“I’m not surprised you finally moved over here. The Shakai Group controls ninety percent of all major businesses in the region,” Jessica Staccato said, glancing over a resume. “I’ve known Felicity since high school. Her family has always been strict. Even if her parents aren’t CEO anymore, they’re still involved. I figured things wouldn’t change,” Ko stated. Ko made a …

By the time Jacque texted me, the entire plaza outside was dark except for nearby building lights. The library was still packed, people either frantically studying for exams or idly chatting with friends. I pushed my chair in and then exited. The graphic artist sat on a bench near the entrance. “Yo Yuki. Let’s get going,” Jacque said, standing up. …

Another familiar face walked in. Jacque, a full beard on his face, stared at us in surprise. His hair was long but well-kept compared to his face. The artist resembled a person departing from the wilderness after a month. “Ah s***, I’m interrupting something. Yo, Long, the hell? You can’t be having private talks with students. You’ll get reported, man. …

? “And so you just use this to prove the final step of the equation. You won’t need to actually prove it on the test, but I think it’s nice to know. Especially if you’ll go on to take more advanced classes,” a familiar voice instructed, accompanied by the sound of a marker scrawling across a whiteboard. Where was I …

Sunday Spring Break 2016 Final Day I woke up to the clanging of a spoon striking against a glass bowl. The person responsible for that sound was obvious. Knowing Tess, she arrived at my house two hours earlier. “Good morning, Tess. What time is it?” I greeted the Gatekeeper. “9:30. Would you care for oatmeal?” Tess asked, showing me the …

“I hope this is good enough,” Jacque said, head dropping down onto the table. “It’s an improvement, but I’m not the judge. We’ll see how the room responds,” Tess declared, dangling her golden key over the canvas. The art disappeared with a bright flash of light. A sketchbook now rested on the easel. Jacque picked it up, flipping through the …

Memory Dive 8: Contracts Suck Zhuyu, with only his right earphone in, walked alone. He arrived at his house and unlocked the door. “Kyoi, how did you….?” Zhuyu stepped back upon seeing the woman. “Hello there, Long. Nice to see you too. Your parents were kind enough to let me in after I spoke to them in Chinese,” Kyoi revealed. …

??? “Tomo, you okay?” I heard someone’s concerned voice. Champ stood over me, in a barren field, lines of doors on either side of us. He offered me a hand, assisting me upward. “Where the hell are we?” I said, still feeling slight pain in my head. “Gatekeepers’ Domain, Tess’ own personal dimension,” Zhuyu answered, walking towards us. “Her dimension?” …

Saturday Spring Break 2016 Day 6 I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing. F***, it was probably Tess. I fumbled for my phone, and almost fell out of bed, seeing Felicity’s name on the screen. “Yeah?” I asked, not invested in the conversation. “Yuki, Yuki! Are you okay? Did you get hurt anywhere? Any serious injuries I …

??? Bright sunlight streamed down from a clear, blue sky. Seagulls flew around in circles, screeching at each other. A beach, really? Tess, I don’t think this is the most appropriate location. “Nice, a beach! This certainly is a nice change of pace,” Bartholomew commented, shielding his eyes from the sunlight. “Didn’t really think we come to a place like …