It was a beautiful day.

A perfect one.

It almost made me think about what could go wrong. But little did I know my life was going to get turned upside down.

I looked around my picture-like surroundings, not one petal of a flower out place. The sun's rays held the perfect amount of warmth, not one cloud was seen in the endless blue sky. The cars that drove past me created the perfect cool breeze.

My eyes wandered over to the huge billboards that played familiar advertisements countless times. Strangely, this time, one of them was showing news about some genius, young billionaire, or something. I quickly averted my eyes, news in all, is boring.

I resumed walking along the familiar path that led me home every day after school.

Home.
The place where one lives permanently as a part of a family.
If this is how a home is defined as the place I'm going isn't one I guess...

As I walked over to the zebra crossing I saw two things, a group of boys snickering and a girl standing on the edge of the foot-path. The situation was clear as day, those boys were bulling the girl by trying to scare her with the threat of pushing her into the road where a truck was driving at a speed that should be illegal. Ah.. that poor girl, how did she offend them?

Bullying.
One of the things I hate the most.

Suddenly, a boy pushed her a little too hard and she fell on the road with the truck rushing at her

Even so, I just stood in place. I was no female protagonist to save her, and I know nothing good ever came out of being the upstander or jumping in front of a truck that seemed to have no breaks.

The truck was nearing her by the millisecond...

Suddenly an invisible force made me run towards the girl and push her down to the ground and in that microsecond, I got hit instead.

"Ah....owch" I murmured, not having the strength to barely speak. Being hit by a 5000kg truck really hurt, I could feel my ribs crack with a sickening crunch. But as my head made an impact with the hard tar, I felt blood pooling around my body as started losing consciousness.

'Ah.. that stupid girl couldn't even dodge...' was my last thought before I blacked out

.

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"I- I'm sorry. She injured her heart when she was hit... she won't... make it past few months" said the doctor as I slowly regained consciousness. Strangely, when I heard those words, I didn't feel anything...nothing at all...

Aren't you supposed to feel sad when you hear that you're going to die soon?

All I feel is... emptiness

No sadness, no relief...

Just... emptiness

But as my vision cleared, I saw a girl sitting next to me. She had pure, blonde hair and crystal-clear blue eyes, calling her 'pretty' would not be enough to describe her beauty, all of her features were perfect, without a single mistake; doe-shaped eyes, full lips, milky skin. Strangely, she was smiling brightly even though part of her forehead was bandaged up, at the sight of me waking up.

Ah... she must be the girl I saved. 

I tried to sit up to get a better view of the whole room, but it seemed like I had no control over my limbs anymore. I couldn't even lift a finger...

Soon, my gaze landed on the girl once again, but this time my mind was clouded over with sudden and unpredictable worry. I teared up a bit as I asked, "Are you... ok?" these are words that would never come out of my mouth, it almost felt like someone was making me tell these things like they were controlling me.

Caring about other people? Heh. I barely have time to care about myself

That person really doesn't know me. 

"I'm so... so very sorry" the girl spoke replying to my worried(?) question

If I were to reply to that question myself, I would have probably said something like 'Are you sure that your 'I'm so sorry' can pay my medical bills? Cause I'm sure my father won't'

But, it seemed like karma (or my mouth) wasn't on my side, because what I said (was forced to say) was this; "It's...It's alright, it's in the past"

"No! How can I just  let all that the in the past?!" the girl said, almost bursting into tears

 Exactly. At least this girl understands my thoughts. How can let all of this be in the past!!, I was about to tell her exactly this when my mouth opened by itself and said "Somethings are not always your fault" 

Suddenly, a gentle wind blew the curtains aside as the sun's light shined solely on that girl like a spotlight, "Sister... can I call you that?" she slowly asked, her picture-perfect eyes brimming over with tears that almost looked like sparkling jewels in the sunlight, anyone who saw this sight would feel over-whelming pity for the girl.

But not me.

Sister? Sister?! No, you absolutely cannot call me 'sister'.

