“Life; what a strange phenomenon indeed. How does one perceive such an elusive matter? How does one struggle against a tempo of which too much sanity can lead to insanity, and the insane could possibly be the sanest amongst all of us? There is undeniably a smokescreen in our eyes, preventing us from perceiving the true veracity of the things, but there must be a valid justification of it being there in the first place. To protect, or to harm? What was it trying to hide? Or rather why? If such a mystery is being kept occlusive to our eyes, then the bigger question would be:

Will it be better to see life as it really is, or as it should be?”

“How- How did you do that? How did you-”

“You have to stop this, Jessica…” Taeyeon repeated with a soft tune, “Please. This is no good for you.”

“Who… What are you?”

“I’m your friend. I’m your one true friend here, Jessica. There’s only you and me.”

“How… How did you do that? How-”

“You need to calm down so I can explain everything.”

“Tell me!” Jessica challenged, “TELL ME NOW!”

Taeyeon kept quiet for a moment, thinking, before she responded with something that would shock Jessica out of her life.

“You’re in Bliss, Jessica.”

Jessica was clearly utterly confused.

Taeyeon sighed and looked into her eyes.

“Bliss is a place where people who have passed in the real world, people who died without their last wish fulfilled, come to do so in order to move on to another place; a better place.”

“What? I- I’m-”

“Jessica, you have already passed from the real world four years ago.”

“Now…” Jessica’s voice shivered with the rest of her unsteady body, “Now- now is not a good time to play pranks on me…”

“I’m not…”

Without a warning and still in shock, she turned tail and started running in the opposite direction.  Jessica dashed out of the police station into the day, running into town with all her might.

The hurricane was gone.

The wet and gloomy surfaces vanished.

Not a speck of snow was seen.

It was bright and sunny.

‘What the hell…’ Jessica thought.

Yume was suddenly so quiet; all the noise of the day had disappeared. She ran past Uncle Jim’s stall and it was vacant. Abandoned. The pots and pans were still piping hot; she could see the steam rising, but there was nobody there. The tables had food on top of them, but nobody to eat them.

‘What is happening?!’ Jessica screamed inside.

She ran across the entire empty county of Yume without realizing. It was amazing how she could run so far without even feeling tired. It was the adrenaline, or maybe it was because she did not pay attention. Her mind was so full of thoughts; scary thoughts. She continued running until her legs gave way and she collapsed to the ground, panting for breath. She felt so tired suddenly. There was this massive wave of exhaustion crashing over her.

She looked around and saw that she was in front of her college.

The Calaborama SteakHouse was right next to her on her left.

There wasn’t a single squeak; it was day, yet it was silent.

“No,” Jessica shook her head, denying the thought in her mind, “No, no, no.”

She stubbornly walked up the stairs and entered the Calaborama. The doorbell rang when she opened the door, but nobody greeted her. Inside, it was empty as well. The counter was left unattended. The tables were all packed with food, and yet there was nobody to dine. The ceiling fan overhead was swinging, blowing wind to an empty space.

Jessica could smell the sweet scent of the steak served. Strangely, her stomach did not growl. She had no appetite now. Her hands were so wet with sweat. She didn’t realize that, in the summer heat, she was shivering in coldness.

She took a seat at one of the tables. She shoved the food aside and the plates came crashing to the floor, spilling food and gravy all over. Shakily, she rested her arms, trying to recollect her thoughts.

“No. No. Impossible. Everyone is playing one big joke.”

She stopped and looked down at her feet. Her eyes were wandering about. The fear was rising in her to a point it was suffocating. She felt like she couldn’t breathe. She begged deep down for someone to help her, but who would if nobody was there?

“This is crazy… How is this possible? It’s dream. It must be!”

Her eyes were moving frantically.

“I know what I lived! I know what I lived!”

She impulsively burst out from the steakhouse into the open.

“TAEYEON! WHERE ARE YOU!? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME!?”

