***RIN KAGAMINE***

Cool wind passes through me and I open my eyes. A smile forms on my lips as I've realized, I'm here again – in a certain place that I truly love.

It is a place that only me knows. For this place only exists in my dreams. The vast horizon across the blue calm sea, the clouds afloat so peacefully in the clear blue skies, the wind blowing through my hair and the coldness it brings to my skin and the fresh smell of ocean water splashing through the shore.

I am here, standing still.

The first time I discovered this place, I asked myself of why aren't I living in this wonderful place? Of why does this place exists in my dreams? And of why this can't be real?

I take a breath of the fresh air. This is how I want to live my life – at peace just like the sea and the sky.

I hear a clank and something being rubbed by the white sands. And like in theatres, there is a spotlight on a bottle pushed by the waves to the shore.

Is it a clue? A letter?

I run to pick it and found that there is a rolled paper inside. I try to pry it open but it doesn't budge. I look around for another spotlight, for another way to open the bottle and see what's inside. Then there it is, a white stone as big as my fist. I'll break the bottle.

Bringing the bottle with me, I pick the rock. I gently place the bottle on the sands and raise my hand which holds the stone. I am about to smash the bottle when someone – a man, calls.

Could it be?

"!"

I turn around, leaving the stone and the bottle.

"Where are you?" I ask, looking for that voice, hoping that I'll be able to finally see him.

"Here." The voice is frantic but warm, and nostalgic. Every time I hear him, my heart aches and it longs for him. I want to scream out and call him and when he appears in front of me – I'll hug him and tell him of how I miss him. Despite of not knowing him.

The voice is everywhere. I can't find him.

I start to run anywhere, hoping to see spotlights.

"In here! Rin! I'm here!"

"Where are you? I can't find you."

My favorite place disappears, leaving only a wide space of blankness of light and me, alone in that place.

"Don't come for me."

I halt.

"Why?"

"Because… you'll get hurt."

"I won't."

The voice becomes silent and in front of me suddenly appears a whole body sized mirror. It is quite old and mystical symbols are etched on its frame. The mirror has a few scratches on it but it can still show my reflection.

A blonde girl with red eyes. She is not so tall despite her age and she is quite beautiful – with her big eyes, long eyelashes, bright cheeks and naturally plump lips – she looks like a goddess – well, that's how most people tell her. But despite her beauty, she knows, that it isn't enough to cover the sins she'd committed.

I look away from my reflection.

"See… I told you. Stay away."

"You're not playing fair," I whisper.

The mirror's symbols starts to fade, followed by the frame and slowly, the mirror.

"Wait!" I shout and reach for the fading mirror. "I need to ask you first!"

"It's time for you to wake up Rin. Forget this. Forget this and live your present."

"No!"

"And the mirror disappeared. And so is his voice. But you didn't wake up. No – you couldn't." another voice enters. It is a girl's, younger than mine.

Upon hearing her, my dream had become a nightmare. That, I know.

I fall to my knees and close my eyes.

Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! I need to wake up!

The white blankness that surrounds me turns to black. Someone's cold hands touch my neck, chills start to overcome me.

She suddenly pulls my hair and I grunt in pain but I don't open my eyes.

"I won't let you wake up yet."

I continue to pray my chant. I need to wake up now.

"You need to look at me first, RIN."

NO! I won't! EVER!

"LOOK AT ME! RIN!"

"Rin!" I am awaken by a blonde spectacled man of 50s. His expression showing great worry as he holds me up on my bed. "Did you have that dream again?"

I blink and look around me – a room with yellow and orange wallpaper. A study desk beside the one-sized bed which I'm laying at, and closed white closets across the bed beside the open door. My room.

I am still dazed and is out of it when the man shakes me again.

"Rin! You are Rin, right? My daughter?" he stares at me, his green eyes are a bit teary, there is a bit hint of fear – not in me but of something else, and there is worry – a lot of it.

I slowly nod. My throat is parched. I try to speak but my voice breaks. I realize that my back is wet from sweat – I feel so sticky and hot.

"Here," the man gives me a blue water bottle, "Drink this. It'll make you feel calmer."

I open the cap. Before I can drink it, I smell something different from the water in the bottle. A pill was put in this. I close it and give it back to him.

"I… don't want… to sleep…"

He looks at me, dumbfounded at first but he lets it go. He grabs another water bottle and gives it to me. "Here. That one doesn't have a sleeping pill on it. Drink it to hydrate yourself."

Like the first one, I smell it first before drinking. When I find out he is not lying, I finish it all up in one drink.

