The Echo of Dreams

The dream, once again, shattered.

She found herself endlessly replaying one dream after another, only to awaken from each into the next.

“Hey, come on, the school bell’s about to ring!”

She had long since lost the ability to distinguish reality from illusion, repeatedly losing herself, only to repeatedly awaken, caught in a dizzying cycle, a reincarnation that led her down a dead end within the labyrinth of reason.

“Wait, hold on, I suddenly feel a bit dizzy…”

The beginning of the dream stretched ever onward, its end perpetually prolonging itself.

“Ugh… but it’s Monday today. If we get caught, that gloomy, horse-faced teacher will ruin our entire morning again.”

“But my legs suddenly feel so heavy… And what’s that sound…”

Dreams intertwined, twisting and turning, weaving a vast net of slumber. Once touched, it would inevitably trigger the echo that had resonated countless times before—

An echo.

“Buzz—”

“Hey, what’s wrong with you, hey!”

It was the sound of water, an ethereal gurgle, as if rising from the depths of the earth… Light streamed down from above, blindingly bright. Why…

“Hero of Dawn… please… your wish…”

“Hey, hey—!”

“…Goddess… fulfill…”

“Teacher, I’m going right now…”

“This! This… how could this be…”

“Congratulations… divine being…”

“My child—”

She plucked the threads of fate, she severed them. The end of the dream existed for this very purpose; even a Mobius strip, infinite as it seemed, would ultimately be touched.

And so, it happened again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again—

Awaken.

…

“—!!!”

[What… just happened?]

She abruptly sat up in bed, as if roused from a profound dream. Everything before her was both familiar and alien, incomprehensible, unrecognizable. A jumble of memories nearly choked off her thoughts. Only moments ago, she had been walking with friends on a bustling street.

[What exactly… happened?]

Her mind held no recollection whatsoever of this place, not even a faint impression. Without warning, the girl had awakened in this familiar yet alien setting.

No, it wasn’t entirely without warning.

Within the girl’s mind, a memory, both familiar and strange, had somehow taken root. It encompassed everything about a girl named South Creek, thirteen years of life, now existing naturally within her recollections—

Echoes… Suez Village… catching fish… falling into the water… and—Sister Elise…

These disorganized memories were like a tangled skein of yarn, coiled and interwoven. At times they were strikingly clear, at others frustratingly indistinct, much like reflections on the water’s surface, just beyond reach.

“Thump-thump-thump…”

However, before the girl could fully process everything swirling in her mind, the door to the room suddenly burst open, accompanied by a flurry of hurried footsteps.

“—! South Creek, South Creek! You’re alright… Thank goodness… I truly thought, my dear sister, that you were going to—”

“Sister Elise…”

The woman, her face etched with anxiety, pushed open the door and quickly strode towards the girl lying in bed. Before the girl could even react, she was enveloped in a tight embrace.

[Who… is she? Why did I instinctively call out her name?]

“South Creek, how are you? Is there anywhere you still feel unwell?”

The words spoken by the woman, still holding South Creek close, revealed an anxiety and concern that was undeniably genuine. It was precisely this sincerity that deepened the girl’s confusion.

[Is she… worried about me? Why… have I met her before?]

[No, I clearly… Sister Elise… Who exactly am I…?]

“What’s wrong, South Creek? Why aren’t you speaking? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

The woman named Elise, her voice soft with almost unconscious concern, observed the girl’s expression as she asked.

“No, it’s nothing… I just… feel a little hungry.”

Still reeling from her confusion, the girl could only awkwardly divert the conversation, confronted by the woman’s solicitous gaze.

“Hungry? That’s understandable, considering you haven’t eaten anything for days while in bed…”

Without dwelling on it further, Elise released her tight embrace on the girl. After a thorough assessment, she gently rose and headed towards the door.

“Creaaaak—”

[Finally, she’s gone…]

Lightly caressing her chest, the girl let out a small sigh of relief. Then, another creak—

“South Creek, have a few sips of water first. It’s on your bedside table.”

“Oh… right, I—I understand…”

“…Try to remember, and don’t think about causing trouble again…”

Though she didn’t understand why, the girl meekly nodded after being suddenly given a soft glare.

“Yes, I understand…”

“If only you truly understood…”

With a sigh such as this, Elise cast one more glance at the girl before shaking her head and departing.

…

Carefully listening to the receding footsteps, the girl let out a sigh of profound relief once she heard them finally fade into the distance.

How strange it was. She didn’t even know this person, yet why did she feel such an overwhelming sense of tension?

Her thoughts seemed to grow increasingly muddled. The girl irritably scratched her head, attempting to recall even the slightest memory of herself from the past. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, no matter how hard she tried, everything from her past remained shrouded in a fog, indistinct and blurry. Two entirely disparate sets of memories constantly intertwined with her efforts to think, and the severe discomfort brought on by this cognitive dissonance made it difficult for her to even breathe.

Who exactly was she? Was she the clumsy middle-schooler born in XX County, or the lively, cheerful country girl named South Creek? Or perhaps—both?

She couldn’t comprehend it. In neither set of memories had she ever pondered anything particularly profound, yet now, she couldn’t even grasp her own identity.

“Haaah—”

Continuing to dwell on it would yield no answers. Having presumably recognized this futility, the girl simply ceased her deliberation. She flopped back onto the bed, mumbling:

“So… can I say I’ve transmigrated? Just like in those novels…”

Somehow, the girl suddenly recalled this peculiar term. Though her memories were hazy, she still retained a faint impression of this popular novel genre. However, upon closer reflection, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t quite right.

[Ugh… I don’t want to think about it anymore. This is fine…]

[My name… should be South Creek now, right? For now, I’ll just take things one step at a time.]

This, at least, was a first step.

[So… next, about the person just now, Sister Elise…]

The woman named Elise, present in South Creek’s memories, was the very person who had just cared for her in the room. In the memories of the girl from this world, Elise was the most significant presence in her life. Though they called each other sisters, their actual relationship resembled that of a mother and daughter, for it was Elise who had raised South Creek throughout her thirteen years in this world.

While South Creek herself wasn’t sure if she truly was the girl named South Creek, given the current circumstances, it would be disastrous if Elise were to perceive her as an impostor.

Therefore, regardless of her true identity, she had to act as South Creek for now.

So, what kind of person was this girl named South Creek?

The chilling sensation gradually receded. South Creek felt as though she was reclaiming her sense of self. After a swift review of her memories, she believed she had sketched out a rough image of the girl.

[Strange… it feels like I’m imitating myself…]

Lost in her own thoughts, South Creek casually picked up the water cup from her bedside. Yet, before she could even take a sip, with another creak, the door swung open.