"The determinant of the three by three matrix is found as follows." The teacher drew two vertical bars and wrote the first nine alphabets in between, forming a three-by-three table. "It is the sum of three special products: the top left times the bottom right determinant, the negative middle times the determinant of the matrix of the edges and the top right times the bottom left determinant." As he spoke to the chalkboard, the teacher drew out the matrices. Then, in one quick and impossible to follow step, wrote the sum out in chalk: aei – afh – bdi + bfg + cdh – ceg.

Petra snorted as quietly as possible, thoroughly bored and more confused by her A-level studies in math. She was even more baffled by her decision to take math. Levi was no better off, seated a few seats to her right.

The pair had been under the same roof for nearly four years. They had faced GCSEs and sixth form together and were at the culminating tests. The GCSEs determined their sixth form destination and their secondary school, fortunately, was the region's best for humanities and science and they both got the scores required – Petra beating Levi to her infinite amusement.

Now, they were preparing for college. The A levels were the final hurdle and crossing that, they would apply and then vanish. They would probably separate, but even in merely four years, formed enough of a connection to want to stay in touch and to know that the departure would be teary.

Their father would suffer a worse fate, deprived of both his children in one week in the August that would come too soon.

"This fact is not, as you might think, useless." The teacher droned on. "In fact, this is used in something called the vector cross-product which you will learn in the coming weeks as we explore linear algebra briefly."

At least the recurrence, as the two had come to term their odd and oddly similar dream, was not acting up – the last oddity was that time four years ago when the adult tried to get them to mistrust each other.

Petra's mind wandered on various vectors except to the few the teacher had gone onto a tangent about. She pondered the meaning of her life, the profound decision she made in taking this useless linear algebra course, the irony that she was wasting time in the most important year of her life and that she had grown very close to Levi – closer than she was to her year seven friends.

"Sorry about that. That's all vector stuff you'll see later on. The cross product is really like magic." The teacher went on. "But here's the matrix practice you'll need. I'll give you ten minutes to get a start, but we really must cover row Echelon form at some point today."

Petra straightened up, now professional at pretending to having cared for the entire time.

"I can't believe it's time." The adult said. The room had not changed in four years, or seventeen years, or the eighteen it had had its purpose for. The monitors were precisely the same. The manager's pose was indolent as ever. The scenario, however, was different.

"Neither can I." The manager said.

"And now the months will be the worst."

"I know."

"Good luck sleeping."

"Same."

"See you."

"Finally, you want to."

"The one and only time."

"See you."

"Bye." The adult left, for once happy that he would be returning. He was happy only because his return would be his last. After the next three months, he would leave. He would apologize and say goodbye.

Levi had had a slightly different experience to the one he surmised Petra had over the last year of school.

Levi's year was a steady downward fall. Analysing the "blind bow-boy's butt-shaft" Mercutio found in Romeo in the classic Levi had had to reread for his literature course, he found one in himself. Unfortunately, the legendary shaft struck him as he was at home, meaning the first female he saw after that was his adoptive sister. Legend rang true as he slowly fell in love with her.

He tried to disprove it every day, and on each occasion, his disproof was disproven. She did not notice. She did not need to notice. And Levi was under the impression that she would never deign to notice. Nor would she feign to deign. He would just have to suffer.

At the bottom, which every passing day convinced him was further down than he, Levi decided to tell her. It was outside math that he decided to muster the courage. He planned it the night before, imagining the corridor, the lighting, the windows and worst of all, her reaction. He never knew how he would tell her. He still did not. Worse yet, he had all of math to brood over the scene.

She would still be the beautifully close and understanding companion she was, right? Levi questioned. The worst would be losing her – in even the smallest way. Not only would he lose his greatest companion, he one he literally shared everything with, but his Cupid-made wound would have a salt shaker opened into it.

"Um… Petra." He stuttered, not expecting the lack of control he had over his body at that moment.

"Yeah?" She said, slightly worried because of Levi's tone.

"I- I don't know how to say this-"

"You don't know how to say a lot."

"I'll be brief."

"Just say it? This skirt can't be that hideous, can it?" Petra joked on the lack of a uniform as that 'bottom' Levi thought he had fallen into fell further.

"Quite the opposite – I think I love you."

"I'm – I don't know what to say to that. I'm sorry, I know it must be terrible, but that's all I have. I'll tell you more at home, okay?"

"Wha-"

"I don't know."

"So you don't-"

"I never thought of it."

"You'll-"

"I'll explain later, alright. I've got to rush."

"See you at home." Levi said, dismayed but satisfied at some level by Petra's decency.

The next few hours passed by too slowly for Levi and too quickly for Petra. The quick and slow hours were both less than the number of hours either expected to wait. It was during lunch when they met next, though normally they never met due to Levi's eating habits – he ate away from the school as he did not have to rush back for afternoon classes, unlike Petra, who was forced to dine within the campus due to her course choices. Yet, plagued by his fears and thoroughly dilated time, Levi did not feel up to driving. Therefore, he met Petra in the canteen, two hours and fifteen slow minutes since he revealed his love.

They met in the woods since Petra took to wandering the trees in her free time. Levi found her quickly. "Petra." He called in a volume caught between fear and necessity that he be heard.

