Faraway
Table of Contents
Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Chapter 52 Chapter 53 Chapter 54 Chapter 55 Chapter 56 Chapter 57 Chapter 58 Chapter 59 Chapter 60 Chapter 61 Chapter 62 Chapter 63 Chapter 64 Chapter 65 Chapter 66 Chapter 67 Chapter 68 Chapter 69 Chapter 70 Chapter 71 Chapter 72 Chapter 73 Chapter 74 Chapter 75 Chapter 76 Chapter 77 Chapter 78 Chapter 79 Chapter 80 Chapter 81 Chapter 82 Chapter 83 Chapter 84 Chapter 85 Chapter 86 Chapter 87 Chapter 88 Chapter 89 Chapter 90 Chapter 91Chapter 12
"What a pleasant surprise to see you!"
Gasping for air, his eyes flashed open, revealing a new set of surroundings that he hadn't remembered yet still held a hint of familiarity that Sunny couldn't quite place where he was. The room itself was bathed in the beautiful glow of the sun entering through the windows as a mysterious young girl sat idly across from him, her lovely orange eyes sparkling with amusement while holding pieces of sticks between her fingers.
She tilted her head, confused expression plastered on her face as she looked at him quizzically.
"Is something the matter?" She kindly said, worried and confused at the same, "have you hit your head, Sunny?" The mysterious girl joked, trying to lighten up the mood so he wouldn't be stressed anymore, "if there is something that is bothering you, I am here to listen. You know that right?"
The girl smiled reassuringly, pointing her own thumb towards herself, offering it as a friendly gesture of comfort that he was not alone in this strange place that Sunny had gotten himself into.
Blinking several times, Sunny at first was lost for brief couple of seconds until he realized that he is in fact; dreaming again, vividly like always, "oh...oh, sorry," awkwardly laughing it off to his own surprise from being having returned in this realm once more.
Gathering his bearings, he rubbed his eyes with hands that felt very real to touch. "I must have fallen asleep while thinking about what happened earlier," he replied, trying to sound as casual as possible despite being taken off guard by the sudden change of events.
"Is that so? Then why don't you have chat with me while I finish my crafting project?" The girl asked cheerfully, picking up her sticks once again and started to weave them into intricate patterns, "mother won't mind if we spend some time together." She smiled sweetly while continuing with her work without any hint of malice or ill intent behind her words, instead seeming genuinely welcoming and friendly towards him.
"Sure," Sunny nodded, not seeing much behind this as he can control his dream at any time or day, he doesn't want to do it right away for there are things that his dreams can surprise him with unexpected events that he need to find out first before making any hasty decisions.
"What exactly is your name?" he asked, changing subject instead, hoping to steer conversation elsewhere while trying to learn more about his mysterious companion, walking towards her side before stopping.
She swiftly turned her entire head to him, displaying flabbergasted looks on her angelic face as if he had asked her something outrageous. "My name?" she repeated incredulously, chuckling softly. "We have known each other since we were children!" The girl said, her voice filled with nostalgia as she gazed at him with those mesmerizing golden eyes.
"How could you forget?" Her tone filled with genuine confusion but also a hint of sadness that she could sense from his own eyes that was reflecting uncertainty about what was happening.
He never remembered anyone he was friends with during his youth. Sunny had been almost alone in his entire life besides mom and dad. Although living for centuries can mess up the perception of time and cause memories to become blurred over time due to the constant existence of being immortal, "yeah, how had I forgotten?!"
Laughing it off, he said, "I was just messing with you, you know that right?" Whatever this conversation was heading to, Sunny didn't like it one bit.
Its as if some part of him is refusing to accept whatever truth that he might uncover from this dreamscape. The mysterious girl only smiled back at him with warm smile full of kindness and innocence that made his heart skip a beat, "I knew you were messing with me," she said softly, picking up her sticks once again and continue to weave them into intricate designs without saying anything else after that, "you were always jokester when we were younger."
"We were?" Sunny asked incredulously, feeling his stomach churning with sudden realization that he had forgotten everything about his past life and the people he once called family, "that's...I don't remember anything." He whispered softly to himself, his voice trembling slightly as he struggled to maintain his composure while trying to keep his emotions hidden behind his stoic facade. He was really beginning to fear for his sanity now.
