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Guest. In this chapter, your questions will be answered. :) I hope you'll enjoy it.

"When you light a candle, you also cast a shadow."

-Ursula K. La Guin

Chapter 5

"Minerva?"

"Minerva!"

"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! SNAP OUT OF IT!"

"Huh?"

I glanced at a furious looking Allison wearing a pink tube and a black blazer with a matching black leggings. Wait, what? Why is she wearing that?

"You've been like that since morning! You're not like that yesterday! What the heck happened to you?" She crossed her arms and repositioned her feet, making the metal attached on her boots dangle.

Her question echoed in my mind. What happened to me? Nothing, nothing special happened. I just had some impossible yet wonderful dream that ended abruptly. Though what really makes me wonder is why the heck I cried.

I can't remember what happened at the end of my dream. Is it really dramatic?

I yawned. "Nothing," I mumbled as I stood up from my chair and stared at her. "Why are you wearing that anyway?" I asked as I raise my eyebrows.

She gaped at me. Her jaw dropped and she seemed like she's about to faint. "Y-you idiot! I can't believe this! Have you forgotten that you are supposed to be wearing this same outfit?!"

"You're kidding me," I said with a horrified expression. "Never in my life! I'm not going to wear that shit."

"WE ARE JOINING IN A DANCE CONTEST! FOR PETE'S SAKE! ALL OF US ARE WEARING THESE!" she exclaimed. Dance contest? What dance contest?

Then I remembered that last week, which seemed like it was years ago, I made a freaking deal with her. We played Uno (with her friends, not mine) and they made a bet that fateful day. That whoever loses, that person will do a dare.

Guess who lost?

Damn right I did. I really blame it all in that 'plus cards' or whatever they are called. Those three girls really targeted me and brought down plus cards in one round. Since I'm very lucky (please note my sarcasm), I have no special cards or what.

They dared me to join this shitty contest.

Ugh. Now I wonder what made me so unlucky.

"GO CHANGE!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. Her hands in the air in frustration and disappointment. I rolled my eyes as I crossed my arms and legs.

"I don't have a costume," I replied dryly.

She face palmed and shrieked. "THIS IS STRESSING ME OUT! DO YOU EVEN REMEMBER THE STEPS?"

"What steps?" I asked just to piss her a little bit more.

She looked at me like she doesn't know what to do with me anymore. For all I know, she now want to strangle me and kill me in the process.

"Kidding," I said as I stood up and brushed and straightened my uniform. I decided to speak just before she shriek for the second time.

She stared at me with her right hand now on her waist.

"Now, now. Where did I place my costume again?" I asked myself out loud.

Allison tried her best not to scream at me.

The contest ran smoothly, except the fact that our group made a real mess. Or I did ruin the performance. Bloody hell, I'm so nervous, it was my first time to stand in front of a huge crowd. I swear to god, I will never play Uno again. And monopoly, dang it.

"Okay, that was exhausting. I will never really join a dance contest again," I told Allison.

"That's because you're like a stick when dancing," she said, effectively teasing me. She earned my glare and I rolled my eyes. I don't need emphasizing about my lack of talents.

I don't sing, I don't dance, I don't draw, I don't do anything. I'm a talentless prick. I can do a little writing because I read too much books. I can also cook, ride a bike and I can skate too. Maybe I'm not that bad. Or maybe I am.

She suddenly stopped walking and faced me. I stopped walking too, wondering why the heck she stopped. She examined me and looked with worried eyes. My eyes became wide with shock. What is she worried about? She's being paranoid again.

"Come on Allison stop that, you're over reacting."

Allison is starting to get weary. She's really vexed, it is about her friend. Nevertheless she knows she can't ask her what the problem is.

They've been friends for years and she knows every little thing about her. On how she sleeps, what is her capability and her limits. But something is bothering her friend right now and she knows her best friend needs her. More than anything.

But her friend is an idiot. Yes that's the right way to put it, she thought. Minerva don't want the help of others because she thinks she can handle it herself, she thinks she can do it by herself. The problem is—

She herself don't realize that she don't and can't want help from others. She don't know who she is.

Allison knows she shouldn't give a fuck. But Minerva is the type of person who is willing to help others even though she can't even help herself. She's the sort of person who can get in trouble for someone. There is also one time where she flunk her English subject because she didn't pass her project just for the reason that she prioritized her classmate's task before hers.

Really an idiot, Allison thought.

"Come on Allison stop that, you're over reacting."

