FIRST STEP TO UNKNOWN PART 2

Two days have passed since the accident.

Hana sat at the breakfast table, her hands wrapped around a warm cup of coffee. Luna, now seated beside her, looked far more relaxed than the previous day.

She had helped herself to toast and was flicking through a magazine she’d found on the table. It was strange to see her here, in this quiet, domestic moment, after everything they had been through.

Hana stared down at her coffee. Feeling lost on what she is supposed to do now?

The scent of coffee and pancakes filled the kitchen. The smell of chocolate spread was nostalgic and a welcome comfort.

Yuzuki Hirakawa, Ibuki’s mother, brought a plate of pancakes over and set it down beside the stack of toast.

“Sorry for troubling you Ms. HIrakawa.”

“Nonsense, it's only been 2 days since the funeral. It takes time to recover. Believe me” Ms.Hirakawa said

Hana felt grateful by Ms. Hirakawa's kindness.

“Also, are those two dating yet? It such a shame if they don’t. They both are perfect match for each other.” Ms. Hirakawa asked, pointing at Sora and Ibuki having fun talking in the kitchen.

“They getting there but no”

“Oh my, I guess she is her father’s daughter. Now, eat up before it gets cold” Ms Hirakawa said.

It was all so normal, but, somehow, that normalcy felt distant and alien.

The sound of her phone interrupted her thoughts. She glanced down at the screen as if it was nothing of great importance.

It was an Email.

An Email from UCLA.

There it was.

‘There has been a change regarding your application’ She paused at the notification. The bold letters of the UCLA logo at the top of the message.

This was it.

The moment she had spent so many sleepless nights hoping for, working for, dreaming of.

For a split second, everything else, the magic, the creature, the fire inside her, faded into the background.

This was the moment she had always thought would define her life. And yet now, she felt a strange sense of detachment.

“Is that what I think it is?” Luna asked, cutting through Hana’s thoughts.

They all heard her and came over. Hana looked up, realising that everyone was now watching her.

“It’s from UCLA, isn’t it?” Sora asked.

Hana nodded, her fingers losing her grip on her phone. “Yeah. It is.”

“Don’t you want to know? Open it!” Ibuki said.

She wasn’t sure if it was fear or uncertainty, but this wasn't the emotion she had expected to feel in this moment.

Taking a deep breath, Hana logged into her account and read the decision. Her eyes scanned the words, her heart racing as she read the first few lines. 'Dear Miss Aihara, we are pleased to inform you…' Hana gasped, She had been accepted.

After all the hard work, the late nights, the endless studying, she had finally made it.

“She got in!” Ibuki said as the room erupted in celebration

Sora wrapped her arms around Hana, pulling her into a tight hug “Congratulations, Hana. Mom and dad would be proud”

“Thanks, Sora-nii” Hana said.

Even Luna smiled.

Ibuki raises a cup in toast to her success. “Congratulations, Hana,” Ibuki said warmly. “That’s a big deal. I can't think of anyone more deserving."

Hana allowed herself to feel the joy of the moment, to revel in the fact that she had achieved something everyone thought was impossible.

Beneath the surface, her mind kept drifting back to the events of the last few days, to the fire that had ignited inside her, and to the invitation Luna had extended to leave this world for another.

Another two days passed and Hana sat out in the back garden. The sun had almost set and Luna was helping Ms.Hirakawa cook dinner in the kitchen.

Watching a princess learn to dice an onion was funnier than she had imagined. Especially when she had no idea what an onion was. The familiar sound of the back door creaking open pulled her from her thoughts .

She looked up to see her Sora stepping out into the yard. He carried two cups of tea, his face soft and thoughtful, as if he already knew what was weighing on Hana’s mind. Without a word, he handed one of the cups to Hana and sat down beside her on the steps, the smell of the tea comforting her.

For a few moments, they sat in comfortable silence. Hana appreciated the quiet, the presence of her brother beside her. It was grounding, in a way, even though everything else in her life felt like it was spiralling out of control.

She leant her head on her brother's shoulder. “You’ve been awfully quiet today. You can't blame school work anymore.” Sora

Hana stared down at her tea, her fingers tracing the rim of the cup. “Yeah… I have a lot on my mind.”

Sora nodded. “I figured as much. We been through a lot the past few days. It’s no wonder you’re feeling a little lost. I don't know if there's been another teenage girl go through what you are right now.”

Hana let out a soft sigh “It’s more than that. I thought getting into UCLA would be the most important thing in my life, that it would be everything I ever wanted. But now I’m not so sure.”

They were quiet for a moment. Hana hesitated, trying to find the right words to express everything swirling inside her. “After everything that's happened I don't know if I want the same things anymore. I don't know if it's because this is so fresh. I'm feeling this way. I don't want to make the wrong decision."

Sora’s eyes softened, there was a hint of sadness there too. “I can’t imagine what you must be feeling right now. Discovering magic….It’s not exactly the kind of thing you can find in a teenager manual. I do know that, no matter what you choose, you can always change your mind. Don't let the fear of choosing stop you from following your gut.”

Sora reached over, placing a gentle hand on Hana’s arm. “Neither of us have all the answers right now, Hana. It’s okay to be confused, to not know what you want. You’re allowed to be just human, even though we aren't one.”

Han looked down at her hands "You let me choose my own path and you supported me through it. I feel like I'm betraying you in not being excited.”

Sora shook her head. “Hana, I’m your big brother. I'm always protecting you and always wanting what’s best for you, but that doesn’t mean you can’t change your mind. That’s life. What’s most important to us is that you’re happy, that's always what we have cared about. And that you’re being true to yourself.”

Hana shed a tear, the sincerity in her brother’s words bringing a lump to her throat. “But what if I don’t know what that is anymore? What if I’m not sure who I am?”

Sora’s hand tightened "Then you take the time to figure it out. You don’t have to have it all figured out today, or tomorrow. You may never figure it out. Life is about becoming okay with that. The best thing you can do is learn to listen to your heart, and trust that it will lead you in the right direction.”

“Thank you, Sora-nii,” Hana whispered “I don't know what I'm going to do.”

“It’s okay to be lost. Sometimes, you have to be lost to find somewhere you want to be.” Sora said

They sat in silence for a few more moments, the breeze rustling through the trees as Hana let her brother’s words sink in.

She didn’t have to choose between one path or another. All she did know was that something inside her was shifting, that her future wasn’t going to be what she had always imagined, and maybe, just maybe, that was okay.

“UCLA is a wonderful opportunity, Hana. But if it’s not what you want anymore… if you feel like there’s something else calling to you, then that’s okay too.”

It had always felt like a dream, this moment, the moment where she would finally get to leave Enoshima, go to college, and start a new life. But now, that dream felt incomplete. There was something missing.

“I don’t know what I'm going to do yet” Hana admitted quietly,

Sora smiled, "Whatever you decide, even though I don’t like being involve Starlight stuff but I will support you no matter what. I'm sure Luna will as well. She's a good friend Hana.”

Hana nodded, The future was uncertain, yes, but it was hers to decide.

And in that uncertainty, there was possibility. Hana felt a small flicker of hope. She didn’t know exactly where she was headed, but she wasn’t alone.

She had her brother, she had Luna, and most importantly, she had herself.