Chapter 3

Saranie looked over the watch she was staring at as she switched. It had something like brown leather wrapping around her left wrist. The main technical part of the watch had a glass window and some silver like metal as the casing. There were a few things on the side of it, but she didn't know what it was supposed to be.

It seemed she was still home, even though it was morning. Saranie felt the mark on the notebook, still intact, and looked it over. It seems that it was Odaria's day off and she was resting with a cup of tea nearby.

A headache came over Saranie and then she heard a voice. It was familiar. Saranie was currently speaking out of her mouth without doing so.

"What's going on?" The voice asked, clearly confused.

"I don't know." Saranie replied.

Nothing talked after that, neither her or anyone else. She took a guess that it was Odaria. Hopefully not another person.

[Was that you who asked 'What was going on?' I suddenly got a headache when that happ-]

---

Saranie felt mud on all sides, though it was just completely black. Nothing around to sense in any way. It was a void and terrible to move it. It didn't take too long for her to try screaming. No words left her mouth.

It felt like eternity.

---

"I feel so sluggish today."

"You look like you could use a nap." Litalsse handed her a cup of tea. "So did Saranie write anything?"

"Yes, I did. She wrote about getting a headache. It really hurt."

"Wait what? You wrote that or she did?" Litalsse was confused by her statement.

There was a slight pain in her head so she casted a pain reducing spell. It was higher tier than healing, costing more mana. The green glow wrapped around her head.

"I did, that's what I said. No, Saranie wrote it. That spell was just to cancel out the headache."

"What is your name?"

This time she was confused. Litalsse didn't need to ask that.

"Ahhh!"

---

Saranie woke up the next morning to birds chirping outside. The sun kept rising in the sky and she just stared out the window in a daze. Everything she could see looked fuzzy around her, but in her mind it was worse. All she knew were vague memories from her childhood. The one that she was currently focusing on was when she made her first dagger. The warm light coming out of the back room reflecting off the polished dagger. Saranie was proud of her accomplishment and through the support of those around her.

"A wonderful piece of work!" Tripharem patted her back getting more soot on it than was already there.

"Thank you…" A bashful response to an achievement worth the wait. "You've done a lot for me, thank you master Tripharem."

---

After that incident where Saranie and Odaria had that massive headache, things became different for the both of them. Saranie's memory of forging her first blade was being dreamt by Odaria. The opposite was also true.

"Mom, dad, say something." Saranie shook the two unconscious… dead bodies of her parents.

All she could remember was a car blaring its horn before the crash. Glass and rain fell through cutting her face. After crawling out from the back she looked around in a daze. The wind riffled through the trees, laying waste to falling leaves and branches.

Going back to her parents, Saranie tried to get them to wake up, but nothing was happening. She started crying…

---

Through the next few months they were sharing memories. Going back and forth switching between each other like usual. Saranie never really spent more than half an hour a day aware of her surroundings.

Odaria and Litalsse were both handling everything well, even helping each other through the worst of it. Because some of those memories were now haunting Odaria. The pain on both sides ate away at them.

Due to Saranie's memories being the toughest, Odaria had to take a break from school. She sought out Gyellat for help, but didn't say anything about Saranie. When she was informed I got Odaria locked up in some dark and scary place. Neither had ever been there, but heard the stories from such a place.

"If you don't tell me everything, I can't help you." Gyellat was close to pleading with Odaria. It was during the time when Odaria had seen how Saranie arrived here. The betrayal when she learned the war was nothing more than a sham. Bodies lying everywhere. Friends and allies are dead. The loneliness and pain from losing herself to end the fight. Her sacrifice when interacting with those beings on the other side of the portal and the closing of it.

"I can't…" Odaria left and Litalsse had to cover for her as Gyellat made calls to have her brought in. It wasn't easy, but they were able to make it pass as Saranie had taken over for long enough to calm the situation and people. It was the longest she was in control. Three whole days.

But that was just a special occasion as everything went back to how it was before. Popping in and out at random times, leaving Odaria with vague memories of Saranie's actions.

---

The leaves had changed colors a month ago and the wind had picked up. Saranie pushed open the doors to the school following the corridor towards the classroom. It was easy to learn it all these past few months and to get used to everything in Odaria's life.

She had grown a lot closer to Odaria and Litalsse. Her life and past was laid out before them. Her decisions and regrets that followed. The same happened with Odaria. The pain they all shared, even Litalsse, turned them into a strong team.

