≡;- ꒰ °𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙏𝙄𝙈𝙀 ꒱

➷ 𝐎𝐍𝐄

"ECHIKO-chan!!!!" A girl in a white school uniform called out happily, running towards her friend.

"Echiko!" she called again, stopping and panting heavily as she bent down slightly. After a few seconds, she looked straight at her friend's face.

"Echiko-chan?" she called once more, her expression shocked and disbelieving.

"E-chi-" She couldn't finish her words, blood spilling from her mouth. Her white uniform was stained with blood, and when she looked down, she saw a knife deeply embedded in her stomach causing the bleeding.

She collapsed to the ground with a disbelieving look on her face.

"Why?" she whispered, blood still flowing from her mouth as she clenched her friend's arm tightly.

She woke up suddenly, gasping for air. "What the actual fuck was that?" she cursed to herself, drenched in sweat.

"Echiko?" called someone next to her.

She looked at him, just waking up himself, rubbing his eyes and yawning.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" he asked, peering at Echiko in the dimly lit room.

"I'm fine. It's okay, you can go back to sleep," Echiko replied, getting up from the bed.

She headed straight to the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. She splashed water on her face and examined herself again in the mirror.

After a minute, she returned quietly to find her boyfriend still asleep on the bed. Echiko tiptoed and slipped back into bed quietly. She lay down and tried to sleep again, but it eluded her.

So, she stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep. It had been three months since she started having these recurring dreams.

"Why do I keep dreaming about them lately? First Minyoung and Rina, now Sora?" she asked herself, trying unsuccessfully to find an answer.

Finally, she closed her eyes and tried to sleep, changing her sleeping position several times. After many attempts, she finally managed to fall asleep.

In the morning, Echiko decided to go to church alone after repeatedly asking Kento, her boyfriend, for permission. Kento insisted she couldn't go anywhere without an escort.

Echiko understood his concern; he was the leader of Japan's largest yakuza group, with control over every part of Japan, able to get whatever he wanted.

"God, please forgive all my mistakes. I know I've done something really bad. Something unforgivable. But please, I beg you, don't punish me like this. I'd rather leave everything behind if it means your forgiveness," she prayed silently. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Only you know how much I regret what I've done. I killed my best friend. Yes, I admit it. I killed everyone, even my best friends. My God, I regret every single action I took then. If only I could go back. I would sacrifice everything for them. I want to make things right!" she pleaded, sobbing, her hands clenched tightly.

"Just one more chance, God," she implored again.

"ONE MORE TIME!!!!" she exclaimed. "I WANT TO FIX EVERYTHING!" she screamed in remorse, falling from the chair to the ground, crying uncontrollably.

"I can't live like this anymore. This isn't what I wanted. I'm not happy. I feel pathetic. I'm in pain. Oh God, please help me. Just one more chance... I want to fix everything," she cried, eyes closed, praying desperately.

When she finally calmed down and opened her eyes, she found herself somewhere else. The place was completely white, with no walls or ceiling—just an endless hallway with white walls.

"Where am I?" she wondered aloud, scanning the hallway for anyone else. Then, a girl with white hair, wearing a white dress and with pale skin like milk, appeared. She walked towards Echiko.

"What would you do if I gave you a chance?" she asked directly, without hesitation.

"What? A-A chance?" "Are you God?" Echiko asked in disbelief, staring at her, though she knew she wouldn't remember any of this after their meeting. The girl looked at Echiko with an expectant gaze.

"I... I would change my fate, without a doubt," Echiko replied immediately.

The girl looked at her with an unsatisfied expression.

Echiko knew exactly what she wanted. She knelt down and spoke solemnly. "I've made so many mistakes since I was born. I don't blame my parents for having me, but I blame myself for not listening to them. I never imagined I would kill my friends out of jealousy and betrayal. I admit it. I'm a cruel person. I don't deserve to live in this world. I don't feel at ease. If you ask if I regret my past actions, the answer is yes. I will always regret them. If you don't give me a chance to fix this, I won't be able to go on. I'd rather die than live with this guilt," she said, crying bitterly.

"If you're God, please let me go back to my past. I just want to make things right. That's all I ask," she sobbed heavily.

Echiko pictured her friends' faces one by one—the moments they shared, their sweet smiles when they were truly happy. Memories flooded her mind as tears continued to fall.

Then, she looked back at the girl, but no one was there. No, it wasn't just that—the room was changing too.

"I'm back!" she said in disbelief. Echiko looked around and pinched herself. "Ow!" she winced, a smile spreading across her face. "I'M BACK! I'M BACK!!!" she screamed with joy.

To be continued...