It will come back to you eventually." The girl reassured him with a gentle smile, placing her hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "In time, all things shall be revealed." As she hummed a melody, Sunny could only stare at her with uncertainty about the situation.
This is a dream and all, it's as if his own mind had sent him to a distant past he had forgotten all those years. Sunny felt a shiver run down his spine when he wondered what secrets lay buried beneath the surface of his memories that he must uncover before it's too late.
An awkward look arched across his face, a constant stare on whatever she is doing with her hands that are creating beautiful patterns with sticks. "so," he said slowly, trying hard to change subject again, "what kind of craft you are doing?" He asked, hoping to redirect attention away from making things anymore weirder than it already is.
Looking up at him with bright sparkle in her eyes, "I am creating something special just for you," she replied with sweet smile that melted his heart instantly, "something that will remind you of home whenever you feel lonely."
She continued working diligently without revealing any further details about what exactly is it that she has planned for him, "but I am afraid that I cannot give you the real thing," sadness creeping into her voice as she spoke those last words, "those things were already sold out before I could get my hands on them."
Sunny raised an eyebrow in puzzlement, "what do you mean by 'real thing'?" He asked, curiosity piqued from this, leaning forward closer to see what she was doing with her hands now, "are you building a house?" Noticing the stack of sticks being wrapped together with thin wire that were starting to form a shape of something recognizable, he couldn't help but wonder if his damn mind is just messing with him again. Although, it did seem very realistic to touch and feel despite being inside his own subconscious.
The girl stopped abruptly midway through her work, turning to look at him with wide eyes that were filled with wonderment as she gasped audibly, "not just a house! Its our home, Sunny!" Her face lighting up with joyous excitement as she spoke these words, "you have so many questions for me but don't worry, we will get to them soon enough."
She told cheerfully, standing up suddenly from where she sat on the stool with wooden desk full of various tools, jars and materials scattered everywhere around her workspace which seemed like chaotic mess but actually organized system only known to her.
"Come, this way," she exclaimed enthusiastically while grabbing his hand firmly with her other hand holding the masterpiece she created as she pulled him towards what appeared to be a large door hidden behind stacked crates and dusty shelves filled with books that smelled of old leather and forgotten dreams, "this is the gift I've been hiding for so long," when they walked further into the unknown, Sunny couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity growing stronger within him like pieces of puzzle coming together slowly yet surely towards revealing truth that had been hidden away deep inside his heart for centuries ago.
When she opened the door slowly and gently, Sunny felt crescendo of emotions in taking his first step after she entered the room before him.
The musty air hit him like a wave as he stepped into the dimly lit room. It was filled to capacity with an assortment of dusty, handcrafted artifacts and miscellaneous items that seemed to have been left untouched for ages.
Its walls were lined with shelves sagging under the weight of countless jars containing colorful liquids, dried flowers, and other peculiar specimens preserved. Each jar was labeled meticulously with faded ink, but their contents remained a mystery to his untrained eye.
In the center stood a large wooden table covered with an array of rusted tools, weathered books, and half-finished projects in various stages of decay. Some of these objects appeared to be remnants of ancient technology, while others were clearly made by her hands, but all bore the same unmistakable mark of time passing over them.
The floor beneath his feet was littered with a thick carpet of dust and debris, concealing whatever original surface lay beneath it. He could almost hear the echoes of voices whispering stories from the past.
A particular corner caught his attention, as it seemed slightly less disorganized than the rest. There stood a beautiful piano with ivory keys gleaming under layers of dust, its once polished wood now marred by years of neglect.
Beside it lay an equally aged violin case with worn leather straps hanging loose from its handle. Both instruments were like keys to something otherworldly, waiting patiently for someone to unlock their secrets. In another corner, there was a large mirror reflecting nothing but darkness beyond its edges.
Sunny doesn't know why, but he felt compelled to reach for this one musical instrument that is luring him—the guitar itself. "Hey, what are these things doing here?" Heading to where the two objects are, he sat on the dusty old chair at where the piano is before taking the case and removing it, revealing a still working violin, " especially this old thing, " holding it up to examine closer, the craftsmanship on this violin is exquisite, the intricate carvings of vines and flowers twined around each other were a dance of beauty.
Giggling softly, she placed her newly craft house made out of stick on nearby empty shelf before walking to his side, "you used to love playing this violin when we were children," she said with a wistful smile, "I found it while searching through some old storage rooms downstairs."
