CHAPTER 1

May is one of the busiest months of the year and an excellent month to make money. A fantastic month in which practically all businesses are open for business and individuals are free to go anywhere they want and swim for as long as they like. However, in comparison to previous years, some businesses have decided to close and reopen in the following month, when the heat will have subsided for the time being, because this year has been the hottest on record, with the sun radiating scorching heat and no breeze to help them cope with the extreme heat.

The time passes slowly. When new tasks were piling up instead of allowing them at least a 5-minute break before heading home, Kiwi Incorporation employees groaned in frustration. May is likely to be the hottest month of the year., but business is business, and generating money is business.

"Ugh, I'm exhausted."

"Let's go to a new restaurant near the bank for dinner." Employees were casually conversing with one another while taking a break; some employees were already organizing their desks, while others were finishing their work.

"I'm hoping our company will provide us another summer outing like last year." While arranging part of her unfinished paper, a short-haired female next to a blonde female said “Val? Valerie.” the short-haired female called when she notices that her friend was staring at the thin air again spacing out again, she slightly waves her hand in front of the blonde female.

“Oh, sorry what was that again?” After being startled by what her friend did, the female blonde said “Well, I'm just hoping that our company will offer us with an outing similar to the one we had last summer.” She paused to put down the paper she was arranging on her desk and then looked at her friend before continuing. "Anyway, are you all right? I mean, it's extremely unusual to see you, Valerie Farrell, the highly dedicated employee of Kiwi Incorporation, set aside a lot of time or should I say ‘spacing out."

“Y-yeah, I'm alright, it's just that I had a strange dream last night,” The blonde female responded as she finishes cleaning her desk and organizing her paperwork. “Why? What exactly do you mean by strange?" The short-haired girl questions, perplexed as to what kind of dream her friend had.

“It just seemed so real.” She responded before changing the subject and grabbed her belongings before leaving with the short-haired girl.

Valerie Farrell is a hardworking employee who is also independent. She grew up in a wealthy household with a strong background and education, but once she graduated from college, she decided to work for herself and not rely on her parents or relatives for money. She has beautiful blonde hair and blue eyes, an angelic lip shape, and an hourglass figure. Despite her hectic schedule, Valerie enjoys taking care of herself and her appearance.

She has a compelling cause for wanting to be self-sufficient. Yes, she may come from a wealthy family with a solid background, but why should she settle for an average apartment when she could buy a penthouse, and why is she working for a mobile phone company when she could work for her father's company? Many individuals who are familiar with her and her past frequently ask her that question, but she finds that possessing and spending her own money is more enjoyable than asking others for money, especially her family and relatives.

Valerie excels in both academics and sports, making her a flawless student in school. She's also talented in the workplace, which is why many people hold her to a high standard and expect her to work for her father's company rather than the mobile company. However, when she made a decision for herself that makes her a disgrace to her family, their expectations were only met with disappointment, but her mother continued to ask her to return home and reconsider her decision.

When she was younger, she was closer to her father than to her mother, and her father seemed to favor her more than her other siblings because she was exceptional and very talented in comparison to her other siblings. However, her choice caused her father to be disappointed in her, leading him to label her a disgrace in the family and one of the reasons she ran away from home.

Valerie has three siblings; her two older sisters are married and work for her father's company, while her younger brother is still in high school. Despite the fact that her father favors her over her sisters, they do not despise her, and when they learned of her decision, instead of looking down on her, they admired her for standing up for herself but it's not the same for her younger brother, who was jealous of her when they were younger because she always received more praise and attention than him; he saw her as his rival and believed that in order to get the attention he desired, he needed to elevate her, so he worked hard, and when he heard about his sister's decision, he rejoiced, knowing that their parents would now only focus on him.

“Thank you for making it so easy for me to get into your spotlight, sister.” Her younger brother stated to her as she was about to leave the house with her belongings, she comes to a halt and turns around to face her younger brother, smiling. "When did you grow up?" she asks questions before continuing, "I will give you everything if you want them so desperately, but I will tell you that I hope you won't regret it."

"I'll see you when you've already achieved what you want, and I'll ask you if it's really what you want," she said again as she walked out of the house.

Valerie began secretly saving and working a part-time job while still a student, and because her mother always gives her a large allowance, she has an advantage when it comes to saving money. When she goes out to look for an apartment, she doesn't worry about the price, but because she knows she'll still need money after renting an apartment, she chooses the average apartment rather than the luxury apartment. Her initial step to living alone was difficult, as was obtaining a job because some companies only hire people who have connections, and she didn't want to utilize her connections to gain access to a high-ranking position or a company where others are working really hard to achieve their goals. Fortunately, a fellow classmate from college recommended her to the Kiwi Incorporation, and she finds it to be an excellent place to work.

Despite her decisions appearing strange to others, she persisted in pursuing her new career. Valerie's coworkers, for example, have begun to keep track of her activities. Some people were envious of her after hearing stories about her, especially because she comes from a well-known family.

People around her often remark that she has everything a person could want. Money, a quality education, and a chance to succeed, They concluded that it had all been for naught. Some of the people with whom she had brief conversations understood her point of view, while others couldn't take their nose off away from others. Valerie is fortunate in that she is able to meet someone. Someone who doesn't look at her as if she's strange or as if she's wasting something "good," but rather as if she's the same as everyone else. After learning about their differences, there were no judgments or embarrassment. That individual is her best friend. Valerie has always been accompanied by Ellen Damiano, a short-haired girl who has been with her since Valerie began to do what she wants to do. Valerie admires Ellen for being so determined to attain her own dream and create a brighter future, despite the fact that Ellen does not have enormous riches or someone to sponsor her, as Valerie does.