Well Odaria was still traumatized by Saranie's memories, she was able to learn the basics of mana and lifeforce, letting her use both to a limited effect. Actually when they had tested it, it was separate to whoever was in control. If Saranie wasted all her mana, the next moment Odaria took over she could fire as many mana based spells as she was able to, before her own mana ran out.

When checking out lifeforce, that was the biggest discovery. Saranie's still had that rainbow colored sheen, but Odaria's was exactly like Saranie's in the past before it. That led her to believe that their connection was greater than some random coincidence.

Saranie shook out of her thoughts as she entered the classroom, setting down her purse, pulling out an orange colored notebook.

[Please save me a bagel to eat.]

She really wanted to have one since she had it for the first time two weeks ago. There was a nice spread that went perfectly with it. Odaria had packed it into their lunch, but if she could, Saranie wanted to be the one to eat it.

---

The next switch brought Saranie to lunch. She couldn't believe her luck.

"… the food sucks there. I just don't understand how my family would want to eat their food for my sister's wedding." Haradex, another history teacher, was currently complaining about his sister's wedding he had gone to.

He always wore those turtleneck sweaters. Even in summer. He was a strange man, but loved history as much as Odaria did. If Saranie had to say anything, Odaria had a one sided competitive relationship with him. Even when she was taking her classes, in the university, he was always better than her. It strove her to progress further in her studies and become the teacher she was today.

The funny part was that he had gotten the same job as her at the same school. They never really talked all that much. Only sticking to history related subjects or their job. Saranie took another bite of the bagel, leaving the rest of the food for Odaria when they switched.

Saranie never met Haradex's husband, but Odaria did. His husband didn't care for history at all. So she wondered why they made such a good couple. She had to agree with Odaria on that one.

"But you ate the food." Byelka had commented on what Haradex had mentioned before.

She was the new physical education teacher this year. Weirdly enough Odaria and her never really talked to each other. Though once Saranie asked Odaria, apparently Litalsse had the same issue with her. There were very few people that Byelka interacted with. No matter how much Odaria wanted to make friends with her.

Though they did know she was in the military in the past. Her tanned skin and short brown hair stood out amongst the other women here.

'I could take her.' Saranie thought as Odaria had taken up exercising with Litalsse these past few months. She was a little jealous of Byelka's muscles. Odaria's muscles had some strength in them, but if she was being honest, they were sticks compared to Byelka.

[Work on your arms a bit more.]

"I did. I love my sister and didn't want to ruin her day. Although I'm still paying for it. If you will excuse me." Haradex chuckled along with the others as he left the room to go to the bathroom.

---

Also during that time, Litalsse had completely moved out of her home. As Saranie and Odaria's confidante, it would be best to have her close by just in case something new or strange happens.

"… and my folks just laughed. Oh hi, Saranie. So as I was saying, after I told that joke to my parents, I asked them if they wanted me to bake a cake for them. They just couldn't stop laughing and eventually dropped the phone. It didn't break, but the cork did snap. I was worried, until they had gone to a neighbor who had used their phone to say everything was alright."

She must have mentioned the time when she and Odaria tried to make a cake. Due to Saranie popping in, things got a little out of hand. When she switched back later that night, she was still cleaning up the mess.

Also Litalsse got better at knowing when the switches happened. It didn't stop her conversations. It didn't seem to bother her, when having to repeat her words to Odaria, when they switched back.

"How are you doing Litalsse?"

"A sudden question, but I'm fine. A little stressed over how little my students have been paying attention. The news keeps talking about those animal attacks recently and some of them are just scared."

What she didn't say was that she was scared too.

Saranie had seen the news here and there, but never paid much attention to it. She had too little time to do what she wanted after a switch.

"I'm sure it will be fine. You just need something to focus on."

Lately Saranie and Odaria's minds have been getting clearer. Though it's only been eleven days. There's hope, but this has happened before. A short time where everything is clear and they can think.

---

The cold wind blew against the house as Saranie switched. Odaria had been vacuuming the carpet, so Saranie just continued with it. Music on the radio could be heard over her chores. She danced to it, having as much fun as she could.

Right before she switched she could hear Litalsse laughing around the corner.

---

Siren passed by the house, waking Saranie up. They were loud and the cars were fast. If she could, staying asleep would have been nice. Although now she was awake, she looked at the orange notebook.

