The Apparition.

I stood in front of the cinema, where I was supposed to meet with this girl Grimm set for me. He told me her name was Rebecca and she was a doctor in the Pediatrics Department. She was a friend of Grimm's from way back Pre-Med School.

I checked my watch to check the time and it was 10 minutes more before our agreed meeting time when someone came close and tapped my arm gently. I looked over to who tapped me and found a lady, a lot shorter than me, with warm chocolate orbs and straight black locks. She had a petite frame but nevertheless looked healthy.

"Did you wait long?" she spoke in a soft voice.

"Umm. No. I just got here a lot earlier since I had some stuffs to buy. You're even 10 minutes early." I tried to reassure her but she just giggled at me.

"Grimm was right. You really are stiff." She said.

"Well, I've always been like that." I muttered before I looked away.

"But I kind of like that. You look like your cold but you really are warm. The tsundere type." She added.

"Let's go? The show's about to start."

She nodded happily before she adjusted her handbag, took the tickets from my hand and handed them over to the one guarding the doors.

"Please enjoy." The keeper smiled and we nodded in acknowledgement.

"By the way, I'm sure Grimm has told you my name but let me introduce myself formally." She started before she faced me and extended her hand. "My name's Rebecca Montez. I am a 26 year old Pediatrician. It is nice to meet you."

"Reize Smith. I'm 27 and a surgeon." I replied and took her hand to shake.

"You really don't say much, huh?" she said with an amused smile.

"I do answer when asked though?"

"Nothing unnecessary then." She said barely above a whisper that I chose to ignore as we walked to our seats.

After the movie, I was about to go home when she asked me to accompany her for dinner. I didn't reject since I was quite hungry as well and she wasn't a bad company—just no romance.

"Actually, the reason I went along with Grimm's antics this time is to de-stress. Lately, I've been having these weird dreams like I've been brought back to time." She spoke before she sipped her soup.

When I heard her say those words, it immediately seized my attention as I looked up to her from my plate. For the first time, someone successfully managed to get me interested in whatever they were spouting— maybe from that sense of camaraderie, from knowing that I wasn't the only one experiencing it. She saw that what she just said got me intrigued and proceeded to tell me her dreams.

"I was in this place. There was a castle, a village and lots of villagers—the kind you see in historical movies like the Legend of King Arthur. Then suddenly, I was inside this castle, walking along the corridors with lots of servants bowing their heads at me, and I met this guy. He looked familiar but..." she trailed off and looked at me disappointedly.

"You can't remember his face?" I asked.

She looked surprised for a second before she smiled sadly and nodded. "It's always a blur. I do feel that I know him and met him somewhere."

"You too, huh?"

"Have you tried those kind of dreams as well?" she asked as she looked interested to hear mine as well and I just nodded. She kept her gaze at me as if asking me to tell her about it. I sighed as I placed down my spoon and started.

"She was of nobility, maybe even a princess, and she was my friend. I could tell that I loved her and she loved me back. It was a mutual love. We were happy, probably, but it didn't last long when something terrible happened." I stopped and looked over to her, who had all of her attention to me. She looked very absorbed about it.

"What happened?" she asked when I remained silent.

"She... died." I whispered and looked away. I don't know why but I felt sad the moment I said it out loud. I didn't want Rebecca to know I was sad and so I averted my gaze.

"Oh my God. That is so sad. If you don't mind, may I ask why?" she asked softly, as if aware that it saddened me.

"She was killed when I took her away. Her parents didn't like me much and forbade her from meeting me again—kind of like Romeo and Juliet's love, only that in ours it was only her parents that did not approve of us." I narrated and shifted my gaze towards her direction to check her reaction.

She was looking at me, staring even. It was as if her eyes were searching something, criticizing me, studying something in me. She remained silent and I chose to break eye contact. I wasn't that good with hiding my emotions and I was afraid; afraid that she'd see right through me.

"So you can feel." She stated that made me glance back to her and she smiled sweetly. "See? You really are the tsundere type."

That night ended with me taking her home after dinner and that chat. She was kind of different but I didn't view her in the romantic aspect. She was just different from all the girls I've met so far. There's this air around her that tells me she may have been someone I knew from before— that sense of familiarity.

I went home and threw my tired body on my bed. I stared at the dark ceiling that was hovering above me and I could vividly remember that girl's voice as she asked me to escape without her.

"Who are you? Why can't I get you out of my head? Why are you tormenting me this much?" I monologue and decided to let sleep take over my exhausted body, even while being aware that I was going to have that nightmare again.

Only this time, I did not expect this kind of development.

It wasn't the usual setting— the cold stone walls of the castle or the lush green leaves of the garden or even the soft and cool meadow. Everything was black— the kind of black that you can't see how large or how small the space is, the kind where you just can't see the boundaries.

I was starting to think that maybe the fatigue got the best of me and so I was having this empty dream when suddenly the voice, that torments me so much yet also leaves me yearning to hear more, came again. Only this time, it was more realistic than ever.

"Dante... Dante, my beloved." She spoke.

Dante? Who is Dante? Why is she appearing in my dreams if I'm not the one she's looking? Why me if it's this Dante she loves?

Damn. Was I just jealous?

"I'm not Dante. Why are you appearing in my dreams? Why are you bothering me? Who are you?" I shot her questions after questions.

"My love... you promised you'd come back for me... Please... hurry up and find me... I am waiting for you... Dante, my beloved." She said in her echo-y, gentle and soft voice.

The heck? Where is this Dante? Why'd he leave her after such a promise? This spineless bastard!

"Why are you bothering me? Do you want me to look for your Dante? Is that it?" I continued to ask her, maybe she'd answer one of them eventually.

"You... You are my beloved... Dante... Please... hurry up and come find me... Please come... before time runs out."

What?