She smiled. That's the main reason why I am with her, she thought. I want to help her, to save my best friend from that idiocy of hers.

"Let's go idiot," Allison said then she continued to walk.

Minerva struggled to follow her. "Hey! What's with the sudden insult bitch?"

"I'm stating a fact," she slowed down for Minerva to keep up. "Idiot," she continued.

Minerva tried to understand how her friend think. A minute before, she's all worried, then now she's smiling. What the fuck is wrong with her? I'm getting stressed now, curse her dammit, Minerva mentally told herself.

"Hey Allison," she called.

"Hm?" Allison stared at her feet while walking.

"Have you ever had a weird dream?" Minerva asked. As they walk silently across the path way beside the road, she can't stop thinking of her 'somewhat' dream.

Allison seemed to think for a moment then answered, "Sometimes, but I don't remember most of my dreams."

"I dreamt yesterday, it's wonderful. But I woke up crying," Minerva told her.

Minerva thought on what the happened, she can clearly remember what her dream is. It was about a certain hitman she called brother and her mother being the next boss in a mafia family. I knew it was about a certain story, she told herself. It's about Katekyo Hitman Reborn.

"Why did you cry?" Allison curiously asked. She is well aware that her friend is the type of person who do not want to be pitied and don't want let people know she needs their pity.

Minerva shook her head slightly and sighed. "Never mind, I'll forget that dream eventually, anyway. I don't think I need to dwell on it too much," she said.

Allison shrugged and said, "If that's what you think. But you know, dreams are things I treasure too much."

"Why is that?"

"Because I think every dream is chance to escape reality."

I silently sat in my room as I think about what Allison said.

Because I think every dream is a chance to escape reality.

So all I am doing this entire time was escaping reality?

I felt a sudden sadness, because somewhere deep inside of me, I wished for it to be true, for it to be real. I smiled miserably, of course I'm wishing for something really impossible. I'm stupid, I'm not being realistic. Which is very unusual for me. Because I'm supposed to be a realist. I stood up and sat in front of my PC. Struggling if I should open it or not, I stared at black screen. In the end, I opened it and started browsing for a certain manga that made me look like a zombie. For a whole damn day, just because that's all I'm thinking about.

I typed Katekyo Hitman Reborn in the search engine and pressed enter, there showed a million hits in the screen. Though I don't know if it is all connected to what I've searched.

I clicked the first site that I set my eyes on, it automatically opened to the scanned and translated Katekyo Hitman Reborn manga.

I guess I need to re-read this shit.

I started re-reading at 3 o' clock in the afternoon. Now it's eight o' clock in the evening and I'm reading non-stop since. I yawned clearly sleepy but I'm quite entertained. I am now in the Future Arc and now reading the page where people are getting beat up.

I stretched both my arms and legs, my body is starting to feel numb. Probably because of my lack of movements. Bloody hell, of course I'm not moving too much, the only thing that's actively moving in my body is my index finger.

The Daily Life Arc was so funny I thought I was going to die. And when I saw Irie while I am reading, I can't stop thinking on how he will ruin the future in one way or another. It's partly Lambo's fault anyway. Oh well.

I continued reading in peace when the door in my room burst open.

"The fuck are you doing in here Allison?" I asked.

Allison, in her pink pajamas, is currently standing on the doorway. She brought some bag with her, her hands were high up in the air and she's smiling like an idiot. I raised my eyebrow and she only smirked.

"SLEEP OVER~" she screamed.

Because of reflexes, I grabbed the nearest pillow and threw it in her face. She fell down with a 'umff', her body now sprawled on my marble floor. I stood up and went near her, both of my hands on my waist. My brunette hair tied up in a bun while my bare feet kicked her sides.

"You're disturbing our neighbors. Why the hell did the maids let you enter our house?" She squirmed while I continued to kick her.

"Stop it! First of all, this is a fucking huge-ass mansion, not a house. Second, what neighbors!? Your mansion is in the middle of your huge-ass garden! Third, why won't the maids let me enter? I'm your only best friend~" she cooed at me, making me deliver a harder kick. "Ow! Damn it Minerva!" she said as she quickly got up.

"This is a house for your information, not a man-" I was interrupted by flashing images in my mind.

A familiar mansion in the woods. The Phalanx Mansion, then-

"Hey! Why are you staring at me?" She waved both her hands in front of my face that made me step backwards because of shock.