"Thanks... Leon," I give the now empty bottle to him and he smiles. He gives me a gentle pat on my head.

"I'm going downstairs to call Miriam," upon hearing the name, I instantly give him a look of relief which I didn't notice. "You'd like that, I know," he grins. "Come downstairs after you've changed your clothes, alright?" he winks at me and closes the door.

I had taken a bath and changed my clothes. I stare at the digital clock beside my bed: 4:59 it says, a minute before it rings. Before it rings, I'll turn it off. 8, 7, 6, 5 –

There is a knock on the door before it opens.

"Rin? Miriam's here."

The alarm goes on and I turn it off. I stand up and look at the person beside Leon, a beautiful young lady who has light blonde hair and soft royal blue eyes.

I was holding it back since I woke up but when I saw her, tears come flowing down immediately. I run towards her and wail and cry as much as I can.

"Will she be fine?" Leon asked Miriam as soon as Rin had calmed down and is now watching the television. He whispered so Rin won't hear their conversation.

"She'll be fine, as long as she stays here," she assured him but her expression lacks strength and assurance. This made Leon worry more.

"But, the mirror is here. Would it be better to let her stay with you?"

"And let her remember faster than we expect? No. She stays here with you. You just need to lock that mirror and everything will be fine," her hands are shivering and deep inside she thinks that it is not fine. Somehow and somewhen, Rin will be called back again. She took a deep breath and reminded herself, it'll be fine. She won't go back.

Rin on the other hand, finds the news in the television more self-deteriorating. There's only news about Neo-children on the TV and of how people hates them. She tried to turn the thing off but she couldn't. Maybe because she thinks that they are right. Neo-children should be hated.

On the year 2020, a plague killed most of the people in the world. And because of the high death rates and low birth rates, society is dying, thus, Tech Sorcerer, Leon Kagamine, created life after death. He managed to give life to dead people but in exchange of emotions. These people are called Neo-Children. Neo-Children were nothing like humans, they were mostly machines. Since their brain had already stopped functioning, a program was installed in their bodies so they can think, communicate and be with humans.

But when the plague was killed, and humans started to propagate again, fear was felt towards the Neo-Children. Because Neo-Children are made to be one of the bests in order to fulfill the missing blanks in the society. They are geniuses, full of charm and beauty, grace, and strength. They are once called Elites of the Society at the peak of their popularity. But now, they are scorned, feared and sought for to be slaves because afterall, they do not have emotions.

But, there is one Neo-Child that was granted a miracle. She can dream, she can cry, she can feel happy and sad. She can feel. And she is special.

That child is Rin.

But despite her specialness, her feelings brought her something more dangerous. And that's what makes her afraid.

Rin finally turned off the television and threw the remote on the sofa. She groaned and curled herself into a ball with a pillow.

Leon and Miriam are the only ones who know her secret, that she is a Neo-Child. Because if people finds out, she would become an outcast, she could be bullied or worse, be sent to a facility which 'deals' with Neo-Children.

She gave a sigh and wished, "If only I exist in a different world. I could be who I am."

***RIN KAGAMINE***

Class bell rings and I gather my things into my bag. My wrist watch says that it is already 3:30. Crap. I'm late.

I dash outside the room and off to the next building, avoiding people's gaze as I did.

I never really liked people staring at me, because – well, I have this certain insecurity aside from me being a whole lot different from other people.

I have weird eyes.

Well, actually, they're very pretty. They are in the shade of light blue that changes its color into red whenever I feel negative emotions such as depression and anger (also include intense emotions such as excitement.)

But sometimes, people stare at me (whenever the eye color changes) and look at me so fearfully for they don't know what I am. (Or what trick I used.) So, I just decided to avoid eye contact to other people whenever I'm down or about to explode in anger because of the shifts of eye color.

And right now, I have no idea what color my eyes are, since I've been feeling down since this morning.

So on I walked.

This school is the sixth school where I've enrolled to. Because of circumstances, me and Dad never did settled immediately in a single place not until a year ago. And to be honest, the environment is not so bad but classes are such a bore (since I knew the topics already) and since I am a beauty (to be honest, after I've transferred, I got a lot of love letters in my lockers and was asked out by some higher students) I try to keep a low profile because I also got some jealous acts from my girl classmates.

But few months after I've enrolled, I heard melodious voices singing in acapella. I was drawn by the voices and found the music room, where children from the Grade School class were practicing their piece for an upcoming recital. Their pianist, Miki, a red-haired cheerful junior high, welcomed me gleefully and asked me of my opinion about their piece.

Their voices are amazing but as a whole, they sucked.

Is what I answered, ignoring the fact that they're just grade schoolers.

