She's Back

**Prologue**

**JC’S POV**

I had never seen this place before—not in any memory that sparked recognition in my mind. Yet, for some reason, it settled over me like a heavy, cold fog, carrying an undefinable feeling that pricked at my nerves.

It felt familiar yet strange, like a half-remembered dream that I couldn’t quite grasp, and I hated it. It was like reaching for something precious, only for my fingers to grasp thin air. It was right there, dancing at the edge of my consciousness, but I couldn’t pull it into the light.

“Sis…” came from the corner of my subconscious that I couldn't quite figure out, trying to break free just for my ear to hear.

A soft voice broke the silence. I saw a girl with hair like spun gold falling into the arms of the woman beside her. Her small frame was shaking violently, wracked with quiet tension and fear.

I leaned forward instinctively, forcing my eyes to focus, straining every nerve to make out her features, to memorize her face—but they remained stubbornly vague, blurred as if covered by a thick veil. My mind refused to let me see what was right in front of me, keeping everything a secret, and it was starting to piss me off.

Why did I keep having this kind of dream if the vision itself refused to show me everything crystal clear? It was frustrating as hell. It felt like watching a movie with the screen covered in mist.

“Don’t worry,” the other woman said, her voice low and steady, trying to sound brave despite the situation. “God won’t leave us.”

She pulled the girl back just enough to look into her face. Sorrow was written all over her features, deep and heavy, then she drew her close again in a tight, protective embrace. “Let’s pray. Together, we’ll find our way through this.”

The golden-haired girl buried her face deeper into the woman’s chest, her shoulders convulsing with silent sobs that tore at my heart even from a distance. When she finally spoke, her lips trembled so badly that I could barely make out the words.

“Not now,” she whispered, and the urgency in her voice hit me like a punch to the gut. “He’s waiting for my return.”

Their heads bowed in unison, surrendering their hearts and fears to the only thing they believed could shield them from the worst that might be coming. I didn’t know what scared them so badly. I didn’t know who they were running from or what danger was looming over them. But whatever it was, its weight crushed down on me too, making it hard to breathe.

Suddenly, my vision began to shake violently. The edges of the scene blurred and warped like water in a disturbed pond, rippling and twisting out of shape. A faint voice lingered in my ears, distant at first but growing steadily louder—though no matter how hard I concentrated, I couldn’t comprehend a single word it spoke. It was just noise, yet it felt important.

“JC… JC…”

The voice cut through the fog, sharp and clear now, calling my name directly.

And just like that, the world around me dissolved entirely. When my sight cleared, I was staring at another woman. Though her features were still clouded by a thin veil of mist, something deep within me stirred violently at the sight of her.

My heart skipped a beat. I knew her. I was certain of it, even if I couldn’t name her or remember how we’d met. It was a feeling buried deep in my soul.

D*mn! I was still getting the hang of the moment, still trying to process everything, and now it was shifting again. That was a good way to ruin my concentration—the same concentration I had ground like crazy for the past months just to keep myself sane.

“It’s about time,” she said. Her voice was low and smooth as velvet, yet carried an undercurrent of urgency that sent jolts of confusion through my already jumbled thoughts. Even as the words left her mouth, a strange sense of recognition washed over me, warm and terrifying at the same time.

One moment, my eyes had been fixed on the two women praying, their faces etched with worry over some unseen threat. The next, she was standing right in front of me, her presence both comforting and unsettling, like home and danger wrapped in one.

I stood frozen, still hooked up in the tangle of thoughts that swirled through my head—questions without answers, memories without context, feelings without source.

Without thinking, my hand moved to the pair of headphones that were looped around my neck. I slammed them on my ears roughly. The soft padding of the ear cups pressing against my skin brought me back to myself, grounding me. It reminded me of reality. I wasn’t in some strange place. I was just here. I had been napping in my dressing room for the past few minutes, trying to steal some rest before the show.

Should’ve known better. Every time I slept too deeply, these… moments… these visions… hit me hard. Having these symbolic dreams that a mere human like me couldn't spell out or understand was driving me crazy. They were codes my brain couldn't crack.

The woman took a step back, then turned and began to walk away. Her movements were deliberate, graceful, as though she knew exactly where she was going even if I didn’t.

The clicking of her heels against the hard floor echoed through the quiet room, each sound growing fainter and fainter as she disappeared from my vision. Without even deciding to do so, without my own command, my legs moved. I found myself following her, each step feeling light and disconnected, as though I were floating mid-air above the ground, pulled by an invisible string.

I stared down at my sneakers, watching them move one after the other. It was the only way I could settle my scrambled thoughts and untangle those questions screaming in my head. I was trying to piece together some explanations from the incomprehensible visions that were bugging me endlessly.

What was strange was that the emotions were so tangible. It wasn’t just what I saw; it was what I felt. It was as though I was sharing their pain—fear sharp enough to cut, sadness heavy and cold like winter, and the desperate push to fight against fate.

They were preparing for something worse, something they knew would happen, yet they were against it. And there was nothing they could do to stop it. That helplessness was the worst part.

I breathed out heavily, a sharp sound of frustration.

D*mn it!

I ripped the headphones off my ears roughly, throwing them down, and ran my hand through my hair so hard it stung my scalp. I needed to get it together. I needed to snap out of it.

The show would be ruined if I let these thoughts wander around in my head. I had a performance to do. I couldn't afford to mess up. I couldn't let the shadows of my dreams steal the light of my reality.

**One**

**RHEA’S POV-**

The campus bell suddenly rang as I was walking on the path, and from my position, I saw Sir Villaflor come out of our classroom. He was our first subject instructor in the morning, and for sure, he was done teaching our section.

As I noticed, both of us were walking on the same path. Normally, I would do ninja moves to dodge him, but in this situation, I didn't pull out anything, considering that his gaze was stinging on my face. My plain, flat face card, yet surely he had another lecture up his sleeve.

"Good morning, Sir," I greeted just as I stood in front of him, curving a small, awkward smile on my face.

The corner of his lips lifted. "If you always come in at this time, Ms. Castino, you better add another irregular class to your schedule for next year." A casual response from Sir; his eyes weren't even fixated on mine.

Another smile flashed on my face,