MIRAI

Chapter 1. Arrival (Part1)

"Lui?" A calming voice welcomed him.

He looked around. Everyone in the room was looking at him.

"Now what?" He uttered to himself. "Am I dead? Is this the pre-after death?" The calm surrounding is just too suspicious for him to grasp, in contrary to the ominous scenes he experienced not long ago.

"I think you're having a bad dream... in a broad daylight" She said emphasizing the word daylight, unsure if she was mocking him or concerned about him.

Dream? He knew what happened was too vivid for a dream. It surely was not just a dream. Something's wrong, or at least that was what his guts were telling him.

"Here...." That calming voice reminded him of the weak growl he last heard from the 'supposed' dream he had. "...have a taste!"

She handed him the bag of banana chips she brought, smiling, proud that she made a wise decision for bringing a delicious one. Her soft and wavy brunette hair dances as the wind blew from the fully opened window beside them as the sun rays created a sparkling effect between them. This moment was too comfortable that it made him uncomfortable. He took the bag and looked at that same electric blue eyes.

Mei Weiwei. She is Lui's bestfriend and she was the one who bit him on that 'dream'. In there, she was the first to get infected on the day of the blood moon itself.

He stared at the bag of banana chips while he touched his left ear. "It's not here..." He paused for a while then sighed as he tried to decode what really was happening. What if he return back as a zombie if he eat something these people gave? But what if it was all just a dream --- a long and detailed one?

"You good?" A pink and yellow haired girl in a hoodie and spectacle asked him. She put her emotionless cat-like face in her hand while staring at him. At first glance, it was as if she's worried, but in reality, she was just waiting for the bag of banana chips in his hands. He stared back at her, thinking "She's also here?"

Beru Ackerman. A teammate which is also Lui's friend. In his 'dream', Beru didn't turned to zombie but she died in his hands. He shot her with a bullet when she was bitten while on their way to escape.

He couldn't help himself but remember and associate these people on how they turned or died on his 'so-called' dream. He held the bag of chips aggressively as if something made him annoyed.

"Well, if you'll keep spacing out, let me just take this..." Beru grabbed the banana chips but before she could even start eating, she heard Tiana calling her.

"Beru-chan, I think I have to skip the village itinerary, I'm kind'a feeling under the weather today" Tiana said while touching her nape. "I think I should just rest for now... but I'll participate the activities tomorrow, I promise!"

Lui furrowed his forehead, thinking "This feels déjà vu..." He looked at Tiana's pale face and dry lips. He felt that as if something like this already happened before.

Tiana Felmier. A teammate who is also an ace singer. She auditioned to be a part of a Japanese Idol Group, and is currently waiting for her result. In his 'dream,' she turned to a zombie, an evolved one. She was not attacking or devouring a human, but she was a humming zombie that if someone alive hear her hums, they'll fall asleep.

He was unsure of what to do, should he continue doubting what was happening and keep remembering those things that happened on his 'dream' or should he just forget those and start new?

"Oh..." Beru responded. "Take a good rest Tiana-chan!" She patted Tiana with a still emotion and faced everyone in the living room. "Everyone, don't forget to tidy up and get ready, we'll visit the village in an hour" She said with her monotonous soft voice as she take a whole banana chip piece before continuing, "Please inform your friends who are in their rooms as well, ariga-thanks gozaimasu." No emotions are found in between of those words but it registered as an instruction and was appealing enough to follow.

Right at that moment, Tsuki went down from the second floor, and saw Lui awake. "Yo~ Lui! I thought you were going to wear like something expensive on our village trip today?" She sat beside him, clinging on his arms.

Hoshizora Tsuki. A princess-like teammate who's very cautious at everything. She's also a model and aiming to be an actress or celebrity one day. In his dream, Tsuki also turned into an evolved zombie. She can shape-shift as someone so dear to her target until she can attack them. She was one of the most dangerous evolved zombie because if one became her target, there will be no escaping.

