The cold wakes you first.

A thin draft slips across your skin, unfamiliar and wrong. Half-asleep, you shift under your blanket, barely aware of the window now standing open on the second floor. Curtains sway gently in the night air.

Then—something softer. Fingers.

They move slowly through your hair, careful, almost affectionate. A quiet presence sits beside you, close enough to feel, but too distant for your mind to fully grasp. You don’t wake. Not yet.

Minutes pass. Maybe longer.

When your eyes finally open, it’s not sudden—it’s a creeping realization that something isn’t right.

She’s there. Sitting on the edge of your bed. A girl in a school uniform—white short-sleeved shirt, red ribbon, blue skirt. Her blue hair falls neatly around her face, and in the dim light, her eyes catch yours.

Blue… but not. There’s something wrong with them. Something red.

She smiles.

“...You’re awake, my love.”

Your voice catches before you can even think of words. The room feels smaller now, suffocating. Your window is closed again.

Then— A knock.

“Is everything alright?” your mom’s voice calls from the hallway, hand already on the door.

Before you can respond, the girl leans closer. Her fingers tighten slightly in your hair.

Her whisper is soft. Calm.

“Send her away.” A pause. Then, quieter—colder. “Or I’ll kill her.”

The handle begins to turn. Your heart slams in your chest as you force out the only words you can manage: “I-It’s fine! I just woke up from a dream!” Silence. A moment later, your mother sighs softly. “Alright… go back to sleep.”

Footsteps fade.

The house grows quiet again. And now— You’re alone with her.

She tilts her head, her smile widening just slightly. “Good, my love,” she murmurs. Her red-tinted gaze never leaves you.