The school was bustling with students, walking in and out of the campus. Looking out of place with her pajamas, Yuriel stood at the corner. No one noticed her, after all, this is merely a conjured dream.

Glancing around, Yuriel noticed a vast difference between this dream and the previous ones. Her current dream, felt like how you'll remember an old memory. It felt bleak, lacking in details, and most people are faceless.

"It's probably my lack of proper visualization." Yuriel says, before deciding to test the idea.

She closed her eyes, trying to recall this particular memory and everything related to it, using her utmost focus. With just a thought, her dream shattered and was immediately recreated. Opening her eyes, Yuriel found herself in a completely identical copy of her school. Although many students had blurred faces, it was overall more profound than the former dream.

The bleak colors vanished, replaced by a vibrant scenery that seemed much more alive. Not to mention, everything looked so real that one would mistake this dream as reality. Impressed by her work, Yuriel walked around and inspected every nook and cranny.

If there is one flaw with this dream, it's that Yuriel's memory is incomplete and had multiple gaps. But she made up for some of it, using her remaining memories of the school. That was also the reason why, everything felt so detailed that everything in place felt accounted for.

Things that shouldn't have been in this particular memory were there, but there were also minor problems. Yuriel couldn't fill the gaps of students, as she can't really remember all their appearances. Some were familiar, which are the only few who had their faces intact.

"If I can do this with a vague memory, what about a vivid one?" Yuriel muttered, then tried remembering her clearest memory. "Hmm... Not clear enough, too many gaps, wait... this one!"

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Yuriel's mind replayed a memory, clear as it could ever be. It was like a scene that happened yesterday, and was still vivid in her eyes. The school slowly faded, replaced by a peculiar chamber. Standing at the back, she watched her younger self play with her father.

In front of them was a table top game, laid with strange and mystical scenery. It was very detailed, from some of its action figures, to the world map, and books that described the history. It made the chamber feel alive, as if she's in a different world altogether.

"Princess Rie has come, time to beat the bad guy!" The younger Yuriel declared, raising the figure of a princess clad in armor. "No one can escape her angelic powers!"

Her father laughed, then wrote her words in a note. He then moved beside her, pulled an action figure, and placed it in front of Princess Rie. The young Yuriel yelped, seemingly afraid of the black dragon with a fierce appearance.

"The dragon king has descended to meet his challenger, be prepared princess of Asterion." Her father said with a grin, scaring the younger Yuriel.

"Papa that's so unfair!" She complained, instinctively pulling Rie back to her embrace. "Isn't the boss supposed to be a goblin king? What the hell is that?"

Her father chuckled.

"You should learn this early, life doesn't give you leverage, sometimes things are just unfair. Stop whining, what you should think right now, is how to defeat the enemy ."

"I'm still 9!" The younger Yuriel groaned, taking the note and writing her next move, albeit with a messy writing.

Following that, Princess Rie casted a powerful magic and pierced the dragon with a rainbow blast. It was ineffective, due to the complex biology of the dragon king. However, the young Yuriel didn't understand any of that, fearfully watching her character being obliterated like a ragdoll.

"The dragon king flew in the sky, staring at the princess who's gonna draw her last breath." Her father narrated, enjoying as Yuriel struggled in the fight. "Gathering the dark energy in his throat, purple flames spewed out and struck the princess."

"....."

"But..... The flames didn't envelope Rie, a barrier surged around her like a cocoon." He paused, then smiled. "This allowed her to survive the hit, but this chance is only a one time mechanism, once she disappears, the necklace will be destroyed."

"Ah..." The younger Yuriel was surprised, not expecting such turn of events.

"Okay, it seems that fate saved Rie this time." Her father mused. "That's why, don't waste this chance Yuriel. Think how you'll overcome the dragon king next time."

"....."

The younger Yuriel didn't respond, thoughtfully considering his words. With a faint smile, Yuriel walked towards them with a nostalgic gaze. Her father always taught her, that every problem in life can be overcome so long as you think and act upon it.

That was his last words to Yuriel as well, before dying in his death bed. As she reminisced about the past, her younger self ran towards the door and left.

Surprised, her father turned towards the door to run after her daughter. Yuriel stood on his way, not intentionally, but simply to look at his face which she hadn't seen for so long. At that moment, Yuriel's eyes couldn't help but dilate in horror at what she saw.

Her father was faceless.