"Of course, you can..." came the answer from me

The girl smiled brightly and said "Sister, you were so lucky... if he had not covered you..."

"...?"

"The boy with black hair, I couldn't see his face but he covered you as the truck was about to hit you..." the girl said, looking like she was talking about the person who saved the world or something

The first thing that crossed my mind was not about who the boy was or how was he or anything, but about how stupid I must've looked. First, a girl is about to be hit by a truck, I go push the girl down like a martyr to get hit by the truck in her stead, but then suddenly a boy rushes over like 'not on my watch' and becomes the actual martyr.

"Ah.." I said, finally being able to speak by my will.

"Sister, I really have to repay you! You saved my life!" the girl said, almost crying

She looked so pitiful, I almost felt that she was the one who got hit by a truck. I couldn't refuse her, so I decided to make her pay for my medical bills ( you know, she looked so pitiful, I just had to make her do something to ease her guilt ) , "Um... can you possibly pay my medical bills?"

"But I-" she started to protest but seemingly decided that saving the life of her savior was more important "Fine, sister"

She went out but came back a little too soon "Sister! I knew you wouldn't make me pay the bills!" she cried as soon as she came 

Eh?

"The lady at the counter said that your bills were already paid!" she said "I knew you were the best!" she cried and she ran to hug me but halfway through, she saw the state I was in and decided against it. (Thankfully, she stopped. I was almost bracing myself for the impact)

"Hehe... I'm sorry, sister" she said as she smiled awkwardly

I looked at her properly for the first time, she was smiling brightly even though her clothes were torn a bit and dirtied from when I pushed her to the ground. Several cuts and scrapes were seemingly bandaged were present all over her body. Yet she came here right after she was treated? I looked down at her legs and one of them was put in a cast.

I don't know why I said this, but it just came out of my mouth "You should've carried around a taser at least and next time, learn how to defend yourself" and this time I wasn't being controlled.

And with that, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

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3 weeks later

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After that day, she came to visit me every day with fruits and sweets. At first, I was annoyed beyond words but as time passed I could say that we grew considerably closer. We talked about our lives and random gossip here and there.

From what she told me until now, it seems that her name was Camilia and she was the only daughter of two, loving parents. 

As she told me her stories, experiences, and life I realized how vastly different both our lives were. She had loving parents who would do anything for her and I only had a father who didn't even visit me once since I was in the hospital.

While we were talking, I could see pity growing in her eyes as she heard my story. I grew a bit annoyed because what I hated the most was other people showing pity for me, it made me feel inferior, weaker than them. I hated it. But, I didn't say anything because anyone might feel that way after they heard my life story, no matter how I felt.

After a few weeks of talking, she decided that I would feel bored while I was in the hospital all alone so she recommended me a novel series called 'In a world of her own'.

It was a fantasy-romance genre and a bit cliche on the cliche side. But its plot and storyline were pretty intriguing, so I made it my goal to finish that series before I died.

If I have to summarise that whole story... It was about a fairy who lost both her parents in a planned plot right in front of her eyes, She wanted to take revenge, but had no power to do so. So she wandered the lands in search of any way to get stronger and that's when she came upon the Caserian Academy of Magic and Strength which was rumored to have their students improve their magic and strength in a short amount of time. She forged her identity as she had nothing to lose and entered the Academy where she met the three male leads... and the story continues.

And that's how my journey of reading this series started.

.

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1 month later

.

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After a short two months in the hospital thanks to Cam (Camilia) and the novel, I was strolling in the hospital backyard reading the last novel in that 4 book novel.

I was nearing the ending of the last book of the novel, when I felt a stabbing pain in my heart all of a sudden, as I crumpled to the ground and slowly lost consciousness. The last thing I saw was a lot of people gathering around me.

.

.

"As...As I said, she cannot live any longer than 3 more months. Her life span can be preserved if she doesn't get extremely angry or suddenly shocked." the doctor said as I started to regain consciousness once again.