[Do I need to? I like my arms the way they are.] Saranie scoffed at that. These sticks would do her no benefit. [If you-] The rest of it was scribbled out. That was all she could make out of it. Probably wrote something she didn't mean. Saranie didn't mind either way. [If you want more bagels, I'll try to get you some more next week.]

[Don't worry about it. I don't need any. Save up your money.]

With that she put it back down and went to bed.

---

Already on her way out of the house, Saranie looked around. There must have been a fire close by as the sky was getting dark. Seeing it, reminded her of the last battle.

"… Saranie? Your trembling."

"It's fine. I think Odaria made the connection to the sky and when I closed that portal."

"I see. Let's go then."

Their walk through the streets was a quiet one. Neither really talking to each other. The trees swayed in the cold breeze. Just to keep them both warm as they went to school, she casted a warming spell on them both. It would run out in a few minutes.

---

As the switch started, a headache started. Odaria had been afraid and looking around at the students, some were scared.

"What was that?"

"Was that a scream?"

"Do you think those animals got into the school?"

Saranie was starting to get the picture. This was a forced switch due to how afraid Odaria had been. It was just like that time in the hospital.

"Everyone stay here. I'm going to check it out. Don't leave this room unless I say so."

Saranie took control of the situation. While her students, after all this time they had a small place in her heart, they all stayed where they were. A boy and girl in the class both had panic attacks at a similar time. They didn't help the situation. She needed to find out what happened. Before she switched back or the headache got worse.

Out in the hallways students and teachers were coming out to find out what happened. Turning her head back in the room, she said one last thing to the students.

"Don't leave. Stay here, I'll be right back."

Her body pumping adrenaline through her body as she made her way towards Litalsse and then checking out where the others were going. Saranie pushed past a few people, hearing the mummers and fears of those she passed.

Eventually she reached the room where Litalsse was. She had kept her students safe and the doors locked. As others passed by Saranie, she knocked on the door.

"Litalsse, is everything alright in there?"

Saranie was pulled into the room and brought over to the window. A bunch of bodies, both students and adults were bloodied and laying on the ground. The ones walking were covered in blood themselves, some even missing limbs, just walked about. Of course the sky was still dark, giving her flashbacks to the war.

"Zombies…" She mumbled it out very quietly. Over the kids who were freaking out, no one could hear her.

"They're going to eat us!" One of the kids screamed. It didn't matter how old they were anymore. Everyone was a child in front of the undead.

"We can fight them." A small group of teenagers were heading for the door. They thought they could. If they wanted to risk their lives, she had no problem with that. Although she wanted to keep them all together.

"Stay here!" Litalsse went over to block the door.

"Ms. Litalsse, but do you realize the situation we are in? Zombies are roaming around outside. You don't control me." The boy tried to push over Litalsse. Saranie caught her.

"Let them go."

"But-"

"I know." Then Saranie spoked up to the other children. "If you stay here in this group I, we, can protect you. If you leave now… that is your choice to make."

A couple of kids burst out from the door running away. A few of them wanted to see their parents and were running home.

"I'm going to get Odaria's students. I'll bring them back here, then we can move along." Saranie whispered that in Litalsse's ear.

"Uhm… Go get them, but we will meet you in the gym. There won't be enough room in here."

"Are you sure?"

Litalsse just nodded and Saranie went to fetch the kids. The lights went out in the building as she reached the room.

"Come with me." There were a few already at the windows looking outside. There was some puke near there and the others avoided it. Saranie picked up the unconscious girl in her arms.

As she counted them up, about nine of them had already left.

"Ms. Odaria, what is going on?" One of the girls asked in a calm voice. It was strange, even if it might be a mask.

"I don't know." She answered honestly.

In her world, undead of any kind needed a necromancer. If not, the undead would falter and crumble upon themselves about an hour after. So if you killed them, the undead would soon follow.

But this was another world. From the small snippets she heard from the kids and teachers, zombies spread by hurting others. A virus that gets in their body to turn them into one. Saranie had no idea what kind of zombies there were or if other undead or even monsters were out there. There was so much she didn't know, that she needed.

Leading the kids towards the gymnasium, she lost a few more kids. They went to fight, thinking it was fun, or they were going home to their parents. Those who stayed were mostly those subdued kids. Even that calm girl left to go find her parents.