And after that, I started to advise them things which awed them, which led to me becoming their coach from then on.

I don't remember how I know things about singing but when I'm singing, I feel at ease, happy even, at peace.

The singing voices enter my ears as I am close to the music room. I close my eyes, listening carefully.

Ahh… they are much better.

A picture flashes in my mind.

A golden haired lady singing in the wind.

I blink open my eyes.

It is so clear that I'm afraid I am dreaming again.

I open the door to the music room and is greeted by children running towards me and hugging me.

"How do we sound today Rin?"

"Rin sing for us again today!"

"Rin! Rin! Sing with us!"

A smile escapes from my lips. "Of course."

A song? A song?

The children are in front of me, sitting on their legs on the floor. Anticipating the magic that I can do. Miki is with them, looking up at me like the children, wide eyed and excited.

What would I sing today?

The image comes back again but this time, a melody plays in my mind. Soft, entangling, addicting.

I take a deep breath and I breathe the melody with lyrics from a language that I do not know, yet, it is so familiar. Like something I've known then. Something I know too well. Something wonderful, yet something very, very sad.

Yes, this song was created by him.

Him?

Who was he?

Suddenly, I am overwhelmed by deep sadness. Tears are flowing. My heart aches.

Who are you? Where are you?

The feeling abruptly stops. My ears ring. My body becomes heavy. My sight blurs and fades as I've lost consciousness.

I can hear the drops of rain.

Yet, I can't see anything, I can't feel the droplets. It is too dark. Too cold.

I call for Dad. For Miriam. But they're not here.

The feeling of loneliness and fear comes.

I am alone. In this darkness. Just like that time.

"Why are you crying?" the golden-haired woman who appeared in my vision asks me, standing in front of me. Her eyes are full of worry and she aska again, "Why are you crying, dear Rin?"

Crying? Am I crying?

I don't know. I can't see, I can't feel a thing.

I turn away her. I answer something but it is too dark, I can't even hear my voice. But she hears me and she gives a sad look, full of remorse and guilt.

Hey. Don't be sad.

I try to reach for her but she faded. She faded with a soft smile and shivering hands, tapping my shoulder in the process.

I find myself back at my room.

I figured as much, I've fainted while singing.

I sigh. My dreams are becoming more vivid. Even in daydreams, they appear. Maybe, I'm malfunctioning. Because I have a heart, Dad's system could not carry my emotions anymore. That's why I'm seeing dreams and nightmares that are too vivid to be just a dream.

There is a knock on the door and Dad comes in. Like always, he is wearing a sloppy white coat over a printed shirt and slacks.

"What did you dream today, Rin?" he gently asks. A routine of us every after I woken up at peace (since I only have one nightmare: that horror child, he knows what I've dreamed of when I'm frightened and frantic).

"It was that pretty woman again," I answer, my eyes lowered on my hands as I try to remember every bit of it. "I was in a dark place, I can hear the pitter patter of the rain but I can't feel the droplets. She asked me why I'm crying but I really don't know if I was crying or not. In the end, she faded and she looked hurt."

He gives me a peeled orange and my mood lightened.

"Rin? You've broken our promise."

I don't get to pick an orange and look at him, quite sorry. "Yes. I know. I'm sorry."

"You promised you will not sing again," his voice is prim. The lines on his forehead are a bit thicker as his brows are furrowed and in a frown.

"I…" I can't say an excuse. "I can't help it. I love singing," I whimper.

He sighs, "I know you do but – please, this is for your sake, Rin."

I nod but behind my back, my fingers are crossed.

Singing is the only escape that makes me feel happy.

True, sometimes when I sing, visions appear and I black out but still – the feeling of a note escaping my throat, the feeling of satisfaction as I've reached the high note and the feeling of joy of letting out my feelings in a song. It's priceless.

That's why when the children asked me if I can solo in their group, I agreed and didn't say a word to Dad.

I locked the door to my room and pulled the music sheet that Miki gave me earlier. It's a song that she had written and it's wonderful.

I scan the sheet first and imagines the notes in my mind, music taking place in my mind palace. Then I start humming the piece, correcting myself whenever I get the wrong note. Of course, I am doing my best to do this so silently. If Dad finds out what I'm doing, who knows what he'll do.

It is already 12:54 AM. I was having so much fun that I didn't notice the time. But as I've realized the time, my eyelids became heavy and a yawn came out from my lungs.

I fold the music sheets carefully and place it back in my bag. Drowsily, I hid the bag under my bed and jump on my bed. Before I fade to sleep, I silently hoped that I would have a beautiful dream and not a nightmare.