[ MAKE SURE TO READ CHAPTER 0 (AUXILIARY VOLUME) TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE STORY! ]

[ TIME: 22:30 ]

[ DATE: 05/20/20XX ]

[ SETTING: Abandoned Laboratory, Shinjuku City, Tokyo ]

[ POV: Arashi Rei ]

"..."

I gradually opened my eyes after my encounter with the Monster from earlier, not knowing what to expect on the other side as I thought that I would have perished by now.

"..Huh-"

Yet, to my surprise, I woke up in the very same room where I previously was before I passed out.

"Agh.."

I had a slight headache, but it wasn't unbearable. I slowly stood up and looked around, making sure if I really was still in the abandoned laboratory, and not just hallucinating.

"Am I.. seeing this right..?"

I commented, seeing as how everything was still in order and in place based off of where I last left them - with the entrance opened, my ID card inserted into the door pin, and the Regel Crystal on the floor.

"It shattered..|||"

..or, at least what was left of it, since it seems to have taken a rather rough fall, resulting in it shattering into several miniscule fragments.

"..."

I let out a sigh, going down to gather the fragments as I looked at my hands - which, again, were completely normal and untouched, same as how they were before I blacked out.

"So.. it was all just a dream.."

I questioned, especially with how real my encounter with the Void Monster was, along with the group of people whom I was accompanied by.

"Well.. that's just how dreams work.."

"Everything seems organized and authentic.. but, at the end of it all, it's still all just figments of our imagination."

I thought, shaking my head as I collected all of the Regel Crystal's remaining fragments, taking notice of how normal it all felt in my hands.

"Something's off.."

I muttered, having entered this room with the thought of ending my life using a crystal that I knew was of an RE too high for any regular human to withstand, yet now.. that said crystal's pieces felt like nothing but tiny rocks in my palm.

"..."

I suspected that I may have gotten my hands on a different crystal to begin with - only for my suspicions to quickly be proven wrong as my sight landed on a nearby Warning Label, which read; "OBSERVE EXTREME CAUTION! 1000 REGEL ENERGY CRYSTAL WITHIN CONTAINMENT!".

"..."

Confused, I paused for a moment, trying to recall everything that had happened recently, and assess which ones were true or not.

"What about that.. lady.. who was talking to me..?"

"Who was she..? Where.. and how did she.."

I thought, setting the fragments down on a nearby desk as I clenched my fists, remembering the Regel Infection coursing through them just a while ago. I swore.. it felt so real..

"Gah-"

My hands even began to hurt and burn, even though there were zero signs of any further Regel Infection present. I could not tell if it was my body reliving the sensation from when I got in contact with the Regel Crystal, like phantom pain, or just my imagination.

"Ah.. Haah.."

I panted as the pain came in random waves. I promptly relaxed my hands and waited for the pain to subside.

"Damnit.."

"..."

"I.. need to head home.."

I told myself, wary of the time and the fact that if I stayed in here for any longer, my maids at home might start to worry. Not to mention that I still had classes for tomorrow.

"It was just a dream.. a dream.."

I repeatedly muttered whilst I cleaned the room up, and even while I headed home - forcing my mind and my consciousness into thinking that I had passed out from fatigue, that the Regel Crystal was dead and no longer harnessed any Regel Energy to begin with - and that all of those things that I experienced within the past hour or two was just a dream.

***

That was.. a lot, lot easier said.. than done, though.

"..."

???(1): "I-I'm out! I can't..-"

"...?"

???(3): "A-Already?! Tsk.."

"...-"

???(1): "Arashi-san, please.. hang on!"

???(4): "We need to get help.. Hurry!"

"..."

As I kept hearing their voices, again and again.. even as I went to sleep.

***

[ The next day.. ]

[ TIME: 08:15 ]

[ SETTING: Shinjuku High School ]

"Ugh.."

I made way to school, looking like the haggard and groggy mess I was. I couldn't even bother fixing my appearance since I wouldn't be able to cover up my lack of sleep either way.

"Should've done all that on a Friday.."

I muttered to myself, joking about my ill timed venture to the abandoned lab and my encounter with the Regel Crystal.

"Anyhow.."

???: "Arashi-senpaiii~!"

Suddenly, I heard a high-pitched voice full of glee and joy call out to me, accompanied by several rushing footsteps.

"huh- Oomf!"

AE: "Morning, sleepyhead!"

An arm then playfully wrapped around me tight. Without a doubt, it was Aemelia, one of my juniors - one that I had gotten relatively close to over the past year or so.

"Oh, Ame.. Morning."

I greeted back, awkwardly forcing a smile.

AE: "You're 15 minutes late compared to usual!"

She said, pouting.

"Y-Yeah. Sorry to have kept you waiting.."

I lousily replied, still sounding half asleep even when I tried to come off as more energetic.

AE: "...-"

And I think Aemelia easily took notice of it too.

AE: "Heeey-"

"I called you a sleepyhead since I assumed you overslept, but.."

She then pulled away, going in front and walking backwards as she faced me, squinting her eyes.

"..Wha-"

AE: "You look like the complete opposite.. As if you barely got any sleep..-"

She commented, pointing at my eyebags, my messy hair, and my untidy school uniform.

"..Well-"

AE: "Hm?"

I scratched the back of my head, letting out a sigh since I knew that lying would be of no use whenever I talked to her.