The one with freckles and glasses was currently in her arms and smelled horrible. But Saranie didn't care about that as she funneled in the gym with the students and went over to Litalsse's group. They lost some kids too, but otherwise Litalsse was fine. Setting down the girl against the wall and asked one of the others to look after her.

"Where can I find a sword?"

"Saranie, you're still here?" Litalsse was shaking in fear right now. Saranie grabbed her by the arms and went in for a hug.

"I'll protect you both. I think I'm going to be here for a while. Odaria called for me, like before."

"I see." Litalsse said with a forced smile.

"I need a weapon. I would prefer a sword, but a dagger would be just fine."

"I… I don't know."

"It's fine. I'll think of something."

"Be careful about your… rainbow stuff."

It was true. If Saranie revealed magic here, then others might turn against her. From some of the memories she had gathered from Odaria, that would be the worst case scenario.

"Can I have your attention?" Byelka was standing on a chair, looking at everyone gathering. "Once everyone gets in, check for injuries. Once everyone is in, we will lock the doors and wait for help to arrive."

Saranie looked at her. There was a strange way she said help. It was more like Byelka didn't believe anyone was coming. It wasn't like Saranie thought badly of her. This was a strange situation to most and having someone else you are used to fighting would help a lot. They did have guns in this world. Powerful ranged weapons that would help defend everyone.

As Saranie turned around to look at her students, she addressed them. With the power out, only the light from outside was getting in through the windows. The strong cold winds made everything scarier for the children. Like Odaria, she had hoped that none of them would ever have to fight like herself. That was probably going to change. No, it was.

"I'm going to talk to Ms. Byelka. Ms. Litalsse is going to watch over you until then. Please listen to her. I'll be right back."

---

The headache flared up for a moment, but then dropped back down. Saranie made her way past other kids and adults. Once she was near Byelka, she tried to get closer. Others must have already wanted to talk to her.

"The police are going to be swarmed. Do you expect us to wait for the military?" One of the older teacher's asked.

"If we leave now, we could make it to the police station. They would have enough room for us." Another interjected. She was about the same age as the man who just spoke.

"Even if they did, we wouldn't be the only ones to think of that. We have food and enough room to shelter the kids here." Haradex brought up the obvious, but Saranie didn't agree with him.

Saranie still needed more information on how these undead worked. If she knew how they came to be, then she would know how to take them out. Well at least one way.

"We need to arm ourselves and teach the chi- students to fight back. Even if the police or military came to help, we need to be able to fend for ourselves in the meantime." Saranie spoke her opinion. Not everyone agreed with her.

"I agree with Mr. Haradex here. If we lock ourselves inside, we can just wait for them to save us. But Ms. Odaria is right as well. From what I've seen, this won't be solved quickly. We need to defend ourselves. Leaving now, with everyone here, is a death sentence." Byelka said that last part in a hushed tone to the group here.

The older man stood up on the same chair and announced to the crowd.

"Everyone! Attention!" The room quieted down. "The world has been going crazy these past few weeks. We already heard about these attacks, but until it became what it is today, we never cared."

Saranie saw a few nods in the crowd. But she listened as the older man continued.

"So do you think those who are supposed to protect us," he locked eyes with Byelka for a moment, "are going to protect us? They have families too and will protect them over some school. If we leave before it gets worse-"

"Mr.-" Byelka tried to interject, but the older man spoke over her.

"… we can go to them, so they can protect us. We don't even know when they might come, so this is all just false hope. We can guarantee our safety if we are proactive and leave now."

Before he could finish, screams came from behind the doors. They were quickly slammed shut, while some of the others had already been barred, and everyone quickly started to panic. Students and teachers started to panic, unlocking the other doors and fleeing into the streets.

The older man corralled those trying to flee to follow him. Those who stayed quickly gathered around Byelka.

Saranie, in the confusion, moved back towards Litalsse. There were less than ten students left, out of both classes, now following Saranie and Litalsse.

"What do we do?" Litalsse asked.

"Byelka. Follow-" A large pounding headache started to kick in. Saranie grabbed her head. The screaming around continued. She felt Litalsse help her up and move with the kids.

"…fine. Trust me. Ms. Odaria just has bad headaches here and there. She's not turning into a zombie."

Panting heavily, Saranie broke out of it. The pain was still there, but it was lessened.

"Follow Byelka. Stay close by." She whispered in Litalsse's ear. "If the worst happens and I'm not here. Mana darts should help keep them away, but won't kill them."

They followed Byelka as their group fled the school.