Chapter 2: Future
November 2, 2025 at 8:49 AM
Iris
"Ash, it's about time you start thinking about where you're going to continue your studies," Antony comments through the phone and I sigh. Why can't he mind his own business? "I get it that you have good grades, but if you still don't know where you're going in life, then you'll end up no better than me." I get it that he is worried about my future since his isn't the best, but being a brother does not give him rights to poke his nose into what I want to do with my life. "Antony, I told you already. I'm still deciding." I hear his tired sigh. "You don't get it, Ash. I decided what I wanted to do 2 years before and yet I still ended up like this." He had been saying that for who knows how many times that I lost count. But to be brutally honest, it also surprised me when he didn't end up in any of the universities that he applied for despite his outstanding GPAs. "I need to go now... Ash, please, don't make dad and mom worry about you," he says. "Bye." "Bye," I say and he hangs up. It's not like I can do anything about my interests. I can't force what I like or what I want to do. But Antony doesn't want me to be a "failure" as he describes it. But he's not a failure, he just couldn't be what he wanted. Right now, Antony is working in a small office outside the city, so he only visits home once a month. I put my phone down and stare at the list of careers that I thought I was interested in. Half of them I don't even have interests in them anymore. "Ash, dinner is ready!" mom calls from the first floor. I shout back an acknowledged noise. I look past the almost empty piece of paper and onto my laptop screen. On it are conversations and text messages bouncing back and forth between the students in my year. New students are added one by one, words of welcome and introductions were made. But someone was missing. The new girl in 3 of my classes is still not added. I remember that she is in my year from the introductions she made during classes... Does she not have a friend to help her with that? It's not surprising, considering how she ignored me today...***
"Hello, Narima, right?" I attempt again. "I noticed that you weren't added into the student group chat... can I add you in there?" She is still ignoring me, continuing to read her book, before nodding. "Are you nodding to me or just reacting to your book...?" I mutter more to myself as I take out my phone and search up her school email account. "This you?" I show her my phone. She looks up and nods. I click 'add' and my eye wanders to her book. "What book are you reading?" She closes it to show me the title. Record of Victims from the Rosewood Warehouse Incident. My mind traces back to the date on the cover... 6 years ago... There's something so familiar about this... but I just can't somewhat place it... Rosewood Warehouse... What was it about again? I quickly pull out my phone to search about it before the professor walks into the classroom to start his lecture. Fire... Warehouse... Children... Isn't that... the same place... "Hello, class," the professor scoffs. "Good to have you back..." Rosewood Warehouse... The warehouse that took her away from me...