He rove his eyes around and saw Yunsa Yun, shaking her inhaler saying "I'm almost out of this."

She passed by Ram Guilles and Von Fabregas who were walking towards Chione Go and Nowa Desmond.

"Where's Cier?" Von asked.

"She's with Tafu upstairs." Nowa answered.

"I'll go take a look!" Chione exclaimed and run towards the staircase.

His eyes followed Chione's movement until it landed on Ain Ryu, she was talking on her phone, fidgeting. "Yeah we'll visit the village later... When will you be able to come over?"

He looked at Ain's anxious face until he heard Tsuki "Oh wait- look! I painted my nails with new colors! Isn't it cute?" Tsuki wiggled her fingers in front of him and showed him a big bright smile.

Those exact lines, those exact actions, he remembered all of them. Those were the same things that happened on his supposed to be 'dream' before the blood moon occurred. He checked his phone "June 25, 2029."

In his dream, on this exact date, they arrived at a lone island somewhere in Batangas as part of the Asian Culture Club activity. The Asian Culture Club teamed up cos-players to have a friendly competition with the KPOP fans, wherein the KPOP fans were stationed in another lone island in Batangas. That day, the cos-players visited the Malayan Village as they celebrated a festival for the total lunar eclipse; And because the moon will turn to a rusty red color, the villagers named their festival as the blood moon festival, in honor to the nickname of the moon during total lunar eclipse, the blood moon. The villagers will also became fond of Mei way too much that they gave her what they called a blood moon food which was basically just an egg pie in a weird red color. And on June 26, 2025, 06:26am, the first blood moon that destroyed humanity occurred.

"If these things were happening again, then I might have dreamt about the future where all of them died." Lui thought to himself.

Lui was too preoccupied on his thoughts that he couldn't hear Tsuki's babbling until she mentioned Malayan Village.

"What?" He said.

"What what?" Tsuki asked with her doe eyes.

"The village?" He asked with a furrowed forehead.

"You mean the Malayan Village?" she cleared.

It suddenly hit him that the village that they kept on talking about is really the Malayan Village.

Seeing his reactions, Tsuki continued, "You know, the Malayan Village is having a mini festival later~ and... and remember that hot Papa we saw in that same village yesterday? Bruuuh, come on~" Tsuki whistled. "Oh yeah, before that, I should dress up as well. See you there!" Tsuki run upstairs to get ready.

"Hot Papa...?" Lui dumbfoundedly mumbled when Hana arrived.

"What hot Papa were you saying?" Hana mocked Lui upon hearing it.

Hana Dumas. A teammate who loves pink and is a flower child. In his 'dream', she was stuck on the village when the blood moon occurred. He never had the chance to see her again after that.

"I just repeated what Tsuki said." Lui answered in a serious tone. "She said, there's a hot Papa in the village."

"Shut up!" Hana exclaimed excitedly. "You mean that one cute guy holding a flower pot yesterday?" Hana smiled. "Yeah, I remember him!"

"And she's going to match you with him..." Mei appeared out of nowhere with Beru holding her bag of banana chips.

"It is necessary!" Hana answered as if to prove a point.

"You know what? You look innocent that it didn't occur to me that your fetish are boy ships!" Mei teased Hana.

"It's because Beru-chan taught me that!!" Hana answered while crossing her arms.

Beru, then, put on a peace sign, emotionless.

"Ugh, these idiots~" Lui said rubbing his forehead. "Please count me out." His usual response when Hana tries to match him with the other boys.

"Nooo, you are the main character!" Hana exclaimed.

Lui was finally in the mood to have a conversation with his friends when he felt that someone was looking intensely at him. He subconsciously looked at the direction where he felt the stares, but there's no one in there. He tried to get up and walk towards that direction to check it out, but Ain, who just ended the call, bumped into him.

"Oh, sorry..." She said with a face that was obviously telling him she's scared. In his memory, Ain was just as scared.

"It's fine." He answered then helped her pick up her phone. He had a quick glance of her phone screen and saw a picture of her with Relly wherein they were both smiling happily.

