Sekai Kōkyōkyoku: Umarekawatta Ryōiki (World Symphony: A Realm Reborn)

Capitulo III: Thousand Miles and Tears

It was so dark and cold. Voices were whispering something I couldn't fully understand. They were talking about spirits... ghosts... wharfeils... eyes?

"Red." A familiar voice called. It was warm enough to ease the coldness. It was like before, a single word-- my name-- spoken with love and care. The only difference was it continued, "Remember, child. Remember."

The voice seemed to echo all over the place. I opened my eyes, looked around and was puzzled to be in a dark room. The only light was coming through a small glass window over a huge statue. Still in a state of shock, I stood up and walked around. I stopped in front of the statue. It was an image of a man wearing a black hooded cloak. The face, though the hood covered some part of it, was a skull's face. It was holding, with bony fingers, a wicked scythe. In any spot I go, its head seemed to follow me. I did the thing which seemed the safest, I stood in one spot without moving, just staring at it.

Then the scene changed. I was standing in front of the same gates from my dreams. It was winter like before. The gates creaked open. When it was already wide open, the bishop who was also in my dreams went out. He went to me and picked me up.

"Red, yukimasho... to the Land of Corine." He smiled as he carried me with him.

The scene faded as a voice yelled in my head saying, "Wake up, brat!"

I woke with a start. I found myself face-to-face with a mean looking teenage guy. He had black hair streaked with white. His eyes were black and red, cocky but mysterious. He was studying my face, tilting his head from left to right. I just stared at him, my brain processing everything.

I was in the academy, I thought. Then everything came rushing back to me. Ryuuji helped me then... he pushed me? Where's Ryuuji?

"Ryuuji!" I pushed the guy away as I sat bolt upright. I looked around. There was no sign of Ryuuji's presence. I was in a small room, propped in a bed. There were three teenage guys with me, all wearing black cloaks.

The mean looking guy stood up and went near the feet of my bed. He was raising his eyebrow at me.

"Hey, brat. Why did you push me?!" He yelled.

"Oy, Ro. Beat it. The kid just woke up!" One of them said, he had white hair.

"Konbanwa! Watashi wa Asaki desu." The other one told me. He had purple hair and he looked like the youngest of the three. "Ro-san brought you here."

"That's right, brat. So just thank me and leave." Ro said.

"Oy, Ro! Yamero! We don't push our lambs away!" The white-haired dude scolded.

"May we know what happened?" They were asking about my chains.

"T-that..." I couldn't utter a even a word. How was I supposed to ask them? I wanted to know who they were or where was I. 

"Rio-san said you are from the academy." Asaki said.