was Lusion—she hadn't even noticed him sitting beside her. His presence was calming, and suddenly the noise seemed to fade.

"Are you okay today? You seem... irritated," Lusion asked, leaning a little closer.

She gave a faint smile, though her expression remained cold. "Just annoyed by the noise."

"Ahh, yeah, the noise," Lusion repeated, nodding.

"It bores me too. For a second, I almost called the math teacher to come shut everyone up," he said proudly.

Elizabeth wasn't amused. She definitely didn't want the teacher to come in.

We all know how that ends. Still, Lusion seemed fun to be around.

"If you don't mind, meet me at the school gate after school," he said, standing, winking at the math teacher who'd just entered the room.

Elizabeth sighed.

The class was about to begin, and she was already exhausted.

At lunch, she left the classroom and headed for her favorite spot—the biggest tree on campus, her sanctuary. But today it wasn't the haven she hoped for. A boy was already there, sitting quietly in her spot.

What a disgusting scene, she thought.

"Hey, you... this is my spot," she said, her voice full of dominance, expecting him to move.

He looked startled, shy, almost scared.

"I... I'm sorry. I didn't have anywhere to sit in the cafeteria, and I'm new," he said nervously.

She noticed he was sweating.

He awkwardly offered his hand.

"I'm Chris Evans," he said with a forced smile.

Elizabeth saw through it but shook his sweaty hand anyway.

"I'm Elizabeth Cross." She sat a little farther away, keeping her distance.

"Just don't bring anyone here," she said, eyeing him from the corner of her eye.

She noticed he was sketching a woman in his notebook.

Afternoon came.

Elizabeth waited at the school gate, glancing around impatiently.

Where is he? Why isn't he here yet? Ughh.

She was overthinking, feeling an unease she couldn't name.

Then—Lusion wasn't coming. She sighed and started her walk home.

That's when she noticed Chris slipping into a narrow corridor between two buildings.

It was odd.

Suspicious, even.

Her curiosity got the better of her. She followed.

The farther she went, the quieter everything became.

The traffic behind her faded.

The wind stopped moving.

Even Chris's footsteps ahead of her had gone silent.

Her heart began to race.

She reached the corner.

She leaned forward—

Sunlight. Birds.

She gasped.

She was still under the school tree.

The whole day had been a dream.