✔ | At Least We Have Forever

Chapter 1 - Beneath The Silent Snow

The sun had only half-risen from the horizon when the sound of the ringing alarm clock broke the silence of a particular bedroom. And that ringing sound caused a certain maiden to be awakened from her slumber.

Or so it seemed like it.

To be honest, that black-haired maiden was already awake for more than an hour before the clock rang. And it was only four AM when she woke up. Well, there's a reason for her waking up earlier than what she had planned.

'I've dreamed of that one again,' she thought, and then she sighed before getting up from her bed and turning off her alarm clock. She then turned on the night lamp and opened the window after she drew the curtains. She smiled sadly when she laid her eyes on the rising sun.

Certain thoughts came rushing inside her mind the moment she had laid her sight on the sun. All of which were connected to the dreams that she's having these past few days.

But before she could think about it thoroughly, several knocks on the door disrupted the flow of her thoughts. And that made her glance at the door.

"Riya-chan, it's time for you to wake up! You'll be late for your flight!" a woman said from outside the room.

She barely smiled as she approached the door and opened it for the woman to know that she was already awake. "I'm already awake, Saeko-san. I woke up more than an hour ago."

The woman named Saeko looked at Riya with worries in her eyes. "Are you sure you'll be alright? You've only slept for three hours."

"I'll be fine, Saeko-san. I guess I could sleep better when I get there." And then Riya smiled at the woman.

Saeko sighed and faced her. "Alright, if you say so then. Be sure to get ready so could eat your breakfast before you leave." She nodded and closed the door afterward.

Her face turned solemn once again and gazed outside the window. But then after a while, something caught her attention from the side of her purple eyes. And this made her freeze to her spot in a way.

'That's...' But then she couldn't continue what she wanted to say. Instead, he walked towards that certain something and she was somehow stunned when she finally had a look at it. 'I was right! It was my diary... My first diary from five years ago.' She reluctantly took it from the empty bookshelf.

There's a reason for her having an empty bookshelf but her attention wasn't exactly focused on it. It was already on the diary that she was currently holding on as her hand began to shiver.

"I thought I lost this many years ago..." she muttered and then she began opening it, flipping the blank page to let the second-page show where the words were started to be written. She smiled bitterly as she read the words written there. "And to think I would find this on the day that I would leave this place..."

That's right. She's leaving. And that house that belonged to her paternal great-grandfather would be left in the care of her cousins and her Aunt Saeko just until she comes back.

If she ever comes back, that is...

She rashly shook her head in hopes of dispelling the negative thoughts rushing into her mind. And then she began reading the words written there carefully.

~~

December 24th – Christmas Eve

Winter time was the first and last time I met him.

I was heading home fast so that Mom and Onii-chan wouldn't scold me for being in the cold snow for so long. I just went to the grocery store to buy the other things needed for the celebration of Christmas and, of course, a gift wrapper. I can't believe I forgot to buy one yesterday. I thought it would be just a simple Christmas Eve like the rest.