Eroding core

04 | The Awakening of the Blue

Acting… this is what I was born for.

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And always, from time to time,
The bell of death rings in my head,
Urging me to leave the storms of dusk,
To embark on an eternal celestial journey,
To lands with no dreams or peaks.
Its deafening voice stuns my awareness,
Leaving me torn: Should I answer the call or resist it?

If only the blue would surrender,
If only the blue would lose,
If only the blue would take me away.

Bell, fire, cold, blood, life, eternity, death, healing.

I read the paper several times, then tuck it under my pillow and leave the room.

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“Good morning, Mom!”

“What…!?”

I kissed her cheek and sat at the kitchen table, where my dad was scrolling aimlessly through his phone and my sister Julia was bickering with my younger brother, Jace.
Jace let go of her hair and stared at me in confusion as Julia jumped from her chair, shouting:

“Rina!”

I smiled at her and began spreading strawberry jam on a slice of bread. She exchanged happy glances with Mom, and Dad set his phone down to scrutinize me. Mom approached with teary eyes, pulling me into a tight hug.

“Oh, my dear! I’ve missed you so much!”

Dad muttered, glancing back at his phone, “Good. No doctor visits anytime soon.”

I exhaled quietly, gently pulling away from Mom. “Today’s my first day of school, right?”

Julia nodded enthusiastically, clasping my hands between her small ones. “Sit down and let me listen to the older sister's advice! What should I do on the first day? Though we're late because of the move, should I act cool and make them curious? Or sweet and smart to steal the queen bee’s crown?”

Mom scolded her and sat her back down. “Stop chattering and eat your breakfast. Rina, darling, would you like banana milk, chocolate milk, or milk tea? Tell me, and stop looking at me like that!”

I pushed her gently back to her chair and smiled, gesturing to the table. “The table's full already. This is enough.”

She looked sad. “But you love all those things! And you must be exhausted; that parasite really drained you.”

Feigning a smile, I ate silently until my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and frowned at the message.

"I couldn't resist texting you! I woke up just minutes ago after dreaming of you. Strange, isn’t it? I don't even know your face except from that blurry profile photo, yet you appeared in my dream. Our chat really left an impression on me!"

Curious, I scrolled through our old messages, still puzzled. Returning to the latest message, I smiled and replied:

"What did you dream?"

She began typing, and it took several minutes. While waiting, I resumed my breakfast, half-listening to my family’s conversations, my thoughts focused on the message. A friend... did Arachne really made one?

My phone buzzed again. I eagerly grabbed it, excitement making every hair on my body stand on end as I read:

"A bizarre dream… You were in my house, but you were wild—destroying everything. At first, I watched in shock. Then I tried to calm you down, but you attacked me. You smashed glass, threatening me with shards. I kept approaching, and eventually, you threw the glass, just like you warned."