Ray is mentally and emotionally exhausted. He desperately wants to sleep and rest, trying to forget everything he has experienced.
What am I doing right now?
Where am I?
Why am I here?
What object is in front of me right now?
Where are those bastards?
Am I alive? Why? Shouldn't I be dead?
If so, can I consider this heaven?
But why is heaven so noisy... What are they afraid of that they're screaming like that?
Wait... If I look closely, it seems like I know them.
Oh, I understand, it's like we're in heaven right now...
The strange screens disappear one by one in front of Ray.
While Ray is busy with his chaotic thoughts, a young man approaches him while he is sitting on a bench at his school, lost in thought.
The young man is a fellow student and classmate of Ray's. He has carefully groomed blue hair. His appearance and uniform are much neater compared to Ray's disheveled and careless appearance. His blue eyes make him easily recognizable, as his hair and eyes have the same color. The person Ray hates the most, his name is Jimmy Vainstrong.
"Ray... Wake up... Are you okay?"
Ray turns to Jimmy, who is calling him. But Ray remains silent for a moment and suddenly makes a strange words.
"Dying is actually very painful..."
Jimmy looks confused by Ray's words. He doesn't understand the meaning behind Ray's words.
"It seems like you're not okay. Calm down, Ray... Trust me, we'll be fine."
This time, Ray doesn't understand the meaning behind Jimmy's words. He feels like he has misunderstood something.
"You... Aren't we already dead?"
Jimmy is shocked by Ray's question.
"So, you think we're dead because we've been transported to this unknown place.
We're not dead, Ray. We seem to have been suddenly transferred to a place with something strange.
Look down at your feet now..."
Ray slowly looks around his feet and realizes that there are several strange paintings filling the white room. At that moment, he realizes that he is now in the same place he first came to in this world.
Ray feels confused by his current situation. Moreover, the surroundings look exactly the same as before. He doesn't want to believe it, but there are only three conclusions in his mind right now. The first conclusion is that he has been daydreaming all this time, the second conclusion is that he has been sleeping and dreaming, and the third conclusion is that he has returned to the past.
Suddenly, he also remembers the strange screens that appeared with the buzzing notification sounds in his ears.
Was I hallucinating all this time?
"Ray?"
"What?"
"Are you okay?"
"Why are you asking like that?"
"Why? are you asking me why i ask you like that?.. Your face looks like someone who is confused and in pain. Look at the bags under your eyes, they're dark and swollen like someone who hasn't slept all night."
Ray slowly touches his face and realizes that his facial muscles have been tense because his face hasn't stopped frowning. Moreover, he feels that his eyes are tired and exhausted.
"You... Don't you think we're already dead?"
"What do you mean, Ray? I don't understand at all. We were just transferred to this room a few minutes ago.
Look around you... Our classmates are still here and alive. They're moving freely like normal humans, right?"
"But... But, but, but, but, I saw it with my own eyes that you all died in front of me!"
Jimmy falls silent for a moment, looking at Ray with a puzzled expression. He approaches Ray's face and stares at him with a confused look before saying slowly.
"Are you dreaming, Ray?"
Ray falls silent without saying a word, contemplating the situation he is currently facing. The strangeness that has been happening and the unanswered mysteries fill Ray's mind with unanswered questions. It leaves him speechless and lost in thought, staring straight ahead without looking at anything.
"Hello? Ray... Why are you just silent? Are you okay? Hey!"
Suddenly, a girl with pink hair approaches Ray and Jimmy, who are having a conversation. The girl is also a classmate of Ray's and often hangs out with Jimmy at school.
But Ray's vision starts to fade, and his hearing becomes unclear. He can't even hear the conversation between Jimmy and the girl, who looks worried and tries to wake him up.
Unfortunately, their efforts to wake Ray up fail. Ray is mentally and emotionally exhausted, causing his body to force itself to lose consciousness.
When Ray wakes up, he finds himself in his own bedroom, which had previously been his private space. The blue-colored ceiling, characteristic of the palace, makes Ray feel nauseous. It reminds him of the events when he was tortured by Anderson in the midst of a garden surrounded by blue buildings.
As he looks to his left, he sees a girl with white hair whom he knows well. She is Ray's younger sister, who is a few months younger than him.
The reason why Ray's sister got caught up in the other world is because she is in the same class as Ray. Her name is Cecilia Lewinston.
"Lia... What are you doing here?"
Cecilia pouts upon hearing her brother's question.
"What do you think about me, Ray? Am I just an insignificant little sister who can't even take care of her brother when he suddenly faints?"
"Faint? Did I faint?"
"Yes."
Ray holds his right temple, feeling a slight headache. "Urgh."
Cecilia looks worried and wants to help. "What's wrong, Ray? Where does it hurt?"
"It's nothing... Just a little dizzy. You don't need to worry so much."
Cecilia looks annoyed by her brother's response to her kind gesture.
"Don't talk like we're strangers. We're family, remember that, Ray!"
But you and i... Ray thinks to himself.
But contrary to his inner thoughts, he smiles and says, "Yes, you're right, Lia."
"Hmm... That's good if you understand, Ray," After saying this to her brother, Cecilia smiles brightly.
She feels like she has to do it, and Ray doesn't mind if he's deceiving himself, as long as he can see that smile.