Arc 0: Prelude 21 - The Ideal Real

ideal /ʌɪˈdɪəl,ʌɪˈdiːəl/

existing only in the imagination; not real or actual.

“L-Lauren!”

Where she was standing, Lauren Cherith had no idea.

In front of her was no ocean or beach of any kind. There wasn’t a wonderful land beyond the seas that spoke of fables. There was no path to escape from reality. None of these sparks of jubilation existed here. The once mystifying embers that lit the lost corners of her mind and heart were starting to fade away.

Only an image of a twilight sky reflected in her eyes. The gentle breeze of the wind brushed against her face, offering comfort for the colorless.

But what she felt was not at all comforting. The world around her spiraled.

Where she was supposed to joyfully dream, she felt rage — anger.

Where she was supposed to follow along, she felt lost — confusion.

Where she was supposed to feel safe, she was afraid — fear.

Bundled up together, all these feelings suddenly rushed to her.

And then she looked down to the world around her.

“...!”

Nothing but shock coated her eyes. It was then that she truly realized where she had gone — long gone was the fable of the little girl.

Her feet barely standing on the edge, she was one step away from reality to endless sleep from which there was no return.

「What am I doing here?」

“L-Lauren!!” A voice desperately called out to her from behind.

It was a familiar voice, one that she had last heard before unknowingly drifting off to her dreams. This was the only voice she would never lose trust in, the only voice that offered her true comfort. But now, that voice was shaken, afraid.

Careful of her movement, Lauren tilted her head to look at the owner of that sorrowful, yet wonderful voice.

There, a few meters away from where her feet trembled, stood a young man.

With his natural blonde hair and violet eyes, his appearance marked the benchmark of a youth that knew nothing but a bright-colored world.

However, that young man wasn’t standing there to be marveled upon by onlookers. Beyond that facade, there was a genuine look of worry. His irises had shrunk so much, it spoke of the fright in his eyes. Sweat was dripping down from the side of his forehead and to his cheeks.

Even then, the light never faded from his face.

That young man was Zachary Ashworth.

“L-Lauren, please,” he struggled to maintain a straight voice from the fear clearly clouding his mind, “Come back… This… this isn’t a joke!”

As he spoke, he took small steps forward, with his arms shot straight to the front should he ever need to act quickly.

To all this, Lauren had but one question.

「What’s… what’s going on?」

△▼△▼△▼△▼△

Despite being the one who initiated the occasion, Zachary Ashworth was not ready for it.

The time he called Lauren was the first time he opened his new phone since his old one was damaged beyond repair in the accident. Be that as it may, he was still not prepared. He hadn’t expected her to answer the call.

Seeing as the meeting spot was the school grounds, he took the quick option and decided to wear his school uniform. It was a stupid decision but one that he had to take — he was not exactly keen on being fashionable before. Thinking about it now, he thought perhaps a little extra accessory wouldn’t have hurt to have on.

“Should I have gotten dad’s watch?” He mumbled to himself as he rubbed the back of his head.

Dropping his lower lip in wonder, he gazed with puzzled eyes at the empty street before him. A few bicycles were parked on the side here and there, most likely belonging to the kids in the basketball court overlooking the school building. Other than that, the whole area was beyond deserted.

The sun was still up in the sky but it was slowly being covered by the screen of nightfall. It was almost sunset.

“Will she even make it?” Zachary sighed. He remembered how it was announced recently that the tram supposedly stopped one hour before sunset.

Not another moment to dwell on the question, he noticed the answer was shining clearly not too far from where he stood.

On the sidewalk, near the basketball court’s fences, a girl suddenly emerged.

Garnering strange looks from the kids in the court, she ran with frustration, her style elegant yet clumsy. A second later, she was crossing the empty street toward Zachary. After finally arriving at the meeting spot, she took a moment to catch her breathing, resting her hands on her knees.

Upon seeing her like that, one could jokingly drop a comment about how chaotic she seemed to the onlookers, or how sweat ran down on almost all of her skin. That was the response of a prudish reality.

But not for him; not from him.

Already, his mouth was agape.

Having been done with her fill of rest, the jaded girl rose upwards and shot him a straight look of surprise. Her brunette hair hung loosely instead of being tied to her usual ponytail. To add a bit of more flavor to this “new” appearance, she seemed all dolled up for this meeting, arraying herself within a beige sundress beneath and a blue jacket to shield her from the occasional gusts of cold.

It was no surprise why her beauty was a sight to behold. The light and flames of a star were not something easy to put out. And that girl was (once) the brightest of them all: the evershine star.

Lauren Cherith had finally arrived.

“Um…,” Zachary was lost for words. He could not help but admire her only.

A smile ran across Lauren’s face, one that was brimming with the light of joy, a genuine smile. Like passing a baton, it was now time again for her to take the lead. She pushed her legs forward and embraced him with much-needed warmth.

Burying her face in his chest, she spoke in a muffled voice, “It’s really you!”

Once again, he was speechless. “I…,” he lacked the decision for a proper response. Nevertheless, he closed his eyes and gladly accepted the embrace, drowning himself within it.

It didn’t matter if she was covered in sweat. It didn’t matter if his attire was dull. None of that mattered in the face of this moment. This was a reunion.

The two lost in a colorless world were finally reunited.

The lost boy, who chased after the girl’s light. The lost girl, who wanted shelter in the boy’s light. They had caught onto each other.

「...」

After a minute of embrace, Lauren gently pulled herself away and looked at Zachary’s legs. “You’re… walking?”

Last she had heard in the hospital was that the accident might have resulted in him losing his legs almost entirely. Yet here he was, in perfect health, walking with two fully functional legs.

“Yeah…” He moved around to show how his legs were working normally.

It was a miracle.

Lauren smiled, “W-Well, that doesn’t matter right now. Where were you this entire time?”

“...” He had expected this question.

However, something else caught his attention which left him tranced for a bit.

It was Lauren’s crystal eyes. They had somewhat looked odd from his perspective. Those eyes always glistened with light so bright and hopeful; they’d be the first thing he would want to look at whenever he felt down. But now that light was dim, faded, almost gone entirely from her eyes.

Still, Lauren kept on her smile, one that was slightly clouded by gloom rather than the usual beam.

“I was… busy with other stuff,” he held back his words before then giving an apologetic smile as he scratched the back of his head, “You could say I was broadening my horizons!”

“Huh?!”

Lauren tilted her head in confusion. Her smile had completely faded.

‘Without me?’ She thought.

Yet it was very obvious from his looks in Lauren’s eyes. His posture. His tone. His behavior. They had changed. All of them were coated in an aura of confidence that was very unlike who he was before. All of this made him seem open and willingly trying to engage with the world around him. He had changed.

The boy ran ahead of the girl, surpassing her — an ironic twist of fate.