It's the 27th of February 2005. A song is playing on the TV as we crowd around the dining table. It's Blair's 10th birthday. Grandma prepared her birthday cake but Blair's obviously not in the mood to celebrate. She kept saying that she had a bad dream last night and that she's scared.
"Apo," grandma said looking at Blair. She loves calling us that. "It's just a dream."
"But… It felt real. I'm scared, lola, I don't want to sleep alone."
"Dreams are real." She placed a slice of cake on my plate. "It's where we go after we fall asleep. It's a place between sleep and awake. It's an adventure. A different life. A different place. You shouldn't be afraid of your dreams. It's where you can do whatever you want."
It's been years and I grew up believing what grandma said. Is this a dream?
"What the hell are you doing?"
I looked at the guy that saved me from falling. His brown eyes looked back at mine. I want to say something. I want to ask questions but I'm still shaking. Where am I? How did I get here?
Looking around, trying to absorb what I could from the surrounding buildings, I figured that I'm on top of a building made of wood. Not like the buildings in Manila.
He lightly pushed my forehead. "Are you okay?"
I stood up and slowly walked away from him. He is wearing a black leather hoodie and holding a black face mask. Was he the one who brought me here?
"Whoever you are, please, please don't hurt me," I finally said. His eyebrows furrowed and he looked at me as if I spoke a different language.
"What do you mean?" he asked. "I saved your life. And why would I bring you here?"
"Why would I believe you? Where's Blair?"
He raised his hands in disbelief. "I regret coming here."
He turned around and started walking towards the door which I believe leads to a staircase.
"Wait!" I shouted. I followed him down until we reached the ground floor. From what I can remember, we went down five flights of stairs. Which means we were from the fifth floor. I noticed that the fourth and third floor is for bedrooms. The second floor holds a small restaurant and the ground floor is the reception area. I realized we're in a small hotel.
Again, how did I get here?
The design of the walls is very different from the design the I usually see in Manila. So colorful. It feels very festive here.
"Hey! Wait!" Still following the guy that 'saved' me earlier, I finally saw what the hotel looks like from the outside. I'm at awe. It's beautiful. The building is literally covered with paintings of different lines and shapes. It's so pleasing in the eyes. Two words are engraved on the building which I believe is the name of the hotel.
Safe Haven.
"Stop following me," the guy said. He looked around and covered his face with his face mask. I noticed that we're in a plaza. Lies on the center is a large fountain of white and gold. The plaza is surrounded with different buildings of different colors but made of only one building material: wood. People filled the streets carrying a variety of things. Flowers, balloons, and food. The place reminds me so much of festivals in Manila.
"Am I still in Manila?" I asked. Judging by the structures around us, it feels like we're somewhere in Europe. I hope not.
He snorted while looking the other way. "You're insane."
"No, seriously. Where the hell am I?"
Pulling me aside, away from the crowd of people, he whispered, "I don't know what your deal is but please stop. Manila? Manila does not exist anymore."
What? I don't understand. How can Manila just…stop existing?
"Now, leave me alone."
"Wait!"
"What?!"
I looked at his face again. Trying to memorize what he looks like. "What's your name?"
"Does it matter? We won't see each other again anyway."
He finally walked away. I decided to believe that I'm dreaming. Which didn't last long because it hurt when I pinched myself. If I'm in a dream, I'm not supposed to feel pain. I should be awake right now.
Am I awake? Am I asleep? Or somewhere in between?
"Are you okay?" asked the lady from a flower stall near me. She's selling flowers that looks so unique. I've never seen such flowers before. Where am I?
I looked at the street that the guy went to. I can still see him, but he's already blocks away. What do I do now?
I started running. I have no choice.
"Excuse me," I whispered while pushing past people just to reach him. He turned right on the corner when someone suddenly pulled my arm.
"Aerith! I was looking for you! Where did you go?!"
She knows my name? But I don't remember her. Plus, she said she was looking for me. She's the same height as me with black curly hair. Who is she?
"We have to go now. We need to avoid the Lockharts. The guards might see us." She pulled me again towards where the guy went to a while ago. Who are the Lockharts? Why do we have to avoid them?
As soon as I saw where we are headed, my jaw dropped. This is impossible. The closer we get, the more I see how large it is.
"All bound to Central, you may board now!" announced by a girl using a megaphone. If I was not looking, I might think that we're going to board some ship or train but no.
WE. ARE. ABOUT. TO. RIDE. AN. ELEPHANT.
And it's not a normal elephant. It's a huge elephant. They have brown skin and long, curved tusks. They look like mammoths which I believe went extinct hundreds of years ago.
"Aerith, let's go!" the girl shouted. She already bought tickets bound to a place called Central. I have no choice but to follow her. It appears that she knows me. "Are you sick? It's weird that I'm the only one talking here."
She gave me a white handkerchief to wipe the sweat dripping from my forehead. It's embroidered with a name 'Aria'. Is this her name?
"Where are we?" I asked. She looked at me as if I said something bad. Similar to how the black hooded guy looked at me.
She's about to answer but I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my head. It hurts so much that I quickly lost consciousness. But after a few seconds, the noise from the crowd of people begins to fade. I started hearing familiar beeping sounds.
I hurriedly opened my eyes and the first thing I saw is the white ceiling of Blair's hospital room. She's still on her bed and the only sound I hear is the machine that is connected to her.
There are no elephants around. No colorful streets. No guy in a black hoodie,
"It is a dream after all," I whispered.
But then I noticed the piece of cloth on my lap. A white handkerchief with letters that clearly read:
Aria.