There was no response. All Jessica received was silence.

“No, no, no, no… It’s impossible. How can I be dead? I’m still alive! I’m still alive! I’m here. I’m here. I’M RIGHT HERE!” Jessica screamed at the top of her lungs.

She fell to her knees, right in the middle of an empty road, and cried. She wept with her hands on the ground, letting the tears roll down her cheeks and eventually drop onto the dry tar road. She was so sad and so scared. Never in her life, had she felt such loneliness and fear in her. She felt so alone right now.

It was then she felt a hand holding her shoulder.

She turned around and saw Taeyeon kneeling next to her, giving a soft sweet smile.

“Why is it so lonely here…?”

“The Induced Intelligence have played their part, so I removed them, to let you see. It’s the only way you’ll believe me.”

“It’s true…? What you just said to me… were all true?”

“I won’t lie to you, Jessica. Look into my eyes and you know I’m telling the truth.”

“I’m dead…?”

“I’m so sorry, Jessica.”

“Then, who are you?”

“A friend, Jessica. I’m sure you know that.”

“No, who are you really?”

Taeyeon sighed.

“I’m a Mother, sent from a higher hierarchy.”

“What are you doing in Yume?”

“Yume is just a map made and tailored to you. We’re really in Bliss.”

She laughed at Taeyeon’s response; her laughter was a tragic mix of fear and pain.

“Jessica, this is not the way. You’re supposed to live out your final wish, not create a nightmare. You are confused, that’s why I have to stop you.”

Jessica remained silent.

“You’ve been living in Bliss for four years, Jessica. Yours is the longest I have ever watched over. Your heart was pulling your soul back; that was why you were trapped here for so long.”

She looked at Taeyeon; her eyes were begging for answers.

“Your soul needed to move on, but it couldn’t since you, your heart, was still longing for its final wish to be fulfilled. As a result, your soul got weaker. That was why you were having the blackouts. The soul must move on.”

“My blackouts started the day you stepped into my life.”

“No, Jessica, it was because that it started, that I stepped into your ‘life’. I was watching from afar all these while, but when the situation started to degrade rapidly, I assimilated myself with you, in this case, as your neighbour. It was the only way I could guide you without exposing myself, but it seemed that I failed. I’m just here to make sure you do not sway away from your real purpose. I’m here to make sure you do not get trapped. If your soul gets exhausted, you’ll be lost as a Wanderer, forever longing for unachievable peace.”

Jessica scoffed and sat on the floor with Taeyeon.

“What about that creature that was stalking me? It killed Tiffany! And- and it repeatedly said that I made it.”

“It was telling the truth.”

“…how?”

“Jessica, as time passes by, the battle between your soul and your heart gets more intense. Due of the conflict, you unknowingly created a monster here; the shadow being. I’ve constantly subdued it on multiple occasions, hoping you would recover on your own and get back on your path, but you did not. Every time I eliminated it, you bring it back. It is a vicious loop, Jessica.”

“That time… it mentioned a guardian, watching over me. That… that was… that was you?”

Taeyeon kept quiet.

“Was that you?” Jessica repeated.

“Yes,” Taeyeon replied, “Your conflicts have created many anomalies in this place; the break-in, your nightmares, Catherine, and the creature; the strange and deadly weather too. You materialised so many anomalies that some I never noticed until you told me. Weighing the effects, I have no choice but to show you the real situation before you really lose sight; before it gets out of my hands.”

“Everything I lived is a lie? Is that what you’re saying?”

“They aren’t lies…”

“THEY ARE LIES! If what you’re saying is true, I have deluded myself; I have fooled myself,” Jessica began tearing, “I was alone all this while… like an idiot with imaginary friends!”

“’Lies’ is a meaningless perceptual word. What is real? Who are we to decide what is real? The only thing we know for sure, is what we feel. Nothing else matters.”

Taeyeon stepped nearer.

