Drenched in sweat, Krest's cheeks reddened as she runs up the stairs to reach the fifth floor. Upon reaching the classroom, she leaned against the wall with her hands to support her knees from buckling as she catches her breath. She entered the room while pulling out a handkerchief from her school uniform and wiped her sweat, not minding everyone's gazes. Without putting her bag, she rushed near the teacher's table, where Zef is seated. She opened her palm before him as she asked for his General Mathematics book.

He looked at her momentarily. He noticed that she dyed her hair again with silver ash color, complimenting her pink skin tone. The ends were curled like big waves, making her hair more vibrant.

"Can you make it fast?" she impatiently asked.

He snapped back to reality. Without saying anything, he thrust his hand in his bag, pulled out the book and handed it to her.

She hurried back to her seat at the end corner of the classroom, near the window. She checked the page of the assignment but there are no answers. She gritted her teeth as she glared at Zef. She badly wants to pull his hair back if only she was seating behind him. "Damn this book." She stood up; planning to ask for his assignment but the teacher came in.

"Good afternoon, class!" Mrs. Heidi greeted them with so much enthusiasm but the students responded otherwise. It's still early in the morning yet they felt so sleepy for having her subject as their first class.

Twenty minutes before the time, while lecturing, she assessed her students. The majority of them were sighing, fighting off the sleepiness while the others were already asleep.

"Okay!" She intentionally made her voice louder to wake them up. "What have you learned from our lesson?" She waited for students to volunteer but no one is raising a hand. Her eyes focused on Krest who proudly showed how sleepy she was. Her face is resting on her armchair. "Yes, Miss Voulden? Care to share?"

The class looked at Krest as they waited for her to answer. She stood up and straightened her clothes. "Boredom." Expecting that kind of attitude from her, they diverted their attention to the teacher.

"Boredom?" Mrs. Heidi asked in disbelief. "I was lecturing here for almost an hour and you learned nothing but boredom?!" Her voice grew louder, almost close to shouting. She took a deep breath, trying to suppress her anger. She glanced at the screen of her phone and class time is almost up. "Pass your assignments in 5…4…3…2…"

The students felt pressured as they hurriedly dug into their bags, looking for their assignments.

Mrs. Heidi spotted Krest passing nothing. "Seriously Krest? You're not doing your assignments and you're not paying attention to class. You're failing this subject!"

The student portrayed no facial expression. She's just looking at the teacher. All she's hearing is blah blah blah.

"What do you want me to do with you? Why don't you be like Tripp? He's still in seventh grade but he's a competitive and smart student. "

Her jaw tightened as she clenched her fist upon hearing her younger brother's name. She hates him so much. In her eyes, he's just a show-off.

As soon as the teacher walked away, the students went out to have some food.

Krest could not contain her anger anymore. She took the book on her desk, the one she borrowed and threw it to Zef. It hit the exact spot where she wanted to hit him – the head. She caught the attention of her classmates who are still in the room.

Zef held the right part of his head where he can feel the pain as Krest walked near him and started badmouthing him.

"Krest stop," begged Alexa, their class president. She was standing in the doorway, about to go to the cafeteria, but stopped when she heard the commotion.

She heard Alexa but she does not care about what she said.

Zef took the courage to do something he had never done out of fear. He stood up aggressively as he looked up at her straight to the eyes. "What's the matter with you?!"

The students were surprised by Zef's reaction. It is the first time they have seen him like that.

"Oh?" she mocked as she raised an eyebrow. "Now you're fighting." She towered over him, making him feel inferior.

"Aren't you tired?" he asked.

She can hint the anger in his voice. It made her even satisfied. "What?"

"It's been a year and you're still bullying me. Just be honest and say what's your problem with me!" he exclaimed.

"Hmm let's see…" She held her chin with her thumb and index finger while looking up as if she's thinking deep.

The onlookers waited in anticipation of her answer. They too wondered why she keeps on bullying him.

"Ah!" She clapped her hands once. "No reason," she said and then flashed him smirk.

"What?"

"I hate repeating myself." She turned her back to him and walked towards her seat.

Before reaching it, she heard him ask, "It's not about my height?"

"Oh!" She turned to him and pointed a finger gun at him as she fired it. "That one too." Finally, she sat down.

He gritted his teeth as he heard her pathetic reason for bullying him. With flushed face and throbbing veins in his neck, he clenched his fists as he faced her. "You know what? Your tallness will get you to nowhere if your attitude sucks. I wish you'll learn your lesson someday." After saying what he needs to say, he walked out of the room and did not return until the end of the last class.

***

Nikolei set the dining table for dinner as she called for her husband and son. She cooked McDonald's chicken fillet à la king and some roasted vegetables as a side dish.

"Isn't Krest home yet?" asked Tripp as he sat down.

Pulling a chair, Trac asked his wife, "Right. Where is she?"

"No," she replied. Considering how her husband rarely comes home due to business trips, she told him, "She comes home after hanging out with her friends."

Tripp butted in, "Probably clubbing." After all, it's his sister's favorite thing to do next to modeling.

Trac glanced at him but diverted his gaze to Nikolei. "And you're fine with that?" His forehead wrinkled and his fork and spoon froze in the air.