Ain Ryu and Relly Bolences. They are in mutual understanding relationship. They are exclusively dating, but they still refuse to make their label official. In his dream, Relly was not able to attend their team activity due to urgent work tasks, but he promised to follow them after he finished those. But before he even arrived, the blood moon rose and the zombie happened. He came as a zombie after a few months. Ain, then went crazy after seeing Relly as a zombie, and her insanity lead her to her death.

"I..." Ain reached out for her phone, her hands were trembling. "I feel... uneasy. Something about this place is uncanny."

Just then, they heard Chione said "Look what we found!" She run down from the second floor as Tafu NX and Cier Hikaru followed her. Chione raised her hand while holding a box and continued, "An Ouija Board!"

"Cool!" Tsuki responded from upstairs.

Lui furrowed his forehead. Was there an Ouija Board in his dream, he asked himself. He couldn't remember. "Ah, right, I must be in my room that time, trying to look expensive. I must have missed the game!" He answered almost immediately as if to make himself believe that everything was according to his dream.

"Beru-chan, can we play this, please?" Chione asked in a puppy eyes and "pwetty pwease" tone.

Beru was the assigned organizing committee lead of their team activity, and so they need to ask her permission, first.

"Play if you want. You're old enough to decide." Beru walked past them, looking only at the banana chips she was eating.

"Ugh, these people..." Ain murmured. "Here I am having uneasy thoughts and there they are, about to play not just an ordinary game, but the Ouija Board... Come on!" She said rubbing her forehead.

"You don't have to join them if you are uncomfortable" Lui answered.

"Yeah right! I'll just help Beru on packing the canned goods for the village giveaways for later..." She said, then decided to walk towards Beru.

"Nope! You are joining!" Tsuki appeared from the side and grabbed her arms as they walked to sit on the center part of the living room.

Lui sighed as he watched the back of the two girls walking to the center.

"Ain's guts were right." He thought to himself, then he looked at the direction where he felt the piercing stares earlier. He figured that if everything was going all according to his dreams, then he will need a weapon. But strangely, he couldn't remember that someone was watching him in his dreams.

He decided to go to the kitchen and open a kitchen hanging cupboard. A number of knives came in display.

Luckily, his dreams are too accurate. It made him look like he knew very well where these knives are stored, because in his dream, he opened this cupboard several times.

He looked for the knife he used to bring in his dreams --- the one with the black scales, golden heel and bolster, and black blade. But it was nowhere to be found. Maybe his dreams were not too accurate at all.

He then grabbed the silver two edged knife with an abstract texture on the scale. It would be dangerous but with its textured cover, he knew he can somehow manage.

He held the fancy knife and had a little flashback wherein the knife got its tip crooked when he slashed a muscled zombie with it. "Yeah, right. This one is not good enough, but whatever..." He murmured to himself.

"What are you doing?" a girl in stylish and trendy clothes appeared beside him with an empty glass.

Ren Sikorski. She was a teammate who do cos-playing to be a fulltime social media influencer. Her alluring beauty and trendy lifestyle made her gain 410,000 followers. In his dream, she became an evolved zombie, a screaming one. After she bit a human, she'll start screaming, and when she screams, a mob of zombie will come running. But the thing was, one time, she came back with another teammate, and they both arrived as a human. And later on, because of some incident, their group splitted into two and Lui never heard anything about them anymore.

She moved past him and open the fridge to put water on her glass. "Don't tell me, you're going to stab somebody..." She said carelessly.

He looked at the knife in his hands. "What if I tell you that something will happen tomorrow morning, and this knife is for my protection? Will you believe me?"

She chuckled. "I think, the saying 'You are what your friends are' is true." She put her glass filled with water on the countertop table and continued "Ain is getting paranoid, and so are you..."

"You know, if something happens to you..." Lui said while watching her bring the pitcher back to the fridge. "I will laugh at your face."