She turned quickly and paced over slowly, making up for the fast time that passed over the past two hours. "I have nothing." She said finally.

"It's alright."

"No, it's wrong."

"You can't help it."

"Neither can you."

"But it's my fault."

"So? I owe you an answer, but I have none."

"Maybe you don't love me."

"I'm not sure. I begin to question what it is to love, and I realize I have no idea."

"It's fine."

"No."

There was a sudden sharp snap. Rustling followed as Levi reflexively leapt to Petra, pushing her back. Petra, looking over Levi's shoulder, saw a branch fall where she was standing just before her breath was lightly knocked out of her.

In that second of clarity, of Levi's sudden shuddering proximity, of their soul's propinquity and united desire for both to stay alive, Petra craned her neck forward impulsively. Finding Levi's face less than a foot away from hers, her lips made contact with his lips suddenly.

After a quick kiss, Levi stared at Petra, digging into her hazel pupils to discern some desire or intent in her action. "I think I decided." Came the reply. Levi could only smile. "Though dad will have an interesting time with this."

"Why did you have to time the twig like that?" The manager roared at the young, blonde programmer who sheepishly entered the room.

"Off by one error…"

"But now-"

"They were in love to start with, ok?"

"You don't have to tell me that, but still!"

"I'm sorry, but there is nothing to be done. I would have run tests but you pressured me too much."

"So it's my fault?"

"No. It's just not all mine."

"Then who gets the rest, because somebody is going to have to answer to the director."

"How does it matter?"

"The director said that both of them should lead full, fulfilling lives after this!"

"This will end in a few months anyway, it does not matter."

"I hope you're right."

"I'm sorry."

"Here's what I will do, and the offer is final, ok?" The programmer nodded. "I'll tell the director that it could not be helped and we'll have to hope for the best."

"That would be nice."

"You're welcome. Now leave." The programmer left as the manager sighed. The director was prudent but tried to feign to be ethical, therefore the manager never knew where he stood. Either the director would see a practical application or a moral dilemma. There was, unfortunately, only one way to know. And the manager would have to conduct the meeting in person.

Erwin knew something was off about the case of Dr Ral. Ral and he had worked together in the past, but now Ral was in a mental asylum while his younger subordinate ran into an obscure free life. Yet, the past grew in the corners of Erwin's perfect home, spreading like mould, until, seventeen years later, Erwin simply had to meet Ral.

The trip would be long as the old town of Trost was far from the recently made new London. Luckily, vacuum transit shortened the time to two hours. But Erwin hated the inevitable acceleration. It was a gut-churning leap to the incredible top speed of the underground tube train. He pondered the technology as he saw the vacuum robot in his house. It operated on the same principle. Like a piece of dust, Erwin planned to spend his elongated weekend sucked three hours away in Trost.

Despite the changes in velocity, the trip itself would be pleasant. He missed the city he grew up in. He missed the people, the old walls, the older buildings, the old friends and even the small share of family.

The trip was worth it and on objective analysis, he embarked.

Proving every hypothesis correct, Erwin found the asylum. The building was the plainest of whites, to allow patients with OCD to hate each shadow adding an imperfection on it, to let ADD patients' eyes wander and to let those with schizophrenia know absolutely nothing – it was white merely because it was cheap. Inside, one could find no windows – this time, for a medical reason. Also, the walls were white to conserve costs.

He found Ral quickly as Ral was on good terms with all the staff – he had not threatened to kill them in ten years – a world record for a lunatic – and they worried that he was not actually crazy.

The interior of the room was white – the bed, the sink, the commode and everything but the mirror and the emaciated man were perfectly, crisply and cheaply white.

"Dr Ral?" Erwin gingerly said.

"Erwin? Erwin! My days, you've barely changed."

"Unlike you, professor."

"This place has not been the nicest, as you can see."

"Of course."

"Why the visit?"

"I felt I owed it to an old friend."

"Thank you."

"My pleasure."

"How's your life going?"

"Fine. I started my own research in dreams and spatial creation after leaving the group and I have a house and all now."

"Wife and family?"

"Too busy."

"They help, trust me."

"Speaking of that, where's your daughter?"

"Kidnapped."

"What?"

"The organization faked my papers after Mary died and they sent me here, making sure I saw the kidnapping of Petra."

"They would."

"After killing Mary."

"So that's how they locked you up?"

"Schizoid, they claim; and I cannot stop them."

"That's too unjust."

"The entire thing is too unjust."

"It really should not be able to happen."

"It does."

"Plutocratic."

"Reality."

"I should stop them. I have a clout and I think I can do it."

"If only you could get me out."

"What would that take?"

"Other than some daring escape, a test and then a few signatures."

"How long for the legal way?"

"Fortnight."

"I'll see what's possible."

"You could claim me for your own lab – it would be easier than letting me loose upon the world."

"Fair point, but I'll need funds."

"Just claim that schizophrenia is related to dreaming in some sense."

"It is."

"Then, you have it."

"And Reiss may finally fall."

"Patience. Get me out of here first."

(And so begins the second part, with a thicker plot and more characters.

I hope you like it. Remember, it is intentionally confusing, but feel free to ask for any details.

This was somewhat of a bridge, you'll probably prefer the next chapter.

Have fun!)