The sun bathed her room when she opened the blinds, making her dream seem more distant than ever. Still she knew it wasn't just a dream. It was the cruel reality that had haunted her for the past few months. Not wanting to dwell on it any more, Sora turned her gaze to the cloudless sky and lost herself inside the billowy softness of its spell.

"That is where I belong," she heard herself saying as she brushed the cool window with the back of her hand. She thought that her parents must have had great insight naming her 'Sora', which meant sky in Japanese. A sad smile formed on her face at the thought of them.

Moving down the stairs a step at a time, she glanced at one of the picture frames on the wall. A redheaded man was holding a woman with pitch black hair in his arms, while they were both trying to make their little daughter sit still long enough to snap the photo. The final result was a blurred girl running in front of them as they laughed. They were shadowed by the tall trees that surrounded them in the thick forest. In the blurred girl's face, Sora saw a familiar smile, her smile, her hair was even the same shade of red-brown.

She stroked the picture gently and let herself get lost in the memory of that last trip with her parents to the Highlands' forest, during that final summer. She was only three back then and couldn't remember much, just a general feeling of happiness and peace until the accident.

A small sigh slipped out. She slapped her face with both hands. "Sora Gate," she said with determination, "you don't want to be late on your first day of school."

Without any further ado, she raced down the rest of the stairs, through the empty kitchen and out the back door. In the back yard, she was greeted with a warm, fuzzy welcome from her German Shepherd who was eagerly waiting for her.

"Kiba, down," she laughed as she playfully batted him away. "I already washed my face."

The dog immediately obeyed and sat down at her feet. His tail thumping wildly as he began barking happily. Sora grabbed his leash that was hanging right next to the door and attached it to his collar. "Ready for your walk?"

Kiba answered with a sharp, loud bark, and she smiled widely. The two of them stepped out of the yard and started walking on the sidewalk. Gradually their walking turned into jogging and then into fast running.

Once the pair arrived back home, they were both exhausted. Sora led Kiba back into the yard and filled his bowls with fresh water and food. "You are getting old," she said to him while he lapped his water, completely ignoring her. "I am going to take a shower, I'll be back with more water," she said finally and entered the house.

In the kitchen, she smelled the welcoming scent of tea steeping for her. Two sets of dishes were stacked in the sink. A small slip of paper sat next to the tea. It was a note from her grandparents.

We went to visit your parents. There is food in the oven. Good luck at school today.

That was the only thing written on it. Sora glanced at the oven but decided she needed a shower before she could eat anything. "The food can wait, baachan," she said to the note using the Japanese word for grandma as she tossed the note in the trash.

Freshly showered and smelling of bright citrus shower gel, Sora slid into her clothes and bounded back downstairs. To complete the outfit, she squashed her striped knee-high socked feet into her yellow rubber boots.

Even if Darkwood, Leicesteshire, UK was not that close to the sea, the county still had a lot of humidity and was known for its sudden rains. A small town right next to the thickest part of Charnwood, the Darkwood forest got its name from the lack of sunlight caused by the dense tree lines of the area. Making rubber boots a must have for every citizen.

Sora always dreamed of going big, leaving Leicesteshire behind and moving to London or even Japan. Even though she loved her life here, she always felt like there was so much more to see in the big world out there beyond Darkwood.

She caressed her boots softly and shot a last look at her reflection in the mirror. She tried to tame her thick hair with her hands. Nervously, she stroked one finger over the three little freckles sprinkled across her nose for luck.

Leaving her mirror image behind, she grabbed her heavy bag by the door and slipped it over her shoulder. She dashed back to the kitchen grabbed a bite to eat for breakfast, and then she was out the door. She stopped to refill Kiba's water bowl, then she planted a goodbye kiss right between his big brown eyes before she hurried off to her first day of school.

Darkwood was a small town but it still had its very own High School, Darkwood Academy, or simply the Academy as most people preferred to call it. The building from Sora's dreams.

First day at the Academy, thought Sora while walking along the familiar streets that would lead her there. A feeling of fear overtook her as she recalled her dream. She stopped suddenly as a voice echoed in her head.