“Jessica, you have to understand, this place is sacred. It is not a curse. This place offers salvation, but you were blinded. I had to make you realize.”

“Realize that I’m a fool all this while!?”

“No…” Taeyeon shook her head, “Realize that it’s due time for you to proceed forward, to a better place. You can’t stay here forever. The Bliss is not a permanent residence.”

“How do I know what you’re telling me is the truth? How do I know you’re not lying and making this up?”

Taeyeon remained silent and hesitated.

She snapped her fingers and two figures emerged from a portal of light, stepping forth into Jessica’s sight.

It was Yuri and Tiffany.

Jessica was baffled beyond words. Her lips quivered.

Was this fright?

Yes, it was.

Her heart was pounding.

“Yuri and Tiffany are your creations, Jessica. It’s beyond your control. The Bliss read your desires and it grants them; that’s the purpose of this place. You wanted friends; you were given friends. Friends that are strong and could lead you by example. Both Tiffany and Yuri did not come from perfect backgrounds; no they were far from it, but it is their will to fight on is what that’s supposed to inspire you. That is what Bliss is for; that’s why you’re here.”

Taeyeon put her hand on Jessica’s shoulder, looking at her.

“Both Tiffany and Yuri are different parts of you, parts that you knew you had, personified and expressed; parts that were lost from you during the period that you’ve endured while you were living.”

“If I wanted them to be with me, why did they leave? Why were they gone?”

“I did that, Jessica. You got so emotionally attached to your own creations, that if nothing was done, you won’t be able to let go.”

“What did you do…?”

“I hacked the Tennebaum machine to make sure that Yuri would be selected.”

Taeyeon stood up and straightened her dress.

“I wanted to send Tiffany off too, but not at one go,” she continued, “I wanted you to have your proper goodbyes. However, you already did that when the creature murdered Tiffany. That was when I realized that you needed my help, directly. You were so torn in confusion; your own creations became a parallax to each other. It is a result of an inner conflict, and between your own wars, you became your own victim.”

Taeyeon could see that Jessica was frightened, stunned beyond words. She decided to back off to let her calm down. She would return once Jessica had let it all sink in. It was heavy to drop it all at once, but it must be done.

“I will come back tomorrow at noon, Jessica. I’ll give you some time on your own, for you to see what I’ve been saying is the truth. Think about what I’ve said.”

That was all Taeyeon advised before vanishing right before Jessica, leaving her with Yuri and Tiffany.

Her two friends were standing in front of her, smiling and looking at Jessica with such a welcoming look on their eyes. Jessica would have ran to them, crying for their embrace, but after what Taeyeon had told her…

She just sat there, in the middle of the deserted road, for hours, thinking deeply about what Taeyeon had said. If what Taeyeon said was true; if Jessica continued on her façade, she will be forever trapped.

She gathered all the courage in her and left the fear behind. It was the only way she could confront the matter at hand. She had to look deep inside her, to the place that she was afraid to dig further, to edges of her psyche, and to the dark depths of her consciousness. It was overwhelming. She gasped and whimpered as she broke down her own barriers that she erected in her.

After a long while, Jessica stood up.

She walked towards the two girls, standing just a stone’s throw away; the two girls whom she loved very much. She planted a kiss on both of their cheeks and hugged them tightly, savouring every last moment. She sighed on their shoulders and let all of her memories that they shared together flow through her. She wanted to feel every single one of them. She wanted to face them.

Then she took a step back.

“I promised you we would meet again,” Yuri started, her face beautiful as ever.

“I know, Yuri. I know,” Jessica nodded, avoiding eye contact, “I know…”

“I’m always by your side.”

Jessica kept quiet, trying to control her shivering hands.

“It’s okay, Jessica,” Tiffany began, “Don’t worry. Here, take my hand. We’ll guide you.”

Tiffany lifted her hand out for Jessica, prompting for Jessica to grab it…

…but Jessica stood away from her offer, shaking her head quietly.

“No. I c