I lost my balance and fell on the floor. I stared at her with wide eyes, my mouth slightly open and my arms trembling as I tried to stand up because of the fall. My legs aren't cooperating too, they are shaking continuously.

My eyes examined the room.

"Minerva? Minerva, what's happening?!" Allison's panicked voice seemed too far away. I tried to scream the answer but it's like something is stuck in my throat.

Minerva, a familiar voice at the back of my mind called.

Then I remember the fire. The smoke in the sky. The loss of hope. And maybe... their death, the familiar voice continued.

"STOP! STOP! STOP! STOP!" I screamed and placed my hands on my ear in a failed attempt to silence the voice.

I am nearly in tears. And I can't stop the voice. It continued to whisper.

Minerva, it's time. To go back home.

"GODAMMIT STOP! PLEASE! PLEASE STOP! I-I'm begging you." My screams turned to a whisper. Memories flashed in my mind.

Burning.

Fire.

Trees.

Smoke.

The pain in my head came back. My breathing started to get ragged, like someone is trying to suffocate me. My hands went to my chest trying to get air, my body laid against the cold marble as I tried to get some air. I screamed and screamed and screamed. I wish for the pain to be gone. I wish... The pain - please...

"OH MY GOD! MINERVA WHAT'S HAPPENING?! MINERVA! GOD!" Allison's scream started to fill the air. I want to tell her that I'm okay. That I'm fine.

Liar, the voice whispered.

"HELP US! SOMEONE! HELP-"

I smiled as I heard Allison's panicked voice. Then I closed my eyes, tired of everything.

"Welcome."

I slowly opened my eyes. A woman with hair as white as snow and eyes strikingly violet was what I first saw when I awakened. She smiled at me so stunningly and all I can think about was how beautiful she is. She looks like she's in her mid-twenties, but with her skin as white as snow also, it made me think twice.

"Who are you?" I asked bewildered.

She smiled again, and somehow, she seemed pretty familiar.

"Please follow me," she told me then she started walking. I followed right beside her and studied the place.

Everything is white. I can't even see the ceiling, and it seemed like there is this white comforting fog following us. I studied the woman's face and tried my hardest to remember where I saw her, but I always ended up in a dead end.

The most mystifying thing is that she seemed to know me. But I don't even remember her, but this just strengthened my guess that I must have seen her somewhere.

She noticed me staring and I was quickly turned my head on the other way. She laughed softly making me feel embarrassed because of the realization that I must have been rude.

"Maybe I should brief you right now," she told me, her long hair swinging behind her.

A crease on my forehead appeared. "What do you need to brief me for?" Her face turned into a serious one. Like when you know you're in danger and you need to fight but it will just be in vain.

"Back in the ancient times, people are gifted by things they could not understand," she told me still continuing to walk to an unknown place. "Noah, an albino, saw God in a form of light. God told him to build an arc, a ship, because he will cleanse the world in means of a great flood."

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked, confused. I've heard the story a thousand times and I can even recite it from memory. So why is she telling me this?

"In Ancient Rome, Sodom and Gomorrah burned under the light of the crescent moon," she said not answering my question. "Multiple tragedies generation after generation, the latter one always worse than the former. What do you conclude?"

I almost cursed because the woman is unpredictable as hell. But then, her question made me think. "Destruction, a lot of destruction," I whispered in awe. The realization hit me like a truck.

"You're getting the gist of it. Yes, it's definitely destruction," she stopped walking and snapped her head towards me. Her white hair flung against her shoulders as she continued, "But have you ever wondered why?"

I pondered at this question. Why would they want to destroy the world so much? That they ended up using different ways to do it? I can't even think of an answer. I stood before her, still in the middle of an endless place with smoke gathering around us. I sighed.

"You don't?" She took my silence as a yes and said, "Then have you ever wondered why humans lasted the longest than any other predator in the world?"

I quickly answered this question. For in my whole existence, I've wondered about this question. Why do humans still exist even if numerous challenges and problems have been a threat to human kind? "It is because we can quickly adapt to situations and evolve at the same time. Other than that, we are controlled by emotions," I answered. Emotions is what makes human, well, a human. The feeling of happiness, joy and hope, as well as sadness, despair, frustration, anger, disgust and lastly, fear.

"You got that part right!" She exclaimed, both her palms now against each other in a praying manner with a gleam in her eyes. "But you forgot something," she said, the gleam in her eyes now nowhere to be seen. She slowly placed her hands to her side, they started to continue the stroll, signaling me to follow her.

