Dani entered his home with his mother and Susanto. As soon as the door opened, the sound of commotion immediately greeted him. In the living room, his father, his younger brother Rendi, and several relatives and neighbors had already gathered. Their presence made the house lively, filled with laughter and conversation.
"Wow, Dani's home! Look at him, his face looks so fresh!" exclaimed Uncle Gino with a loud voice that immediately drew everyone's attention.
"Yeah, how did he recover so quickly? They said he was in a coma for a week," chimed in Aunt Tati with an admiring tone.
"True, true! He must be a tough kid, just like his father in his youth," added Mr. Dayat, the next-door neighbor, with a small laugh.
Rendi, standing beside Dani, didn't want to be left out. "Bro, how was it in the hospital? Boring, huh?" he asked innocently.
Dani tried to give a small smile. "Yeah, Ren. Super boring."
Another neighbor chimed in.
"You're amazing, Dan. A week in a coma and you wake up as if nothing happened. All our prayers have been answered!" said Mrs. Siti with a broad smile.
"Amen! Alhamdulillah. By the way, do you remember what happened when you fainted?" asked Mr. Dayat curiously.
That question made Dani a bit confused. "Ah, not really, Sir. Probably just an ordinary dream."
The commotion began to feel too noisy in his ears. Dani quickly mumbled an excuse, "Sorry, I want to go to my room first, to rest."
His father, who had been standing in a corner observing, immediately nodded. "Yeah, just rest first, Dan. Don't force yourself."
However, before Dani could take a step, Aunt Tati suddenly offered him a plate of food. "Dani, eat this first. Poor thing, hospital food probably wasn't filling."
Dani flustered. He declined gently but stammered. "Uh, thank you, Auntie. Later, okay. I'm not really hungry yet."
He quickly walked to the second floor and entered his room. After closing the door, Dani took a deep breath and let his body fall onto the bed. The noise from downstairs was still clearly audible, but he tried to ignore it.
---
Inside his mind...
Dani stared at the empty ceiling of his room. Everything felt too strange. A week in the hospital in a coma, and now he had recovered just like that.
No weakness, no pain. Strangely, his body felt normal, even fresher than usual.
He closed his eyes, trying to remember that girl. Neir. Her name kept echoing in his head. The girl with red hair whom he met in that strange place.
Back then, Neir looked dazed, like someone who had just lost their way. Her face was innocent, her expression full of tension, yet her body was healthy.
"Is she real?" Dani murmured. "Was it maybe just a side effect of the coma?"
He recalled their conversation, though vaguely. The girl didn't look injured or physically troubled. In fact, Neir seemed like an ordinary person, although her eyes—especially her left eye—felt like they were staring directly into his soul.
Dani tried to ignore the feeling, but questions continued to haunt his mind.
"If it was just a dream, why did it feel so real? And why does it feel like... there's a connection between us?"
He replayed those moments in his head, trying to find a logical answer. But it only added to the confusion. He tried to convince himself that this might just be a strange effect of the coma.
"Must be because I watch too much Isekai anime," he muttered, remembering titles like Re:Zero, Sword Art Online, and Mushoku Tensei. "My brain is just playing tricks. There's no way another dimension or a mysterious girl like that exists."
Yet, the more he tried to deny it, the more real the memory felt. Neir, with her red hair, her blank expression, and her soft voice, seemed to be calling out to something within him that he didn't understand.
"Does all this... have a meaning?" Dani thought, letting himself drown in the confusion.
He closed his eyes again, trying to ignore everything. But Neir's image remained there, staring at him like a puzzle he needed to solve.
---
Back in Beysolun
Mariela carried the requested requirements—simple things like full name, age, and identification. She clutched the simple folder tightly as she walked through the center of Beysolun.
The fresh morning air mixed with the bustling activity of the small town made her slightly nervous, but it also gave her hope.
"I just want my child to have a better future," Mariela murmured to herself.
She stood in the middle of the crowded town center of Beysolun. This city might not be big, just a small harbor town bustling with fish trade.
Many people seemed enthusiastic about registering, and for Mariela, this might be a turning point when people here started caring about education.
Beysolun indeed had no school. The town was better known for its busy harbor, while Ferlin, the neighboring town, was the only place with a school. It occurred to her that if Neir could study there, perhaps her child's future could change.
The event took place in the Beysolun Town Hall building, the largest structure in this small town, usually used for administrative matters.
She entered the registration room. The room was crowded with people taking turns registering, sitting on the provided chairs. Mariela took a queue number prepared by the committee. Before she had to wait long, her eyes caught a familiar figure.
"Oh, Kaela!" exclaimed Mariela, seeing a young woman sitting in a corner, chatting with a little girl beside her.
Kaela, who looked about her early twenties, smiled brightly upon seeing Mariela.
"Mariela! How are you?" said Kaela, standing up and approaching.
"I'm fine, Kaela. How are you and your sister?"
Kaela laughed lightly, then pointed to the little girl standing beside her. "This is my sister, Tira. Tira, this is Mrs. Mariela."
Tira, whose age wasn't far from Neir's—just a year younger—nodded cheerfully. Her face was innocent, full of spirit, and she seemed very excited about school. "I want to go to school like my sister Kaela!" she said happily.
"Isn't Neir coming here?" Kaela asked with a concerned tone. "What's wrong with her?"
Mariela shook her head slowly. "Neir hasn't been feeling well lately," she answered softly.
Kaela nodded. "Hope she gets better soon. She must really want to go to school later."
They continued their light conversation, sharing stories about their days while waiting for their turn. Soon, Mariela's turn to register arrived.
A young man sitting at the registration desk, apparently a committee member and volunteer, greeted Mariela with a friendly smile.
His name was Firan, a young man around 25 years old. He wore simple clothes that showed he was part of this registration group.
"Good morning, Ma'am. How can I help you?" he asked with an enthusiastic tone.
"Good morning," replied Mariela, handing over the registration documents. "These are for my daughter, Neir."
Firan accepted the documents carefully, then wrote in the registration list. "Neir... A beautiful name," he murmured while writing Neir's name in the provided column.
He checked the stack of documents on the table and smiled widely. "I'm so happy to see so many people enthusiastic about registering. This is truly a good momentum for education here."
Mariela could only smile seeing Firan's spirit. "Yes, I hope everything goes smoothly."
"School will start soon. A month from now, so you just have to wait," said Firan, his eyes sparkling as he talked about education. "We hope Neir can join the other children."
Mariela nodded, feeling a little relieved. She knew this was a big step for Neir, even though she didn't know what would happen afterward. "Thank you, Firan. I'll wait for further news."
After that, Mariela left the registration room as another person's turn was called. She looked back at Kaela and Tira, who were still waiting cheerfully.
Mariela walked out, her steps feeling lighter. With a heart full of hope, she looked toward Neir's future, which might just begin with this school.
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