"What can I do? I was like that when I was her age." She smiled at the thought of her teenage memories as she took a bite of roasted carrots.

Tripp sighed and continued to eat in silence.

While slicing the fillet, he disputed, "But you're her mom. You should give her limitations." Then he put the food into his mouth.

"No way!" She chewed her food before continuing, "I hated my mother when she forbade me to go out at night before. I don't want my daughter to hate her cool mom." She winked at him.

Trac sighed as he gave up lecturing his wife.

As Krest opened the door, she saw the three eating. She was about to go upstairs but her father called her.

With an authoritative voice he asked, "Where'd you go?" He assessed her clothes and she was wearing a loose white polo with a simple black choker on her neck and a gray short denim pants.

The left corner of her lips curved as she shrugged her shoulders. She turned her back to him as she walked upstairs.

He stood up aggressively. "Stop right there, young lady!"

His thunder-like voice sent shivers to her spine, even her mother and brother stopped eating because of it.

"Trac, please…" Nikolei tried to calm him down but to no avail.

"From now on, you can't go anywhere but school and home. Try to defy me and I'll ground you for a year. I don't even care if you miss school."

Tripp looked at his sister. She was looking at her father but her eyes were emotionless. Turning her back to them, she went to her room. Heaving a sigh, he also went to his room. He's tired of seeing scenes like this.

Nikolei stood up and held his arms to calm him. This time, she succeeded. "Don't be so strict on her."

"I know but she doesn't understand me! I'm just trying to protect her, Lei."

"I'll try to talk to her."

He nodded and kissed her on the forehead. "I'm going to wash up first."

"Krest?" She knocked on the door twice. "Krest, can we talk?" No one is still answering so she opened the door herself. She pressed her thumb on the fingerprint scanner and it opened. As she turned on the light, she was expecting her daughter to be asleep but she saw no one on the bed. "Trac!" she yelled.

With dripping wet hair, only a towel was wrapped around his waist as he came running to his wife. He held her arms. "What's the matter?" his voice was gentle.

"K-Krest…" Tears formed in her eyes.

"What?" He looked behind her and saw Krest on the bed.

"S-she's…" Stuttering and crying, she was unable to continue her words.

"She's sleeping, Lei."

With wide eyes and hanging mouth, she looked behind and saw Krest sleeping. She went near her and removed the blanket covering her head. She sat beside her and hugged her tightly. "I thought I've lost you." Her tears came running down like a stream.

Trac watched them, noticing the hair color of her daughter. He saw that it was silver ash gray before she entered her room but now it looks like jet black. Maybe because it's dark.

Finally calming herself, Trac kissed her on the forehead before heading out.

Trac wiped her tears and hugged her. "Don't worry, Lei. I'm not going to let something happen again." His words made her shed more tears.

***

As Krest felt the morning breeze on her skin, she opened her eyes and wondered why she's seeing big things. She looked around and everything seems so huge. Her eyes landed on the bike parked in front of her. She turned around and saw a wooden board nailed on the house. She stepped back to see what was engraved in it. 'Zoran Residence' is what it says. She cupped her mouth and hoped that it is not the Zoran she knows.

Hearing a door creak, she rushed to hide on the golden bushes without even knowing why her unconsciousness told her to. From her view, she can only see a man's back walking away from her. Seeing the guy's dark brown curly hair seems familiar to her eyes. When he reached the gate and turned to wave to his brother, she easily recognized the guy is Zef Zoran. He was wearing a red hoodie that matched well with his black jeans and white shoes. Seeing how he dressed up made her feel the cold slapping through her thin pajamas. She rubbed her hands together and blew into it. "It's cold." She stopped rubbing her hands when she recognized something is off. "Wait –" He looked at Zef who pedaled away. She uttered "What the heck?" for realizing Zef is as huge as a giant in her eyes.

She calmed herself saying that it's only a dream but it doesn't seem like it. She still cannot believe what's happening. If not a dream, what else could it be? Her thought was suddenly interrupted when someone held her waist and lifted her. "What the hell?!" she cussed out of shock but the person doesn't seem to have heard her. She turned her head to see who it is but she can only see a big tummy bumping her face.

"Sirox," a girl's voice called softly. "Where'd you get that doll?"

He pointed out where he's standing. "Here, Ate."

"Did someone leave it here?" she asked herself.

Krest rolled her eyes upon hearing her gentle girly voice.

"You can play with it for now but if someone comes to ask for it, you must give it back, okay?"

"Okay, Ate Seya." She smiled at how Sirox pronounce her nickname as she pats her head slowly.

***

Coming home from his part-time job, Zef saw his brother Sirox, watching SpongeBob. He noticed a Barbie doll beside him, dressed in pink pajamas. He thought her hair and her face looked like someone he knows.

He sat beside him and draped his arms over his shoulder. "Did your Ate Seya give you this?" He asked as he held the doll.

Krest looked up at Zef without him noticing that it's her.

"No," Sirox replied in a sing-song manner.

"Then where'd you get this?"

He pointed to the door's direction. "There."

"Where?"