"Hey, hey... Cool down, okay?" She said while picking her glass up, again. "I believe you, I believe in you..." Then she smiled sarcastically before moving out the kitchen.

Lui followed back to the living room not long ago after Ren.

"How will I die?!" Tsuki shouted, raising her hand while the other one is touching the planchette of the Ouija Board.

"Hey Tsuki! That was a bold question!" Mei exclaimed.

This was the scene Lui caught after returning from the kitchen. He glanced at the two people watching from the second floor. He also glanced at Kirk Acero walking towards Beru to help her pack some giveaways.

"It started moving!" Yunsa screamed excitedly.

Curious on what will happen next, Lui stayed with them to watch the show.

"A" The thirteen people circling the Ouija Board started shouting. Lui watched as the planchette went from A to I as they shout every word the Ouija Board is giving. Then it stopped on letter N. He looked at Tsuki who was both excited and anxious.

"R" They shouted. And the planchette was moving towards the direction of Y when Ain held back her hands.

"No way! Why you have to broke the rules, Ain?" Tsuki said in dismay. "Now, something unwanted might really happen!"

"What?" Ain answered in disbelief. "Aren't someone among you just maneuvering the result?" She blurted. "You're doing this to scare me, right? Fine! I'm already scared, you win!"

They all answered in unison disagreeing that they were controlling the planchette.

"Calm down, Ain." Mei trying to bring the situation under control.

Lui noticed Tsuki staring at Ain indifferently.

"No! You think I'm ignorant? I know how to f*****g spell my name! And that board is spelling my f*****g name on how Tsuki will die! And you want me to calm down?" Ain howled.

"Why are you being defensive?! Are you really planning something?" Tsuki yelled back.

"I am not being defensive! I am scared!" Ain exclaimed.

"Scared that we found out your true intentions?" Tsuki answered back, almost cracking up her voice. "Did I do something to you? I even treated you as my sister" Tsuki being a cute girl that she was, started to form a teary eyes that everyone wanted to comfort her.

"Why was Ain like this?" Murmurs and whispers spread all over the room.

"Seems like your innocent friend here isn't really innocent" Ren appeared on Lui's side and smiled. "I've seen a lot of these scenes in the influencer's world. And I'm telling you, these kind of people are really dangerous." Ren looked at Lui's poker face. "If you get to her bad side, run." She smiled seemingly steering for some trouble.

She saw Lui in deep thoughts so she sighed saying "Weirdos" at the back of her head. She was about to leave when Lui responded. "Yes, Tsuki is dangerous."

Ren looked at him with a slightly shocked face. She thought he would at least defend his friends.

"Not the Tsuki now, but the Tsuki that she will become, because if you get to her bad sides, you won't be able to run." Lui answered. "Oh and also, I'm not her friend."

"Hey, hey, hey! What in the Ouija Board mess is this?" Chione exclaimed as if she was not part of that mess when she saw Beru looking at their directions from where she was packing.

Chione looked at the frightened Ain and teary-eyed Tsuki, and whispered to herself, "Ah, this is my fault..."

Beru passed the scissors and staples to Kirk and walked towards where the team was playing. "What happened?"

"Ain... she broke the rules! Now, something might really happen and I might really die in her hands!" Tsuki cried.

Beru silently sat beside Tsuki and reached her hands to her jacket's pocket to grab something. Anyone could think that she would offer a handkerchief to the crying Tsuki, but she just actually brought out a half-empty banana chip bag and started to eat it as she listens to her rants.

Everything fell silent and awkward at the scene.

One person took the chance and started telling what happened, then everyone followed, explaining their own versions.

"Take a break." Beru said as she looked at the now empty banana chip bag, and sighed. She was looking at no one but everyone could easily understand that those words are for those who played the Ouija Board. Then, she lifted her head up and her eyes accidentally landed on Chione.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Chione nervously agreed immediately. "If- if you are bored, you can help with the packing instead!" She said as her hands automatically moved, pointing at where Kirk was. Lui looked at Kirk and he was obviously hiding his disturbed expressions.