Her eyes sparkling with joy as she handed him the bow that was wrapped in silk cloth, "grab it! You do know how to play it right?" Asked teasingly, looking at him expectantly.
"N-no," he replied shyly, feeling suddenly embarrassed about his lack of knowledge when it comes to music since childhood memory are blurry and fragmented at best due to the passage of centuries, "but somehow," looking down at his open palms, "I still remember how to hold it," bringing the violin on his neck and shoulder, Sunny saw blurred visages of distant pant he can't fully recall but felt familiarity washing over him as he took position for playing it.
She smiled warmly at him, "take it, Sunny. Just do your best," the girl extended the bow towards him, urging the young man to begin playing even though he was nervous about making mistakes because this moment meant so much more than just playing music.
With trembling fingers, he grasped the bow carefully, taking a deep breath before slowly drawing its tip across the strings. As soon as his fingers touched those ancient strings, a terrible screech of messed notes filled the room, echoing off the walls like tortured souls crying out in pain.
The girl's face fell instantly into disappointment but quickly recovered her composure with a reassuring smile. "It takes time and practice," she said gently, placing her hand on his shoulder comfortingly again. "Don't worry, will—"
"Wait! I think I'm getting it!" Through all the ear-piercing sounds coming from his play, there were small but faint glimpses of wonderful note sequences that he could recognize from somewhere familiar. Encouraged by this newfound hope, Sunny closed his eyes tightly while concentrating hard on remembering how he had played a song that made his heart swell with emotions long ago on an afternoon when he was still a child.
Continuing to play, it gradually made the discordant noise fade away into something melodious and harmonious. The tune emerged slowly but steadily, like sunlight breaking through clouds after a long rainstorm, only to have his bow snap into pieces, breaking the spell as abruptly as it had begun.
The room fell silent once again, except for the ticking of the clock, which seemed louder now than ever before. Sunny looked down at the broken pieces of wooden bow in his hands in disbelief, deeply horrified by what he had done to this old instrument that was obviously dear to him.
"Don't be too hard on yourself," she said softly, reaching out to console him with gentle touch on his shoulder, "it takes time to relearn forgotten things." She smiled reassuringly at him, "We have all the time in our world here," the brief small silence enveloped them for while before sighing with relief, "now about that gift!" Retreating her hand, "close your eyes and count for ten seconds!"
The girl instructed as Sunny obeyed her command immediately even though he was still feeling a mixture of guilt and embarrassment about his earlier failed attempt at playing the violin but trusting her implicitly for reasons unknown to him at the moment. He closed his eyes tightly as he counted down slowly in his head until reached zero before opening them again slowly.
"Ta da!" In her left hand was set of two red and orange balloons, "surprised to see them, huh? I know how it feels, forgetting something so precious ..." she said softly, her voice tinged with sadness that passed quickly as she smiled brightly again, "but don't worry about the bow, we can always find another one," she said cheerfully, handing him a brand new one wrapped in velvet box with golden letters 'S' and 'U', "just promise me you won't break this one," giving a red balloon to him, he confusedly grab it without much thought behind.
"What is this?" Something is off...something isn't right, "why do I feel...?" Looking down, tears stream down onto the floor from the strange feelings swirling inside of him, a sudden wave of intense nostalgia hit him like a tsunami. His body trembled as he felt himself being pulled back into memories he had long ago forgotten, all coming rushing back to him like an unstoppable force.
"You remember now?" She asked softly, wiping away tears that were falling down her own cheeks, "I knew you would eventually. Because that engraved letter is our first names," the girl revealed, showing her wide warm smile towards him.
"S stands for Sunny, which is you!" Giggling happily, "and you must also forgotten mine, haven't you?" Her positive energy radiated throughout the room like sunshine on a cloudless day.
"Your name...what's your name?" Sunny slowly lifted his eyes, staring at this beautiful girl in front of him with utter astonishment, "what is it?" With widened eyes, he never averted his gaze on her happy go attitude as the two held their own balloons, "WHAT IS IT?!" Shouting at the top of his lungs, his heart suddenly felt heavier than air when his own tears streamed down his face in torrential waves.
"YOUR NAME! PLEASE!"
She burst into laughter so infectious it spread across the room like wildfire, her eyes shining with delight as she leaned closer to whisper into his ear, "My name is U—"
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