"There," he repeated, pointing at the door.

Zef laughed, giving up on asking him, realizing he won't get a decent answer from his little brother.

"Whoever gave you this, thank that person tomorrow. Okay?" Zef handed him his doll and patted his head. "You should get some sleep," he said as he turned off the television.

Sirox nodded and went straight to their room. Zef followed him, turned the light off and had the lamps turned on for his study.

"Hey." He thought his brother called him so he turned his back to the bed but he was fast asleep. It was odd for him that his brother would call him that way and it seems like the voice of a girl. He suddenly got chills as he heard the voice for the second time.

"Look down, you idiot." As scared as he might be of what he'll see, he mustered his courage out of curiosity to look down. He was shocked to see Sirox's doll, looking at him, with arms crossed on her chest. The sight freaked him out, making him fall on his chair and lose his consciousness.

***

Zef saw Krest at the school and noticed that her hair was now jet black. Her eyebrows were straight unlike how she usually does it in an arch shape. Her natural-looking brow made her look like an innocent puppy. Her lips were painted with a wine-colored lip tint, making her look like a vampire who just drank blood because of her pale white complexion.

He expected her to mock him or do something nasty but she did something weird. Her eyes locked onto his for a moment and she smiled as she walked past him. He tilted his head as he remembered the doll from last night. "It's definitely a dream."

The whole day, his attention was focused on Krest. He found it weird that she drastically changed after the incident. She made her assignments on her own and recites often which is very unusual of her. She seems like someone she had never met before.

Zef walked home still wondering about Krest's sudden change.

"You're home." He only realized he was standing before the door when his best friend, Chelsea opened it for him. "Come in. I cooked your favorite meal for dinner."

"Where's Sirox?" he asked.

She pointed at the room and answered, "He's sleeping."

Chelsea prepared the table for dinner and sat down across him.

"Is there something bothering you?" Chelsea asked out of worry when she noticed that he hadn't touched his food yet.

He looked at her and opened his mouth, about to tell her the strange things that happened but realized right away that it's too unreal for her to believe him so he spits out the word, "Nothing."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded in response.

They have been best friends for 5 years already and she knew something's bothering him but she did not want to force him to tell her. She thought he would eventually tell her about it.

***

Krest noticed Zef staring into space. She smiled at the thought of startling him but before she can do it, Zef looked down and was shocked to see her. She crossed her arms and frowned in disappointment.

"What the –" Seeing the doll made his heart jump out of nervousness.

She rolled her eyes heavenwards. "Don't tell me you're gonna faint again?"

"What are you?"

"W-What?" She stuttered in annoyance. "Did you just use 'what' on me?"

He looked at her straight in her eyes but did not answer her question because of the obviousness. "Well then, who are you?" He asked again, considering her as somewhat human.

She replied, "I told you before. I'm Krest. Krest Voulden, the one who bullies you?"

"Ha!" He scoffed. "You've gotta be kidding me." He glared at her as he spoke, "I saw Krest in school so drop the act whoever you are."

"You…what?" Chain of thoughts came rushing into her mind. "How did it happen? There's no way there's another me!"

"Do I need to repeat myself twice? I thought you hated it too."

Her voice grew louder, "But I'm the real Krest!"

"I don't who you are or what you are but please stop your nonsense and leave this house."

"She's right though." Their eyes widened as their jaw dropped on the sudden appearance of a lady.

"What the heck?" Krest reacted, seeing how her face looks exactly like her, except for the jet black hair and the pale white complexion. It's almost as if she is her twin.

"How did you –"

Before Zef could finish asking his question, she interrupted him with, "I need to tell you about your mission." She looked at Krest directly as she told her, "Endure the punishment and finish the mission. In 30 days, you must collect five tears of repentance from your prospects and your time starts…" She looked at her wristwatch and waited for a few seconds before she continued, "…now." She diverted her gaze from her wrist to her face again. "To help you in your mission, I will live as Krest Voulden from now on."

"What are you talking about? Let me get this straight. You're Seiri not Krest?" Seiri nodded with a smile. "And this little creature…," he pointed down at Krest. "…is the real Krest?"

Krest felt offended by how he pointed at her and how he referred to her.

"Yup."

"How will that help me? You're just getting what's mine. And is this my punishment?" asked Krest as she pointed at her herself, referring to her sudden change in height. "How lame."

"Lame?" Seiri leaned forward to her. "I don't think you'll be able to say that after you experience your punishment." She half-smiled. "Fail to accomplish it, I'll forever take your place."

Zef butt in and asked, "Why am I dragged in her mess?"

As Seiri flicked her fingers, a memory from last week flashed on his mind.

"You know what? Your tallness will get you to nowhere if your attitude sucks. I really wish you'll learn your lesson someday."

Krest looked at them with confusion. Of course, she can't see what's on his mind.

"I just said those words out of anger!"

"What is he saying?" Krest became more curious about what's happening now that she heard him say those words.

Seiri teasingly smiled as she shrugged her shoulders, acting like she doesn't know. "Bye! Mom's gonna look for me any minute now."

"Mom?" Krest wondered if she was talking about her mom.

And with that, she disappeared from their sight.