Memories...whether they're beautiful or terrifying, they will haunt us until the day we die.

...

Where...where was I?

This sort of thing seems to happen a lot...

I felt so dizzy...

How could I have survived a fall like that?

I couldn't feel any pain...

Maybe everything that happened before was a dream? Maybe Alyssa didn't exist...

...

I slowly opened my eyes. My surroundings were still hazy, but I could still see the numerous flashing lights.

Not only that, but I heard the footsteps of people who were walking by. I had no idea what they were talking about though, it was if they were just babbling nonsense.

It was like I was in some kind of busy street, but that would be impossible.

Then again, I guess anything is possible when you're being haunted by an insane ghost girl with almost godlike powers.

Once I could finally see my surroundings, I realised that my prediction was correct. I was in a large city at the dead of night, as I looked up I saw skyscrapers piercing the cloudy black sky.

This city...I remembered it. This was where I uses to live...

We lived in an apartment that was rather far away from this particular area. There was me, my mother, my sister, and my father.

Back then we barely had any money, it was a year ago when my mother reached sudden success, and we moved here.

I missed those days...

But knew that I knew that now wasn't the time to take a trip down memory lane. I had to take action and figure out what the hell Alyssa was planning.

None of the many people who were walking down the street seemed to notice me, even though I was lying on the floor like I was dead. I still couldn't understand what they were saying either.

I guess I had no choice but to grab their attention.

At first I tried interacting with these people by saying hi or trying to start a conversation, but they wouldn't acknowledge my existence.

I took it a step further and I started touching them, but as my hand connected with their bodies, they turned to a golden dust that scattered everywhere.

Shocked by this unexpected occurrence, I moved my hand away in fright. Once I did, the golden dust that scattered everywhere merged together rapidly, recreating the person that I just touched. He didn't even notice or realise what happened to him, he just walked away like it was nothing.

I knew that Alyssa was capable of sending me to twisted and disturbing recreations of the mansion, but...this was more than that. She was even powerful than I imagined if she could do something like this...

Where was I supposed to go from here? What was I supposed to do? What was my final destination?

"Heheh...you seem lost."

I instantly recognised that voice, it was Alyssa...

Once again she wouldn't show herself, but judging from her shillouete I saw in my bedroom I knew that she was indeed a little girl.

"What am I doing here? How are you doing this?"

"You'll find out soon enough...but for now, it's fun watching you struggle."

I groaned.

"I knew that you wouldn't be much help."

"You sound frustrated, maybe you should try clearing your mind of all thought. Imagine losing yourself as you lie down on the relaxing fields, feeling the gentle breeze as you fall into a deep slumber..."

What...what was she even talking about?

"...So are you going to give me some kind of clue, or not? How am I supposed to play about without any instructions to guide me?"

"Well, when you put it that way..."

I couldn't help but smirk as I managed to get her to give me some information, it was almost like I deceived her.

"Here you'll find the person you're looking for, from another time and another place..."

Wait...the person I'm looking for...

Is that Claudia? Did that mean Claudia was somewhere here?

"She'll be here soon..."

"So, she's safe?"

She giggled once again, and I could tell that she was enjoying my confusion.

"That depends on your definition of the word "safe"."

"If you've done anything to her..."

"What will you do? Cry to your mother?"

Something about that phrase really sent me off the edge.

"Don't bring my mother into this..."

"Awww, what's wrong? Don't you like it when I mention your mother?"

I was going to make a comeback, but then I realised that she was just taunting me, maybe she was just trying to distract me or something. So I didn't give her the satisfaction of a response.

"So, you're not going to say anything?"

I stayed silent.

"...Say something."

I smirked once again as I could tell that she was getting annoyed by this due to the tone of her voice.

"I COMMAND YOU TO SPEAK!"

The earth rumbled as those words were screeched, and the people walking down the streets didn't even notice. They just continued walking while the ground beneath them was shaken.

After I still refused to talk, she just sighed.

"It doesn't matter, I'm done toying with you for now anyway. Have fun!"

I sighed in relief as that awful girl finally left. Or maybe she was still watching me from afar, but at least I don't need to talk to her anymore.

Now that she was gone, it was time to find out what I had to do, and how to escape this mysterious place.

As I looked around, I saw two people walking down the street that caught my attention.

It was...Claudia and Thomas? What on earth were they doing here?

They both walked into a bar that seemed to be really busy, since I could hear the sound of cheering from even here.

If she was there, then what was screaming from the other side of my bedroom wall earlier? Was this Claudia just another "illusion"?

I had to figure all of this out.