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"The first day of school, Do you feel happy?"
"I'm sorry, I guess your father can't be here, but, don't worry, I bought you something, just wait..."
"Why is your shirt wrinkled?"
"Why is your face dirty?"
"I like the way you move, maybe you can do it a little more?"
"What's that?"
"Look everyone!!!, This thing is shaking!!!"
"Have you heard of this game?... I guess not... well, that's a shame."
Several voices pass through my mind, I feel spectral, in a state between asleep and awake, as if I am floating in a sea of thoughts.
Slowly my mind clears, my heavy eyes slowly open, a cold breeze hits my nose making me feel a chill.
I open my eyes, my mind is blank, I don't remember anything, Where am I?
A gray floor with some places painted with a bit of red, lying on the cold floor I can barely make my mind stop spinning.
"Hmph..."
I make a hard to understand sound as I stand up touching my head.
My shirt is wet, my face feels sticky and my hair seems to be covered in some sort of viscous liquid.
I wobble in my position, the place where I am is... dark, not so dark that it's impossible to see, but dark enough that I can only see the silhouettes of the things around me.
There is a kind of barrel not far from me, the barrel is under a tap that lets some drops of water escape from time to time.
To the right is a long sink and on the wall behind the sink is a slightly dirty mirror, my reflection is barely visible in the mirror.
Further to the right are several toilet cubicles arranged in a row, the floor is damp, my feet are wet, But why?
My mind is unable to remember, only a few faint memories haunt my consciousness, my name, my house, my parents.
Squinting, I walk towards the long bathroom sink, my reflection becoming more and more visible in the mirror as I approach.
Black hair, boyish face, short stature, slim build and all my clothes completely disheveled, just like my hair looks like the hair of a lion that has never touched water.
I look at my reflection for a moment, I don't remember that this is what I look like, then, thinking a little, I take a few steps towards the barrel.
The water in the barrel is a bit shiny, slight ripples spread across the surface thanks to the drops falling from the tap.
It shines with a slight blue hue, or maybe it's just my imagination...
I lick my lips unconsciously, the water looks so... striking, beautiful, I... I'm thirsty.
I smile slightly, but, there is nothing I can use to get the water out of the barrel and drink it.
The height of the barrel is up to my shoulders, it's impossible for me to bend down to drink the water, but, What if I get into the barrel?
I smile again, it's a good plan. Ignoring my other questions or pain I quickly start struggling with my hands to push my body into the barrel.
However...
"Ferr!!", it is the voice of a worried almost hysterical woman that sounds, it sounds familiar, I can hear a quick footsteps approaching me and then strong, big, soft arms grab my chest.
Is the woman who just screamed, she quickly makes me pull away from the barrel, then hugs me tightly.
"I, I'm sorry...", the woman murmurs with a voice about to crack, light warm drops hit my head as the woman hugs me so tightly that my body could explode.
"Who are you?" I barely manage to murmur due to the strong pressure of the woman's hug. However, she simply stays holding me, crying, wetting my hair even more.
My eyes clear slightly, my mind seems to remember something, the school bathroom... Is it my mother who's come to get me?
My body relaxes unconsciously, my mind, previously obsessed by the water inside the barrel, gradually loses lucidity.
I feel sleepy.
...
"It's probably a case of mass hysteria, however, I'm not entirely sure, even so, the state can't afford to spend any more money on this case."
"Hmph... Are you suggesting that all this should end without punishing the culprits?"
The sound of a cane clattering loudly on the floor can be heard.
"They're kids... sometimes they can make mistakes, anyway, it's not my job to judge these kinds of cases, I'm just here to help..."
"You!!!"
"This is not the time to get angry, there is no more budget for this case, the country does not have a good economy, please, everything indicates that it was just a case of mass hysteria, the others involved do not remember anything of what happened."
...
After those words there was silence, a long silence that was then filled by a light cry.
Why do I feel a little guilty?, Maybe I should get up and talk to the sobbing woman, but, I am very sleepy.
...
"Are you Ferr?, I mean, you are Ugly... hahaha...", a slight ringing comes to my ears, a slight headache together with an unpleasant voice fills my mind.
"Even if you are Ugly, Tazy can make you look better, maybe a haircut, some makeup, or... well, maybe we'll have to do a little manual labor..."
I open my eyes slightly, I want to see who is talking in that annoying voice.
"I can help you, I mean, in return you have to play with me when I'm alone..."
However... there is no one... Why, I'm in a white room?, there's a window to my right and near my bed, and a table not far away, not even a person nearby, I'm alone in this room.
"It's rude not to answer when someone are talking to you, Do you understand?, if you understand, then please excuse yourself and give me something to eat."
I squint my eyes, that annoying voice is heard inside me, in my mind, Am I hallucinating or have I gone crazy?
I try to think of something, or say something in my mind, but.
"Who are you?", I think inside my mind, but, I get no answer.
...
"Hey, Are you there?, I'm hungry, Can you give me something to eat?, if you give me something to eat, then, then I can overlook your rudeness..."
The voice comes back after a couple of minutes.
"Who are you!!!", I think intensely, waiting for an answer, my heart races slightly but, again I don't get an answer.
"I...", I mumble while observing my arms, my torso, my legs, my body in general.
"How old am I?", I mumble again with some confusion.
It seems that, I'm hungry, maybe that voice was myself. I don't know, I'm not a psychiatrist or something.
"Ferr... I... forget it, if you don't want to talk it's okay."
It's that voice again, maybe I'm going crazy....
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...
I open my eyes suddenly, my breathing is hitched, my eyes are dilated, my body is in a complete state of alert.
I... I remember, Clarity, that damned motherfucker...
I quickly look both ways to see where Clarity is, however, I don't succeed, Clarity is not around, I remember the decoration of this room, it's my room in the barracks.
I squint my eyes with some suspicion as I begin to check my body with my hands.
I am not missing any limbs, my body, my face, everything seems to be fine.
But, Was it a dream?
"Hmph... something too real...", I murmur somewhat calmly as my eyes suddenly focus on a sheet of paper with something written on it on the table near my bed.
With some caution I slowly make my way to the table, then pick up the sheet of paper and see what's written on it.
"Wonderful experience!!!, Don't you think so?, in fact, my experience was wonderful, by the way, I took the trouble to give you a gift, now you don't know it, but it's in your body, it will help you in the future... I hope you do a good job conquering Kaero."
After I finished reading the sheet of paper it suddenly disappeared.
Although, that didn't surprise me so much after everything that has happened, maybe I should take a moment to reflect on my next actions.