Blood.

I can see, smell, and taste blood. What is happening? I thought, as the world fell apart in a blink of an eye. Ear-piercing screams echoes all around me and deafening crashes engulfs the chaos from every distance.

What...? My mind feels numb and all I can see are my little hands… sticky with something… maybe blood. I can't tell… Everything is red anyways, even the ground. But I don't react, not even a whimper as everything around me fell into ruins.

Stomp.. stomp.. STOMP…

What is that I hear? The screaming has intensified as the sound became louder and louder. There's no mistaking that sound… Footsteps… The ground trembled violently as it approaches, sending tremors through my skin and unto my bones. Danger… danger…. It was all I could think of, but my body still didn't move, "Get up! GET UP!" I heard a voice call out to me, a voice so familiar... But I never had time to think as a large shadow engulfed me from behind. "SAKUNO!" I heard the voice scream again.

And then there was darkness…

"Sakuno!" I heard a shrill voice calling on me, "Sa-ku-no~!" I twitched my eyes open, and immediately shielded my eyes out of the blinding sun. Tomo-chan was peering at me, with a huge grin on her face despite breathing heavily, she must have been looking for me, "Geez, what have you been doing here? I thought we were going to watch Ryoma-kun's match? Oh!" Her grin became wider, "It should be starting about now!", without ado, she grabbed my hand and forcing me to get up and run down the rooftop of our school building, running through the stairs and eventually to the tennis courts.

We have finally graduated from middle school. Me and Tomoka entered Seishun Gakuen High School, where Ryoma-kun and most of the Sempais went to study. Where Grandmother sent ME to study without even asking for my opinion... Grandmother...

"Oi!" We saw Horio waving at us, "The match is about to start, and the opponent looks weak, looks like Ryoma-kun's gonna win this game in no time." He said, his voice full of pride. As if he's the one going to fight.

"Of course! Ryoma-sama is the best!" Tomoka countered. "He will never lose to anyone!"

I should've said something like "Yup! Ryoma-kun will win for sure" or maybe even a "Good luck ryoma-kun.." at that moment. But I didn't. Hmm… weird, I'm not even excited to watch the match. The usual butterflies in my stomach were unusually absent too, it should be storming and rampaging in my stomach by now. But all I can hear inside me is silence.

I don't know why but… Ever since I had those recurring dreams, I begun to change. I didn't even bother to cheer for Ryoma-kun as he easily beat his opponent. Even after the crowd of onlookers shouted and hollered for yet another victory for the prince of tennis.

I just stood there, not concentrating on the match, but remembering my dreams. My dreams that haunted me in back in my childhood, and has now comeback ever since Grandmother told me those words… I never had a good night's sleep.

My mind was elsewhere as I pretended to watch the match. Those words... What do they mean? Who am I then?, I breathe 1... 2... 3...

"YAY! RYOMA-KUN WON!", I quickly snapped out of my shell after Tomo-chan shouted. It couldn't be helped, she's only inches away from me and my ears. "Sakuno! Ryoma-kun is really amazing isn't he?", she said with pride in her voice.

Was I supposed to say something to her? Reply something about Ryoma-kun and how great he is? Blush and act like a love struck teenager? No... I wasn't in the mood. Especially to pretend. What ever changed me... seems to have affected my feelings over a certain boy too...

"Sakuno? You seem out of it, are you feeling well?" Tomo-chan said, interrupting me from my thoughts.

I wanted to say I'm fine, but I know the truth is far from that. I didn't bother to answer her questions, something is wrong with me. It feels like I'm not me anymore, I feel like I've died and woke-up again, but as a different person now. The old me was shattered by those few words. "You are not…"

"Sakuno! Geez, what is wrong with you? Do you want me to bring you to the clinic or something?" Tomo-chan peers at my face again, she looks really concerned about me. Oh Tomoka, you can really be a good friend despite being so annoying sometime- Gasp! did I just called Tomo-chan annoying!?

Oh no… This never happened before! I never once doubted or got annoyed with Tomo-chan, even after she did stupid things.

I was so engrossed with what I've done that I didn't hear the footsteps approaching us. "Oi, you there. I can bring her to the clinic" that voice… Ryoma-kun?

"Really? that would be great Ryoma-kun~!" Tomo-chan said excitedly, then she whispered closely to my ear so only I can hear her words, "This is your chance Sakuno, to finally confess your feelings for him. Good luck!" She winked at me, as if what she said was gonna help me a lot. Huh? Wait. I should have blushed at that moment… but… I didn't.