"You're right.. I only got 4 hours of sleep."

AE: "Jeez.."

Aemelia shook her head, going back and walking beside me again as we entered the school campus, getting our vitals scanned for the day.

AE: "I wouldn't have pestered you for help on my homework last night if I knew.. I'm sorry.."

"I-It's fine.. Just some insomnia."

[ TEMPERATURE SCANNED ]

[ Aemelia Von Leere: 36.5°C ]

AE: "You say that.. but 4 hours of sleep is so little."

"Our author says otherwise, heh.."

[ Rei Arashi: 37.7°C ]

[ Possible Mild Fever. Please proceed to School Clinic. ]

"..Oof-"

AE: "And you even have a fever! Oh my gosh.."

"Come on. Let's get you to the clinic-"

Aemelia said, having an expression full of worry and concern as she held my hand and began walking me to the school clinic.

"A-Ame..-"

*..BRAZAP!*

I wanted to calmly try talking her out of it, but I suddenly felt a shock flow through my arm, seemingly coming from Aemelia.

"--?!"

AE: "Huh-"

I quickly pulled my hand away, rubbing it and taking a closer look - albeit still not finding anything unusual, just like yesterday.

"What the..-

AE: "What's wrong..-?"

Aemelia didn't seem to take it lightly though, her expression changing to that of disappointment and upset. I couldn't blame her though, considering how abruptly I pulled my hand away.

"I..-"

AE: "...-?"

"I'm fine.. I don't need to go the clinic."

I told her, looking down and letting out a sigh as I held onto my school bag, knowing well that I just outright lied to a close friend who was simply worried for me.

AE: "But-"

"I'll be heading to my classroom now, alright? I.. uh.. need to work on a project with my groupmates."

I quickly responded before she could say any more.

"(It's not that I don't appreciate her concern.. I definitely do. But.. I don't want anyone else to find out about what happened yesterday, especially the people at home.. Who knows how dad would..-)"

"See ya! Let's meet again later during lunch break!"

I told her, hurriedly walking away toward my classroom as I waved goodbye.

AE: "O-Oh.. Alright- See you..!"

Aemelia waved back, albeit the disappointment on her face gradually went away as she did, with her expression having changed.

"(...?)"

It turned into that of.. curiosity? Whatever, I just need to get to class and power through the day. I'm sure this fever will wear off sooner or later.

[ Later on that day.. ]

[ TIME: 10:00 ]

"So, that goes there.. and then.."

"(Ack.. Where was I..?!)"

Once again, I ended up jinxing myself as my fever only got worse from thereon out. I could barely focus in class, if at all, and I am certain that my lack of sleep didn't help the cause.

"Huff.."

I put down my digital pen and leaned on my desk to take a quick breather.

"(What have you done.. Arashi..)"

I took a few deep breaths, eyes darting around the classroom and landing on the CCTV Monitor in the corner of the room, which was observing the Electrical Barrier built to fend off the Undead Regel Entities at the edge of the City.

"(Regel..)"

I sometimes wonder why a live video feedback was even implemented in the schools if only teachers and students could see it. I suppose the department just didn't want to take any chances, and make sure that we were always constantly updated.

"..."

The Regel is not a foe one would want to look down upon, after all - and it is a menace to our society that has not been kind within recent history, with many battles having taken place since its arrival on Earth.

"Ugh.."

Some being Man against the malice known as The Regel.. whilst others were Man against Man itself, constantly bickering over control of such a precious Energy Form.

"A-Ack.. Agh.."

Even though I was deep in my thoughts, I quickly snapped back to reality as my head suddenly began to hurt again, albeit much, much worse compared to before.

???: "It's about to begin.."

"--?!"

Then.. I heard that voice again, the very same one from last night, even though there were no signs of the figure present in the room.

???: "..my child."

"N-No.."

I held my head, grunting in pain as I looked around me, seeing the appearance of every person within the vicinity flickering at random intervals, changing from that of an Undead Regel Zombie back to a regular human.

"S-Stop this..!"

I yelled, demanding for whoever or whatever was messing with me to stop. To my surprise, no one in the class seems to have heard me despite my pleas, nor did they take notice of their changing appearances.

???: "Do not resist it.. Arashi!"

"N-Ngh..!"

The voice then responded, now having a hint of anger to it as the environment began to flicker with a shade of purple and magenta. In all of the chaos, my vision then also once more landed on the CCTV Monitor..

*ZZZHHH..*

..wherein the Electrical Barriers began to fluctuate, growing weaker with each and every passing second as the Regel Undead slowly began to break through.

"...?!"

???(1): "ARASHI-SAN! DON'T!"

I got up from my seat, trembling as the headache only intensified, with my entire body beginning to feel a burning sensation..

"N-No.. I..-"

???(2): "DON'T DO IT!"

..along with the voices from my dream calling out to me, shouting for me to not..

"W-What.. is.."

???(3): "GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF!"

..give in.

"..h-happening-"

..But alas, I was too weak - seeing the Regel Pattern spread on my body as my eyes glowed a bright purple, with the voice whispering to me.

???: "This.. is where it all starts."

I let out a loud yell, closing my eyes as I felt a strong pulse release from myself.

"..GRAHHH!"

..and as the Regel Undead outside of the City finally broke in, once the Electrical Barriers had finally disappeared..

*ZZHHHhhhh...-*

..did I finally understand - that none of it was just a dream.