"We're done with that." Beru calmly said and stood up. "Help with loading them in the box instead." She looked at the clock on the wall and continued, "It's thirty minutes early but let's go to the village once you've completed loading the giveaways. Cool yourselves down there or forget everything."

Without any complaints, they loaded the packed goods in the box and because they are working with everybody, they finished in just less than ten minutes.

Mei noticed Tsuki still glaring at Ain so she patted her head and said. "We all treat Ain as a sister. And you of all people must know... that you are her favorite. You are each other's favorite. So why would she kill you?" Mei sighed. "Didn't it come to your mind that you must have died because you saved her or something... like you willingly died in her place to save her?"

Tsuki came to her senses and flatly ignored Mei to go to Ain to apologize.

"I honestly thought it was a prank!" Ren sarcastically said as she approached Mei.

Mei rolled her eyes. "Prank my ass." She sighed loudly. "Everyone was having their own opinions at that time, I even tried putting everything under control." Mei was genuinely thinking that the Ouija Game will ruin everyone's mood that's why she tried to help flatten the misunderstanding. "Good thing, everyone listens to her..." Mei said, as she watched Beru walked towards them.

Beru stopped when she reached Mei. "Do you have more banana chips?" She made a wry face. "Ugh. Too much talking drained my energy."

"I think you already ate, like, seven bags of banana chips, Beru." Mei responded.

"I did?"

"Too much can hurt your stomach, I'll give you more tomorrow!" Mei assured her.

"But I-" She drooped down. "Okay." She said and was about to leave with a saddened face.

"Okay wait! I'll give you one last, but this will be the last for today! Okay?"

"Okay~" She said as she smiled brightly like a cat wagging her tail to her owner.

"It's really hard to distinguish if you are mature or childish." Ren with her yet another frank statement, and Mei giggled because in her perspective, it's true.

"Nyan~" Beru answered.

"By the way, the bags of banana chips is with Lui, you can get one from him." Mei said.

Just like that, Beru returned to her usual energyless vibe and approached Lui from the other side of the room.

"That girl Beru, her reactions are always null, except when she's with you..." Ren said, then faced Mei, and continued "Everyone follows her instructions, but she only follows you..."

Mei smiled at Ren, "Because I'm her friend!"

"Really? To me, it's more like a cat and her owner!" Ren said with a smirk and shook her head as she walked away.

Lui was aiding Chione, Cier and Nowa with the box when he tried to recall what happened next in his supposed to be 'dream.' He couldn't remember a thing. These arguments did not happen.

He suddenly remembered the piercing stares that he felt way back before the Ouija Board Game happened. "Is someone deliberately trying to change what's happening?" He asked himself. "I need another proof that this really is the future from my dream. I can't risk it. I need to be vigilant."

"Good thing our manager is in the group in the other villa, or else, he'll scold us for this mess" Chione said.

"I don't think he'll mind." Nowa answered.

"Really?" She responded, then almost immediately cut her own sentence to say, "Ah right, Beruchan asked me to inform the others that our group will go to the village earlier than planned."

She pulled up her phone and walk away while saying, "Talk to you guys later."

Lui followed Chione's movement until his eyes landed on Kirk who was currently wiping off his sweats. "The room was well ventilated so why was he sweating a lot?" Lui thought to himself.

Just right after Chione left, Beru arrived. "I think Chione suddenly went out to avoid Beru, because of the Ouija Board commotion." Nowa teased playfully.

"It's actually I asked her to contact the other group" Beru answered as she halted her movements.

"Right, we are in villa B, and we have another team in villa A." Lui thought to himself. He remembered that survivors from villa B and villa A will be reunited after some months of surviving. Some of their jogger teammates from villa A will even be trapped in the village in the midst of the blood moon, and they will come to rescue them. However, only one of those who are trapped will survive.

"If you are spacing out right now, I'll get one myself." Beru's voice faded in as she snatched a bag of banana chip from the bag he is guarding. He was too preoccupied that he missed the full conversation the others made.