It's my fault. The fire was my fault, she heard the voice saying.

It couldn't be me. How on earth could I have started it?

No one can light a fire from nothing, another voice said.

Even so, I was the only one there, said the first voice, again.

Oh, shut up! the second voice screamed but then paused for a moment. Was I? I need to find out who that guy was, both voices said finally blending into one. That guy.

She let her mind drift off to that night and his black eyes, the only thing she had managed to see. I need to find out who he is. He is the only one who can tell me what happened.

And the only one who can blame me for everything.

"Sora," she heard an all too familiar voice call out her name from the other side of the street, halting her inner dialogue.

She raised her head and saw a tiny figure with huge blond curls making her way towards her. "Katie," she said to her friend and smiled.

Katie smiled back. "Good morning."

"Good morning. What's up?"

The two of them dropped into a slower pace, since her tiny friend struggled to keep up with Sora's long strides.

Sora had learned, since they always walked to school together, to move slower allowing Katie to keep up. She didn't mind a bit though, she would do anything for that perky little girl.

"Not so good," came the answer from Katie. "Mo wants me to do an article on Darkwood's forest animals," she said as she shivered lightly.

Of course, thought Sora, it had to be something about the school newspaper. Mo had been the editor in chief for the last couple of years and had everyone working twenty-four seven. She rolled her eyes but didn't interrupt her friend.

"How am I supposed to go there? I am just an innocent, vulnerable sixteen year old girl," Katie concluded. "There are wild animals lurking in that forest."

Sora raised her eyebrows mockingly. Innocent and vulnerable wouldn't be the first two words she would choose to describe Katie. Well, maybe innocent but definitely not vulnerable. "I don't believe squirrels can be classified as 'wild' animals," Sora said as she gestured mocking air quotes.

"I beg your pardon," Katie said faking insult. "Squirrels are not the only animals in the forest. And even if they were, they still have a killer bite."

Sora gave her a solemn long look, before they both burst into giggles.

"Seriously, though," said the smaller girl. "You are the one who told me you heard strange noises coming from the woods during your late night practices with the team."

The team. Sora sighed at the mention of her old football team before turning back to the conversation. She threw her hands behind her head and gazed innocently at the still clear sky, a small smile on her face.

"Sora Gate, I can't believe you lied to me," shrilled Katie, her voice escalating. Sora kept ignoring her as they neared the school. "I can't believe it! You know how I feel about these things."

"These things?" asked Sora who couldn't keep quiet any longer. "You mean the dark, creepy, slimy things? Like the leaches in the sewers that come creeping out of your bathtub drain and crawl on your-" Sora didn't get the chance to finish because of Katie's hand flying abruptly in front of her face making her stop in place.

"I don't think I have to worry about the article anymore," Katie said, looking forward, and for the first time Sora shifted her eyes from her friend and looked straight ahead.

They had finally reached Darkwood Academy, but the sight before their eyes was completely unordinary. It was so much worse than Sora had expected it to be. The building was restored and painted a bright white again but, the forest beside it was totally destroyed.

If anyone can even call those blackened stumps and fallen trees a forest, Sora thought. There was nothing left standing. Even after the entire summer had come and gone, not one single tree had struggled back to life.

"I didn't know the destruction was so widespread," muttered Katie from beside her.

"Neither did I," replied Sora. She hadn't found the strength to return to the scene of the crime. Every time she tried, her legs disobeyed. So she found herself totally unprepared for what was right in front of her. And she wasn't the only one. A group of students were staring at what was left of the forest in stunned silence. The bell rang, piercing the air. Something completely normal, in an otherwise abnormal scene. Sora was brought back to reality by a gentle touch on her back.

Mo Bayes, she thought before seeing him. She could recognize that soft, awkward touch anywhere.

"You don't want to be late for your first day," he said as he walked past her heading into the Academy. "As for your article, I think we can find something new, Katie," he added.

"Thank goodness," exclaimed Katie with a relieved sigh.

Seeing the school's newspaper editor in chief, brought Sora a tortured thought as she passed through the school's doors. She turned and grabbed Katie's hand so she could stop her. "Had Mo's eyes always been black?"