"... My room... back in Japan...?"

My eyelids, heavy with dreariness, lifted slowly, my eyes readjusting to the bright morning light flowing in from the open window. Décor of all sorts covered the walls of my small bedroom. Across from my bed was my small computer, with the area to the side covered in papers—notes from the clock tower.

"Was it a dream...?" Everything that happened until now... all of it?

I stood slowly, and pushed my sluggish body through the door. Shuffling my feet through the hallway's wooden floor, I made my way to the kitchen. Before me, a beautiful sight.

"Hmm? Good morning dear, I see you're up already."

A stunning woman, with long silver locks, dressed casually in a loose pajama top, with an apron over her clothes stood at the counter. In her right hand she held a plate, and in her left, a sponge. A wave of recollection hit me like a truck, before quickly moving past.

"Dear? Ritsuka? Are you alright?" Her voice quivered very slightly with concern. Realizing I hadn't blinked in a few moments, I closed my eyes, reopening them to see that she was still in front of me.

"Ye... yeah. Perfectly fine." I gave a weak laugh, then sat at the table. "... Director..."

"Hmm? It's been a long time since you've called me that. Are you sure you're...?"

"Sorry, Marie, I was... Dreaming." I shook my head, rubbing my eyes a bit. Tears? My knuckle was a bit damp, so it must've been.

"You had me worried there."

"I'm actually... really glad. Really relieved."

"Why so?"

"I saw you die... and then again... the most painful part was when I couldn't do anything to..."

I blinked. The room was ablaze. My vision was covered in a harsh red glow. And although just a moment prior she was doing dishes right in front of me, at this moment she was gone. As if she was never here in the first place. And I couldn't even...

"... Help..."

And out the window, the cityscape and skyline of Tokyo was all on fire. Above, dead center in the sky, a giant molten sun. And in it, I could still hear her screams.

What a naive idiot. A dream, really?

"Please...!"

This was the dream.

"I don't want to die...!"

Oh.

"H... help me...!"

So this is what it means...

Those flames began to eat away at my skin.

... for the world to burn...

Then it consumed me too.