I sent her a confused look, she seemed to understand me then smiled a little and told me, "Humans have classified themselves as individuals as well as a different race to animals because of one thing."

"What is it?" I curiously asked.

"They discovered the secret on how to overcome killing instinct by raising their intelligence," she said grimly. "Humans eventually made a law about good and bad, as well as truth and lies to make a peaceful world where nobody remembers that they are vicious animals once. They invented language, culture and beliefs. They now do not have any clue about the past. Can you guess what will happen?"

"They will live happily ever after?" I guessed.

She laughed then strongly said, "No."

"One way or another, their killing instinct will overcome their intelligence and they will become vicious animals once more. We are still animals after all, and no matter what we do and how long we can prolong it, killing instincts will still rule our minds. They will slash each other's throats and stabbed the ones they once loved," she continued.

I stopped in my tracks dumbfounded, surprised at the new revelation thrown upon me. Who wouldn't?

She stared at me wearing a knowing gaze, as if she had seen my reaction too many times. As if she have seen it and had dealt with it too many times.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked, my voice hoarse.

She acted as if she did not hear my question and walked near me. We are only a few feet apart, the smoke right now seemed heavy and it's like weighing on my shoulders. I'm being suffocated, and when she noticed my face, she spoke, "However, as most of the human kind failed to realize this, some of them did. To prevent their killer instincts to rule over them, they developed the power to make their subconscious and their consciousness become one, or at least interact with one another."

"These people are believed to be a whole different race. They have violet eyes, albino skin, and white hair," she then retreated a little bit, showing her whole features. White hair, violet eyes, purple skin.

I tried to speak only to find out that I'm too shock to even breathe. I reminded myself to be calm and evaluate the situation. This must be a dream. Yes, definitely a dream.

"Denial. That's where this always start," she sighed then placed her hand on my shoulders. "I shall continue the story," she said.

She pulled her hand back then stared straight into the eye. "On earth, humans tried to know why this people are different than anybody else. They just can't find out the reason why, so they just assumed; 'Ah! This must be a genetic mutation. Since the last recorded child that have this mutation is called Alexandria, I'll call this Alexandria Genesis!' and so on and so forth," she explained.

"Wait! Back up!" I raised a hand to her face, just to stop her from spouting this bullshit. "What the hell are you saying? Alexandria Genesis is just a fictional disease... it's not real!"

"But didn't your mother's, Lisse Phalanx's, personal doctor diagnose you himself, complete with a scientific explanation? One of your chromosome was mutated, giving you Alexandria Genesis. And you clearly believed him when it was stated to you."

"Because that world is different! An alternate reality!" My eyes widened, and my breath stilled. "That... is only a dream. My dream. I'm not the daughter of a mafia heiress. That's just... a fan fiction I dreamt. I'm just a no-"

"Is it, Minerva?" She cut me off. "Are you really sure that it was just a dream? A fiction?" She said with face that clearly says 'oh-god-what-an-idiot' and 'just-believe-me-dumbass', while still maintaining her calm persona.

When I tried to reply, this came out from my mouth, "What the hell." Along with a strong metallic taste that I don't even know where it came from.

"What they do not know, is that this people has a certain knowledge of the future that can save humans from wrecking their own race." She continued her explanation, completely disregarding my denial and the disturbed expression on my face. Then, she pointed her index finger to a very visible door that I didn't see moments ago. I tried to remember if I caught a glance of a certain huge wooden white door in the middle of an abyss full of white, but I didn't.

Now knowing our destination, I followed her, still feeling left out. "Again, I'm asking you. And please, answer me. Why are you telling me this?"

She's now in front of the door her hand reaching for the golden door knobs. I was expecting her to ignore my question once again, so I was shock when she replied, with a clear answer.

To say that I was surprised was the greatest understatement of the century.

"I'm telling you this because you're one of the few who can connect to their unconscious. Who are destined to save the world from your own fucked up kind. You're one of the very few. You are one of us."

She slowly turned the knob. While gently pushing the big white wooden door, she left me standing behind her, stunned.

"Maris you're late."

"Well, I briefed Minerva before going here."

"Hey Maris! Look! Her mindscape is full of tea, teacups, cakes, and many more! Let's have a tea party! Though I think this place looks really like in Alice in Wonderland."

"Ella's partly right. Look outside, it's an endless white space. You can get lost in her mindscape."

"That's why we took kind of long, we got lost in Minerva's mindscape."

The voices slowly died down. And I'm like-

What the actual fuck?

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