Chapter 3: Ashyra Mori Aurelia
1249 Words
Chapter 3
Ashyra Mori Aurelia
"Ash, do you think he will like me? Ahh~ No! He needs to like me! Ha! He's the most stupid person if he rejects me," a loud voice can be heard.
Ashyra opens her eyes, memories flashing in her mind. She holds her head. Her name is Ashyra Mori Aurelia, 21 years old, a college student. She has two siblings and two best friends. She doesn't look like a nerd but acts like one. She likes reading, pop music, and avoids socializing, despite having two best friends.
"Tsk, you're too full of yourself. If he doesn't like you, it means he's still thinking about his own future," another voice can be heard.
Ashyra looks at her two friends sitting on a bench. "Shut up, Luna! I'm not talking to you. Are you Ashyra to answer?!" her annoyed companion says to the other girl.
"I'm just concerned about you. What if he rejects you? You'll be embarrassed. I'm thinking for your good as your friend, Amora," Luna replies, shaking her head.
Amora, irritated, lightly pinches Ashyra. "I said shut up, I don't need your concern. You always ruin my mood."
"That hurts. If you pinch any harder, it's like you're pinching through my thick skin," Luna says, moving away from Amora.
Amora gives Luna a slight pinch. "I don't care. You're not allowed to join us, Ash, while we're discussing this, because you won't understand us girls."
"I don't care either. What do I care about you? I'm just worried you'll infect Ash with your drama," Luna retorts, ready to pull Ashyra closer to get her attention.
Luna feels uncomfortable due to the intense stare Ashyra is giving her. She even checks herself to see if something's wrong.
Luna Aoki, 22 years old, beautiful and tall with blonde hair tied back. Fair, smooth skin, proportional body. Luna seems to have a mixed heritage with a sharp nose, red lips, and blue eyes.
"What's wrong, Ash? Is there something wrong with me?" Luna asks Ashyra, puzzled.
Ashyra closes her eyes but doesn't respond. She looks at Amora, who is equally uncomfortable under Ashyra's gaze.
Amora Lazarus, 22 years old, beautiful with a more masculine style compared to Luna. She wears a dress, reaching just above the knee. Smooth and fair, slightly slim but sexy. Amora has gray eyes, and the only difference from Luna is her height; she's not as tall.
"Ash, what are you staring at? Is there any problem with my pretty face?" Amora says, taking out a mirror from her bag.
Ashyra squints and looks at what Amora is holding before quickly taking it. She puts the mirror in front of her.
Ashyra frowns, examining herself. She didn't expect to look like this without any marks or tattoos.
Ashyra is beautiful, with slanting eyes, fair and smooth skin, a straight nose, pinkish and thin lips, and cute cheeks. She immediately recognizes her mixed heritage, half-Japanese, recalling her Japanese mother.
Suddenly, she stands and attempts to gauge her height, realizing she's about the same height as Amora. She then looks at Luna, who is taller than both of them.
"What's the problem, Ash?" Luna asks her.
Ashyra shakes her head, "Nothing," a brief answer before she looks around.
Everything feels unfamiliar. There are so many people, ordinary people. She can barely imagine what real people look like. She spent almost 100 years in that other place, unaware of where she came from or how she ended up there.
Now, she knows who and where she came from. Still, she doesn't know how or when she ended up in another place.
"What happened to you, Ash? Are you going to copy Luca and ignore us? Do you really like him?" Amora interjects.
Ignoring the passing people, Ashyra watches them. She also observes the park-like area, unable to contain a smile, realizing she came from a world like this, as if her experience there was just a nightmare, a terribly bad dream.
"What does your brother have to do with Ash being quiet?" Luna asks Amora.
"Duh, your brother is such a useless conversationalist. Maybe Ash caught that from him," Amora remarks.
"Tsk, I won't believe Ash caught it from him because you're always sticking close to her. You're so dramatic. I really need to watch over Ash carefully so she won't be infected by you," Luna says.
The surroundings are noisy due to the crowd passing by.
Ashyra notices people with their phones. She recalls having one, so she quickly takes her cellphone from the pocket of her pink jacket.
Opening it, she sees the time and date: 11:48, June 10, 2026. Ashyra pauses, staring at the last thing she read.
'2026? Is this the correct year?' she asks herself, opening the calendar on her cellphone.
"Are we in 2026?" she asks her companions.
"Huh? Are you spaced out, Ash?" Amora says, giving Ashyra a disbelieving look.
"It is 2026. Wait, I remember, do you have plans for the break? I plan to go back home, but my brother said we need to catch up next semester, so I'll stay in the library this break," Luna says, and Ashyra sees the disappointment and disapproval in Luna's expression as she responds.
Ashyra looks at Luna and deeply contemplates, '2026? This is the year written in the books I read in that world. The year when the world started to change. 2026? Is it true? Maybe all the chaotic experiences in that world were just a dream. Right? Just a dream?'
Despite her efforts, the memories of that world are vivid and complete, from her arrival to her death. She remembers everything clearly.
"Aya! I already planned to go to my auntie's house this break. Maybe I'll spend the whole break there. How boring..." Amora says, looking at Ashyra, waiting for her response.
Ashyra remains silent, causing confusion for the two. "What's wrong, Ash? Why do I feel like you're acting weird? Is there any problem? You can tell us," Amora's voice softens. She usually has a high-pitched voice and can be loud.
Ashyra looks at them and then lowers her gaze to her cellphone.
"I think I want you both to accompany me this break," she softly says.
"Eh? Aren't you going home? This is the first time you're not going home," Luna remarks.
"Argh, I really don't want to stay here, but because Ash said so, I'll follow," Amora says, hugging Ashyra's arm.
"Tsk, you'll really infect Ash with your clinginess," Luna teases, looking at her watch. "It's time to go back; my building is still far from here," she says, referring to her next class.
Ashyra recalls her schedule. She has a major subject, but she doesn't feel like going to class. She has become uneasy.
Nervous about what will happen, she doesn't want this day to be ruined, but she needs to prepare. If her experiences in that world are true, she needs to make sure—not for herself but for her friends.
"I don't want to attend my class today. Can the both of you escort me to our dorm building?" Ashyra's voice lacks emotion and is soft. Only her friends can hear.
It's unusual for her to skip a class. She's known as a nerd who attends all her classes in a day.
Ashyra shakes her head and starts walking. "I'm just not in the mood to attend a class," she says.
The two walk alongside her.
•••
- Writer