Valerie told Ellen that one day no one will help her because she no longer has the power and money that her family does, and that the only person who will come to her when everyone else has abandoned her is Ellen, because Ellen doesn't care about Valerie's wealth or background; what Ellen cares about is their friendship, just as Valerie. Ellen assisted her in locating an apartment as well as a job, and she works there as well, so if Valerie needs her, Ellen is always there for her, and Valerie does the same for Ellen.

"So, what did you dream last night?" As they walked to a restaurant, Ellen, the short-haired girl, asked Valerie a question about her dream "When you stated it seems real," she remarked, "it piqued my interest."

"What drew your attention to it?" Valerie asks questions as they sit near the glass pane together "As you can see, I enjoy listening to people's dreams, and I also read a lot about dream interpretation on the internet." The girl with the short hair responded.

"Hello, may I take your order?" The waiter comes in and asks for their order.

"I'd like some beef steak with broccoli and chopsuey," Valerie says, "Also your best-selling halo-halo," she requested as she looked down at the menu. The waiter takes a look at the short-haired girl and asks about her order as well

"I'd like some pork cracklin' sisig and the best-selling halo-halo," The short-haired female places her order and hands the menu to the waiter "Also 2 medium-sized orders of refreshment" She add, the waiter then nods and recalls their orders for confirmation before passing them on to the chef.

Valerie took a sip of the water that the waiter also handed to them when he took their order, the short-haired girl said “Now go ahead and continue.”

"Are you familiar with the Rococo period? It is identical to it, in the sense that the dress of those present was comparable to it, and I found myself wearing the same thing." Valerie started

"Rococo fashion? Oh, it was back in the day when fashion was all about luxury, elegance, refinement, and ornamentation." As it progressively leaned on her table, the short-haired female muttered.

Valerie nods as she continues to describe her dream from the night before “I saw myself surrounded by people whose features I didn't recognize, and they seemed to respect me as if I have a stronger influence on them. Then, in the blink of an eye, I'm in a gorgeous great hall filled with nobles speaking, dancing, and having a good time. The music is also quite traditional, like something you'd hear in an ancient royal music hall. However, that lovely scene did not stay long since as soon as I turned around...” She comes to a halt and a trace of despair appears on her face.

"What is it, exactly? What made you ground to a standstill? Was there a problem? or did you just wake up?" When she noticed her friend's countenance change suddenly, the short-haired girl asked.

"I witnessed a battle... I also hear occasional crying from children and adults, as well as fighting noise; every scene appears to be extremely real." She looks out the glass window while she continues to speak "After that, everything goes black, and I hear a voice before I wake up."

“What did it say?”

“My empress, wake up and return to me right now.” Valerie answered. "Isn't dreaming meant to be vague, then why do I remember every detail of the dream I had last night, including the voice?" She asks Ellen "Yes, but yours appears to be unusual. I mean, if I had a good night's sleep and then wake up after 5 minutes, I will gradually forget my dream.”

"Anyway, since you claimed everything was so vivid, do you remember their faces or where they were when they were there?" Ellen asks her

"Thank you for your patience, your order is here." The two ladies smile as they watch the same waiter deliver their orders to their table.

Valerie picked up her spoon and bit into her food after the server had left before responding to Ellen's question. "The place was so clear, and I don't believe our country or any other country on the planet has that area; it's as if the beauty of it is somewhere far away from this earth." Ellen nods, aware that the location might not exist because it is merely Valerie's dream.

"I'm very certain I remember their faces, but why can't I remember them? It's both obvious and confusing." She has finished explaining about her strange dream. "Don't worry about it; it could just be a silly dream; after all, it happens all the time." Ellen, the short-haired girl, tells her before continuing to eat her lunch.

"Doesn't some psychology say that dreams can also teach us what we were like in the past, whether in our lives or in another world?" Valerie asks questions once again, peering out the glass window next to them at the rain.

“Yes, but isn't it lovely to have someone wait on you or simply be there for you?” Ellen agreed as she looked out the window at the pouring rain, Valerie smiled as she leaned her head against the glass window, listening to the rain.

‘My empress, wake up and return to me right now...Zhilux’ The voice calls out to her again, this time with an unusual name, prompting her to open her eyes and turn to look around the restaurant.

"Hey, are you all right?" The short-haired female questioned, noticing the blonde female rapidly turn to glance around the restaurant they were in. "I'm alright," she says, "it's just that I can't wait for the restaurant's best-selling halo-halo, even if it's pouring outside." Valerie makes an awkward smile as she looks at Ellen, and Ellen simply nods as she eats her food.

"Anyway, are you also expecting for a summer outing from our company like we had last year?" As they complete their meal and eagerly await their dessert, Ellen asks Valerie a random question about their company.

They decided to go home after an hour and go their separate ways. "That delectable dish has completely filled my stomach." Before saying and waving farewell to Valerie, Ellen lightly tapped her full stomach. "I'll see you at work, and stay safe on your way home." Valerie told Ellen as she carefully watched her friend ride a taxi. “You too Val, get home safe!”

Valerie waved her palm in the air as she stood there watching the taxi go away.

‘Zhilux...zhilux...’ In her mind, the odd name kept repeating itself ‘Who exactly is she?’ She shrugs her head and starts walking to her average apartment. ‘My empress, wake up and return to me right now...Zhilux’ The voice appeared in her thoughts once more, causing her to stop walking.

‘My empress...’ Valerie lets out a sigh and raises her eyes to the sky, where she sees the moon.