But this time, as I woke up something started nagging at the back of my brain, I suddenly realized what it was.

Who was the doctor updating my condition to? It was most definitely not me, because the doctor's back was turned towards me, so it was definitely someone else.

It was not my father as he would never come to my funeral even if I died. 

"Ah...yes, I understand," the person said, judging from his voice he was most definitely a man. I tried to get up, to get a better view of the person as his face was completely hidden by the doctor.

But I couldn't. I failed to see that person. I could barely lift my pinky which seemed to be the heaviest thing on this planet.

I fell asleep shortly after that, strangely tired.

.

.

 2 months later

.

.

I could move around a little by now. Cam also visited me frequently, telling me stories about her newly found boyfriend. He even visited me once due to Cam's pestering.

To be honest, that boy wasn't so bad. He had a pretty face with chocolate locks and similar eyes. He seemed like he was the most popular boy in her school.

Cam's face always lit up brightly when she talked about him, it was nice to see her like that ( even thought she's always like that ). Little did I know, I had grown unknowingly attached to her while staying in this hospital. I think I may regret something when I die, I guess.

 It felt nice...
To see her like that...
To see her being so happy...

I wonder when was the last time I had been so happy? I don't remember... I don't remember anything until I was 8-years-old, everything before that is just a large void in my head. The oldest thing I can remember is my mother dying right in front of my eyes covered in blood.

She was abused by my father to the point where she died. I can never forgive my father for that ever. But the words that came out of her mouth before she died were "Never hate your father".

Ha. Haha. Hahaha. How- How can a person be so selfless? But I could never fulfill my mother's last wish. I held great resentment towards him, but I never showed it out. 

 This was my greatest regret.

I reached over the nightstand near my bed and pulled out a worn-out picture of a woman. After my recent accident, it was speckled with a few drops of dried blood.

It was my mother. To me, she was and still is the most beautiful lady in the whole world. She had bright green eyes like mine that always had a mysterious sparkle in them. Dark black, short hair framed her v-shaped face. 

I really don't know what got her life intervened with my father. She never once blamed my father for anything but instead always told me to treat him with kindness. 

When my mother always told me this, I used to get annoyed beyond words. But I kept it all inside and never expressed my true feelings. I never wanted to hurt my mother's feelings because was already hurt enough, I didn't want to rub salt into her wounds.

I usually avoid thinking about my mother's death, because I lose control of my feelings if I do. But strangely, today I thought about the thing I avoided the most. Unknowingly, I thought about the most gruesome day I had to experience in my whole life. 

I could still see the blood, that room, that house, and... my mother, lifeless on the ground. I felt so angry at the thought of it, I didn't notice the monitor showing my heart rate rise and the last sound I heard was a loud and piercing *BEEEEEEEEEEEEEP* as everything suddenly went black.

Everything around me was black. I couldn't see a thing. ( is this afterlife? ) Suddenly, a massive migraine started at the back of my head as few memories that weren't mine started flooding in my head.

.

In a room where only the moonlight and a flickering candle were the only sources of light, two people stood beside each other, a man and a woman.

"This... is not what we planned." the woman said. 

"..." 

"We can't keep running forever, this is a truth we both know" the woman continued

"..." the man was silent once again

"And... and our child..."  the woman said, a single tear slipping down her face

The man walked over and hugged the lady "We have 'their' help too... it'll be alright.." the man said with forced reassurance

" 'They' are not dependable, you know that they can turn their back whenever they want..." the woman said once again

"Things never go according to our plans, do they? But like the last times, we'll fight against this one too... Claire" the man said trying to smile but failing

Both of them stayed silent, trying to savor the last moments they had together.

.

Suddenly, I was bought back to my surroundings. I tried to look around with the bare amount of light present there. Seemingly I was in a large room, I could make out many carvings on the ceiling and the walls... But the strangest thing was there was not even one thing there that wasn't black or dark grey.

"Welcome to the underworld~," a voice said

*   *   *