Thelma had just left the practice room when she received a call from Eric. His voice on the other end of the line was as deep and pleasant as ever. “The competition is tomorrow. Are you nervous?”
Hearing his call made her happy. Thelma smiled, her face radiating joy and happiness. “Not nervous. Just remember to treat me to a meal after my competition is over.”
Eric chuckled softly, his usual cold demeanor melting into one of indulgence. “Don’t worry, I won’t forget.” He paused briefly before continuing, his tone suddenly serious. “Thelma, let’s have a proper talk after your competition.”
His abrupt shift in tone made Thelma nervous as well, though she tried to sound casual. “What is it? What do you want to talk about?”
He only replied, “We’ll talk after your competition.”
Thelma clicked her tongue in mock annoyance. By this time, she had reached the entrance of her dormitory building. From a distance, she spotted someone standing below. Recognizing Ava, she quickly said to Eric, “Ava is here to see me. I’ll hang up now.”
After a brief pause, he replied, “Alright. Good luck with your competition tomorrow.”
Ava walked over to her, holding a plush toy that looked like a stuffed ragdoll cat. With a cheerful grin, she handed it over and said, “This is a lucky charm for you. Make sure to cuddle it while you sleep tonight. Your competition tomorrow will definitely go well.”
Thelma took it, feigning disdain as she looked it over. “It’s not exactly cute, but I guess I’ll reluctantly accept it.”
Ava huffed. “You’re so full of yourself! But since you’re in the mood to joke, I’m guessing your mindset is solid, so I won’t worry about your competition tomorrow. Alright, then—I won’t go with you.”
Thelma immediately protested. “No, no, you have to come with me. I’ll only feel confident with you there for support.” She playfully smacked her lips. “What nonsense am I saying? This kitty is absolutely adorable!”
Ava covered her mouth and burst out laughing.
Ava and Thelma were close friends—the kind of relationship where even the most outrageous jokes wouldn’t cause tension.
Not only were they good friends, but Ava was also Thelma’s stepsister, though she was only two months older. Initially, Thelma didn’t like Ava because she despised Ava’s mother, Susan. Susan had been the third party in her parents’ marriage. Her father and mother divorced because of her, and her mother, devastated by the betrayal, fell into depression and poor health, passing away a few years after the divorce.
After the divorce, Thelma’s older sister stayed with their mother, while Thelma, still in junior high at the time, was placed under their father’s custody. Her father remarried Susan shortly afterward, and Ava was the daughter of Susan and her previous husband.
At first, Thelma found Ava as repulsive as Susan. However, after witnessing Ava being violently beaten by her mother, Thelma realized that Ava, like her, was also a victim of this marriage. Both of them resented this union. Sharing the same struggles, they quickly became close friends.
Over the years, they supported and encouraged each other in that dysfunctional household. Their mutual love of music gave them plenty to talk about, and they eventually both got accepted into the same music academy.
Because of their shared interests and familial connection, Thelma and Ava always had endless things to discuss. Apart from her mother and older sister, Ava was the closest person to her.
After chatting with Ava for a while, Thelma returned to her dorm. Although they both attended the same music academy, they were in different departments and lived in separate dormitories. Ava had taken a 30-minute round trip just to bring her the gift.
It was almost midnight. Her roommates were already asleep. Thelma quietly freshened up and went to bed.
Perhaps because her mind was preoccupied with the competition, she put the plush toy on the table after bringing it to her bed but forgot to cuddle it while sleeping.
Strangely, she thought she wouldn’t sleep well that night, yet she ended up sleeping soundly.
Sunlight poured through the window, making her eyes uncomfortable. She woke with a start and instinctively reached for the alarm clock on her bedside table, but after fumbling for a while and finding nothing, she realized something was wrong. Adjusting her eyes to the light, she looked at the table and was immediately startled.
This wasn’t her dorm room at all. But the room felt familiar—it was the one she had stayed in as a child before her parents divorced.
After the divorce, her father moved to Mapleton City and settled there. Since she had been placed under his custody, she moved with him to Mapleton City. After starting college, she only returned to this place on weekends.
How odd. She had clearly been in her dorm. How did she end up here?
Thelma sat up in bed, only to feel a sharp, needle-like pain in her head. Instinctively, she touched her forehead and felt a bandage wrapped around it. Feeling puzzled, she quickly got up to check herself in the mirror.
