In the distance, consciousness was seemingly floating in waves like a small vessel enveloped in the sea of unknown. Consciousness repeats its ups and downs between dream and present in flickering ripples and drowsiness. The movement around Jin had become something of specters as the pain dissipated.

Had I died? The lack of pain was the biggest sign. The only thing I need to know is whether it worked. Or had I just delayed the inevitable in my suicidal attempt to play the hero in front of that girl.

Suddenly, my palm is enveloped in a soft touch. Interlacing fingers with hers, feeling the warmth closing in. A familiar feeling takes over me. Her dark hair hangs over my chest, making my heart pound.I was never so close to a girl before, but there she was. Leaning her head on my chest, an angel in drowsiness. I feel strangely relaxed with this girl, but a doubt worries me deeply.

Why can't I remember her face?!

"Who are you?" Jin shouted, bruntly rolling over to the side of the bed. Exaggerating the amount of space available for his escape and ending up losing his balance, cornered.

“Look at you with that confused face of yours.”

"I knew that was bound to happen next time we met." She said with a soft voice.

“Good morning to you sweetie!” A grim smile on her face, exposed as she found herself raising from the bed and stretching.

She looked just like last time in that red silk dress yet Jin had for the first time realized the aura surrounding her. Her smooth skin being exposed in such a way it almost distracted Jin from her uncanny behaviour to him.

"Morning?" He asked as the sunlight started to show. A beam-like glow penetrated the glass window next to the pair. The sunrise - The coming of the sun was really Ignis's greatest blessing on the world. From the position of the sun, it was possible to estimate his situation. If his own judgement could be trusted it seemed that about half a day had passed since his confrontation at the Hall of Trial.

But something else seemed strange. The room he was in looked more like a noble room, where a king must have spent his days. And even worse, looking out the window, nothing seen on the horizon had been recognizable. The architecture certainly was unlike any Elban household Jin had stepped foot inside.

"What is this place?"

"I was in Sanctum just a moment ago, I am sure of it."

"You need to calm down."

"I never met someone like you, how can I calm down? Move me back if you have the means, I need to get back to the trial at once."

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The girl shook her head.

“Unfortunately, you’re mistaken,” she continued after a moment, “you weren’t physically moved anywhere.” She said as she sat at the end of the bed, gazing down with contempt at Jin with her crimson eyes.

It all seemed impossible. Things such as these should not exist. I remember very well that I was in a quarrel within the Hall of Trial. Raising my left arm with an ease that should no longer be possible. The despair in which my group and I were living was still fresh in my memories. I remember vividly—Not long ago a dark creature had its claws caught in Eliza's neck when I decided to intervene. Right after it pounced on me, hungry for blood.

So then why was I completely unharmed? There was no sign of any injuries around his arm, as if that battle had never occurred. In fact, Jin couldn't recall the last time he felt the pulsations of ache through his body.

“Hello? Are you even listening to me? ” Said the girl impatiently.

Jin had totally lost track of what was happening around him, stunned by the various signals he was receiving. For him, his current feelings and senses were not being compatible with the reality he knew. Interrupting his train of thoughts was her presence once more, now patting the space on the bed beside her.

"How about you sit beside me for a bit before you have a breakdown for the second time just today?"

"My friends are out there dying!"

"Children die every day," she whispered "maybe you should just sit down and listen to me."

He sensed a thousand meanings to her words, yet understood none of them. With a shake of his head, Jin's thoughts traveled deep to his newfound reality. His thoughts plundered every chamber in his mind.

Jin had already collapsed earlier when he had not been chosen by the elemental gods to become an elemental warrior. The future that his father and brother had with special powers and that he hoped to obtain one day would never be in his reach. Not only that, but he had to swallow his ego and accept that among the warriors at Sanctum, he was no special warrior. Failing in the First Step, what a joke. He wasn’t fated to be as good as his father, those were fairy tales.

He had to be honest with himself. Logically from his own group inside the trial, he was probably the most useless out of them. Tristan Loriat was a renowned nobleman with the equipment and resources available to become a general of King Henrik in the future if he wanted to. Viktoria showed quick logical thinking and demonstrated expertise in first aid, in addition to never-failing even in front of a dark creature. And then there was Eliza, the blonde girl with blue eyes like the ocean who had awakened the elemental power of wind right in front of Jin.

She had been the first to show Jin that perhaps failing the Trial was not the end of the world. Her beautiful smile when she reached out to him in a moment of weakness. And now he didn't even know if he would ever see that face again. Jin got up and sat next to the girl, ignoring any sign of danger that kept coming to his mind when being that close to an unknown figure. The curiosity to learn what the hell was going on was greater than his fear of the sickening aura the girl brought around her.

Looking at her deeply in the eyes, tears running down his frightened face Jin punched the glass and braced himself against the sill. The detailed craft around the window had made an easy climb, especially for someone who had been climbing to gather peaches and grapefruits to bring home. Everything had begun to shake. The glare of the sun dimmed as Jin challenged the truthfulness of its warmth.

No time to waste. If this is a dream, then I am fated to awaken on impact.

With a last glance, Jin propelled himself backward and let go as the world turned. Cuddled by the bittersweet hold of gravity, his newfound reality was put in check.