"It can't be helped." Ryoma said, oblivious to the words that Tomo-chan said to me. "It would be bothersome, but I guess I should help the weak once in a while" He added, with the usual cool and arrogant tone that he had.

This time, I should have blushed from embarrassment and immediately said sorry to him as he carried me to the clinic. But… I just stared at him. I can hear snickers from the girls in the crowd who are probably Ryoma-kun's fans, and from the corner of my eye I can see the sempais looking bored... As if they expected this scenario to happen to me. Ryoma-kun called me weak? And the others think so too? I just stood there frozen and numb, until my body went on autopilot. I approached him with slow steps until we were face to face. My expression immobile and casting shadows within my face.

"Eh? You shouldn't walk Ryuuzaki, let me carry you to the-" but before he could finish his sentence, I did an unimaginable thing… I grabbed his head and slammed it on my knee. I think I heard something crack on the impact. But I didn't care, as I kept my face stoic and dark.

Gasps exploded one after another at what I did… Tomo-chan, Horio-kun, and the others were all looking with identical shocked faces including the sempais, I would've laughed at how stupid they looked, but Ryoma's words still echoed in my ears, "Weak", he called me weak.

But I'm not anymore.

I didn't feel any remorse with what I've done. Even as I gripped Ryoma-kun's collar to bring his face close to mine once more. The waterfall of blood erupting from his nose made his face look magnificent with the shocked expression that he made, as if he didn't know I was capable of doing violent things.

"Ryoma-kun, can you say that again? The part about me being weak?" I said in a seemingly calm voice, but I know I didn't fool anyone. The rage was clear in my eyes. "How could you know that I'm weak, when you don't even know me." I dropped him down with a thud, and walked away without a word. I never looked back, even as Tomo-chan screamed my name over and over again.

I'm not the person who I used to be… I don't even know what I've become. But I do know one thing. It's that I couldn't turn back anymore.

I felt free. I'm not the same Sakuno anymore.

But my bliss was short lived, and I immediately remembered what Grandmother said, "You are not my Grandchild", and my world fell to pieces once more.

Grandmother isn't my real grandmother...

I went home after that. I felt tired and worn out with all the emotions that assaulted me (some of them I never knew I had it in me) a while ago. And all I wanted to do was to sleep in my comfy bed and never wake up.

I also decided to apologize to Ryoma-kun, Tomo-chan, and the others tomorrow. Hopefully, they will accept my apology and have everything go back to normal. Where I would support Ryoma-kun in his every match, become an obedient friend to Tomo-chan, and being a good girl in every aspect.

But I don't want to go back.

I was too preoccupied with my thoughts that I didn't see Grandmother in the living room.

The sight of my grandmother immediately brightened my spirits, "Grandmothe-" I was bout to call to her when I remembered her words a few days ago "You are not my Grandchild." My voice faltered and I couldn't finish what I was saying...

Do I even have the right to call her that?

"Oh! Sakuno, you're back." Grandmother seemed to have spotted me just standing there. "We have a visitor today." She said in her usual tone, but there was also a hint of sadness in her voice. A visitor? Grandmother never let people inside the house before unless it was really urgent. This was not good.

The visitor had long brown hair and wore a round rimmed glasses. He also had matching long brown coat and had a mustache. He really immited an aura of a foreigner. And he was staring at me, and those eyes showed recognition

"Sakuno, I want you to meet Dr. Grisha Jaeger. He traveled from Germany and he is the one who-" her voice cracked, her emotions betraying her about where this converstation would go. She cleared her throat and continued "He is the one who gave you to me when you were just a child", she couldn't meet my eyes, and that's where I knew there was more to come.

"You must leave with him Sakuno" She finally said, tears falling from her face, she stood up from her seat and grabbed my shoulders painfully, "There's no more time, pack your stuff as fast as you can and go!" Her voice quivering at every word.

"Why Grandmother? I don't understand... please explain to me what's going on!" Tears begun to fall from my cheeks, but I didn't bother to wipe them up...

"You are not from this world, Sakuno..." Then she looked at me intently, amidst of our tears, "You never were..."

And that's where my world began to fell apart.

THE END

Gomen for the crappy prolouge! (T_T) I promise to do better in the next chapters, where the excitement starts!

I'll upload the next chapter in the weekend. Hopefully, my grammar didn't bother you guys much... English is not my first language (TAT )

But anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed it!