After I woke up and headed to the kitchen for breakfast, I found Mom just standing there, absent-minded. Something seemed off about her.

Her complexion was unusually pale, and there was a haunted look in her eyes.

She didn't come home last night. She might be tired.

It is also the fourth night she has done the same thing. I'm concerned about her health.

“Mom, what are you…”

“Aaaaaaahhhh…”

However, my voice trailed off as Mom suddenly let out a piercing scream. It sends shivers down my spine.

I became startled and took a few steps back.

Thud…

However, my siblings, alerted by Mom's scream, rushed into the kitchen, their faces reflecting worry.

But my intuition tells me something was terribly amiss here; that's why I blocked the kitchen door and waved them back with a trembling hand.

I don't want my younger siblings witnessing whatever is going to happen here.

With a deep breath, I steady myself and inch closer to Mom.

“M…Mom.”

My voice quivers with apprehension. I search for some sign of recognition or explanation on Mom's face.

However, Mom snapped her head toward me at the sound of my voice. 

What I saw in Mom's eyes was chilling and bloodshot, as if some unseen horror had taken hold of her.

The air in the kitchen grew heavy with unspoken tension. I took another step back, the sense of unease deepening within me.

I had noticed more change in Mom's demeanor ever since I woke up from the coma. 

While everyone talked about how she had stayed by my side during my time of unconsciousness, I hoped for things to return to the way they were before.

Yet, I couldn't shake off the feeling that a distance was growing between us even more.

The fear that lingered in her eyes whenever she looked at me made me realize that it was a wishful thought.

More precisely, Mom is afraid of me.

But why?

After a few more tense seconds passed, Mom regained her composure. She closed her eyes and shook her head as if to clear her thoughts.

I still couldn't comprehend what had just happened.

Mom's gaze didn't change even after she met my frightened eyes. Without saying anything, she turned to resume making breakfast.

Things are proceeding in eerie silence. After a moment has passed, Mom looked at me again.

“...Sorry.”

It caught me off guard. However, I wanted to reply to her as softly as possible.

“It's okay, mo…–

Call others for breakfast.”

Mom cut me off and resumed her work. I looked at her for a while before I left the kitchen to call others.

“Bian.”

As I prepared to leave for school, Mom's voice halted me. Even though she called me, her eyes avoided direct contact with me. After hesitating for a while, she said,

"I'm transferring you from this school a…and city."

Mom's voice cracked. However, her words rise to confusion and a growing sense of dread within me.

Yet, I couldn't ask her anything. I could see fear in Mom's eyes.

I clenched my hands into fists because a torrent of emotions was swirling inside me at that moment. I'm afraid I might say something wrong.

Suppressing my emotions, I managed to say,

"Where?"

"T... to your grandmother's house."

Mom's voice wavered slightly.

"When?"

"In a week."

Silence hung heavy in the air as I processed everything. After a moment, I gathered my thoughts and made a move to leave. However,

"Tell them it was your decision."

Mom's voice stopped me once more. With a heavy sigh, I nodded in reluctant agreement.

"Okay.”

I chose to take the stairs instead of the elevator. Each step felt heavy, my mind consumed by the unsettling events just a second ago.

As I reached almost the first floor, I couldn't handle the wave of despair and fell on the stairs.

I am struggling to normalize my rapid breathing. With trembling fingers, I dialed the driver's number and informed him that I wouldn't be going to school.

Once the call ended, tears cascaded down my cheeks in silent streams.

The weight of sadness and pain bore down on me, leaving me feeling lost and alone.

Why is Mom treating me with such fear and distance?

The image of mom's terror-stricken eyes haunts me. Her gaze looked at me as if I were not a human but something else.

In the past few days, I attempted to reduce the gap between us, but mom's avoidance only deepened. The connection between us is already fractured.

Just as my sobs began to subside, my phone rang; it was Jia.

I declined the call and messaged her.

(I won't come to school today. I'm not feeling well.)

After that, I shut down and put the phone back in my bag. I managed to rise from the stairs and made my way out of the building.

After minutes of walking, I reached a park. I sat down on a secluded bench and closed my eyes in an attempt to calm my racing thoughts.

Swoosh

I have multiple questions, yet there is no one to answer.

Why do I have to listen to Mom? What she is doing isn't fair at all.

Crack…

Since childhood, she hasn't been fair to me at all. Therefore, I won't listen to her at all, no matter what I…

All of a sudden, a shadow cast over my face and a hand was placed on my head. It made my eyes snap open.

I thought I had gone to my dream. However, the person standing before me was Ethan. He was breathing heavily and gasping for air. His forehead was wet with sweat.

I was surprised to see him here but also sighed in relief.

“Ethan, what are you…?”

My voice trailed off, and my eyes widened in disbelief when I glanced at Ethan's side and saw shadows around us.

[Co..ns..um..e]

Some shadows wrapped around Ethan. I looked at Ethan to see if he saw what was happening to him.

However, he was still trying to steady his breathing.

This doesn't make sense. How come those shadows are in the real world?

“Ethaaan.”

I immediately got up from the bench, pulled Ethan, and pushed him behind me. However, there was no shadow.

I blinked a few times and looked around; however, everything was the same as usual.

                              ************

As Bian stood in the midst of her confusion, she failed to notice that Ethan's sharp and chilling blue eyes were looking in another direction and giving a wordless threat.

Ding…

In that moment, in a distant realm, a bell chimed, its sound reverberating through the air of the entire realm.

As soon as the bell rang, four pairs of eyes turned towards a single focal point. Each set of eyes conveyed a distinct emotion.

One pair shimmered with happiness. Another pair widened in surprise. A third pair clouded over with dissatisfaction. And the final pair was fuming with anger.

Despite the stark contrast in their expressions, all four individuals uttered the same words.

{{The time has changed.}}