HIRAETH

January 12, 2010

The melody that accompanied every movement of Lilian suddenly stopped when the power was cut off temporarily. Lilian sighed in frustration as she glanced at the reminder on her phone, which listed several bills-one of which was for the electricity in her studio. How could she have forgotten to pay? Oh well. The clock read 10 p.m. The girl with shoulder-length oval hair quickly gathered her things, changed her clothes, and hurried out of the studio.

Outside, light snow fell slowly as a gust of wind blew fiercely. The paved road beneath her feet was still wet from the snowstorm the previous night, and the street next to her was now dangerously slick. Lilian tightened her jacket, feeling the biting cold of the winter wind against her porcelain-white skin. As usual, she walked home. For some reason, she couldn't bring herself to spend even a single pound on a bus fare, even though her flat was relatively close to the studio, just a 30-minute walk away.

She stopped in front of a store showcasing a mannequin dressed in a beautiful ballet gown. Lilian stared at it with a wistful look, wondering when she might ever wear such a gown and perform in the grandest ballet in London.

"So beautiful," she murmured softly.

The store door opened, and two people came out, carrying large shopping bags. "Thanks, Mom, for buying me this gorgeous ballet dress," the child said.

The mother smiled gently. "You're welcome, darling. Just promise me you'll practice harder for the performance in two months."

Lilian sighed deeply, a pang of envy rising in her chest. After three years of ballet training, she had never once performed on stage. Not even for a competition had she been chosen. She turned and began walking home. That night, the snow started falling heavily. Still wearing her headphones, she didn't pay any attention to the sounds around her.

She stopped at an intersection, waiting for the pedestrian light to turn green. She walked slowly, surrounded by a few other people. Her mind drifted, imagining herself dancing on stage for a ballet performance. But suddenly, her body was violently struck by a speeding car, sending her flying several meters away from where she had been walking.

Lilian's dazed eyes stared up at the cloudy sky as snowflakes melted when they touched her skin. Blood began to trickle from her temple, and her eyes slowly closed as her body hit the cold, hard asphalt.

It felt as though time had frozen. Everyone at the scene stood still for a brief moment, before the silence was broken by the sounds of people groaning and others rushing to find help. Lilian struggled to open her eyes, pushing herself to rise from the cold asphalt. The snow kept falling heavily, and her blood continued to pour.

"Hey... hey, stay with me! You need to stay awake!" A woman rushed to Lilian's side, her face filled with panic. She pulled a handkerchief from her bag and pressed it against the wound on Lilian's head, trying to stop the bleeding. Using the last of her strength, Lilian fought to stay conscious. "Over here! I need a medic now!" the woman cried out again.

Lilian could no longer bear the weight pressing down on her eyelids. Drowsiness took hold of her, and she had no strength left to resist it. In the distance, she could vaguely hear the paramedics calling her name, urging her to stay conscious-but their efforts were in vain.

The trip to the hospital was slow and difficult. A thin layer of ice blanketed the roads, making the journey even more treacherous. Several medical devices had already been attached to her body, including an oxygen tube gently placed beneath her nose. At that moment, Lilian was completely powerless. She had no one by her side-not even the chance to inform her mother of what had happened.

Inside the ambulance, Lilian was accompanied only by a woman she didn't even know-someone who had witnessed everything just moments ago. The woman held tightly onto Lilian's hand, her own fingers trembling. She hadn't let go since the incident, softly whispering prayers, hoping-desperately-that Lilian would be okay.

The paramedics were doing everything they could, constantly checking Lilian's vitals, which kept fluctuating. Suddenly, Lilian's phone started to ring. Jasper's name appeared clearly on the screen.

"Hey, babe... where are you? I just wrapped up work. Are you still at the studio? I can be there in ten minutes," came Jasper's calm, familiar voice.

Alice, the woman beside Lilian, hesitated only for a second before picking up. "Hi... I'm sorry, I'm Alice. The owner of this phone is unconscious. We're on the way to the hospital. If you can, please meet us at St. Maria Hospital."

There was a pause.

"Wait-what? Lilian's unconscious? What happened?" Jasper's voice shifted instantly, laced with worry.

"I'll explain when you get here. Now, just come," Alice said quickly, ending the call as one of the paramedics leaned over Lilian and began CPR. Her condition was slipping. "Please... hang in there," Alice whispered, her grip on Lilian's hand tightening.

About thirty minutes later, the ambulance pulled up to the ER entrance. Doctors and nurses rushed to take over, wheeling Lilian inside, leaving Alice behind in the hallway-standing still, watching the stretcher disappear through swinging doors.

Even though she was a stranger, someone who had just happened to be there, Alice couldn't bring herself to leave. She didn't know Lilian at all, but something about the young woman lying unconscious stirred a deep concern within her. She waited-hoping, praying-that someone who loved her would arrive soon. And then he did.

A man with dark brown hair and striking blue eyes burst through the entrance, his face pale with panic. He looked around, clearly searching for someone, and rushed over to one of the nurses.

Alice stepped forward. "Excuse me... are you Jasper?" she asked, a little unsure.

He turned toward her, and for a second, she was caught off guard. He was handsome in a sharp, striking way-tall, broad-shouldered, with piercing eyes full of emotion. "Yeah, that's me. Are you the one who was with Lilian?"

Alice nodded. "She's with the doctors now. They're doing everything they can."

Jasper exhaled sharply and ran a hand over his face. "What happened?"

Alice took a breath. "I was just leaving work when I saw a car lose control up ahead. The road was slippery... the driver couldn't stop. It all happened so fast. The car hit Lilian-she was thrown a few meters."

Jasper's legs gave out, and he sank onto the nearest bench. All the strength seemed to drain from his body. His eyes stayed fixed on the hallway where they had taken Lilian.

Moments later, a doctor walked over. "Are you a relative of Miss Lilian?"

"I'm her boyfriend," Jasper answered quietly.

The doctor-his name tag read Dr. Charles-nodded. He glanced toward the ER doors before turning back. "She took a pretty serious hit to the head," he said gently. "We've managed to take care of her external injuries, but the head trauma is more complicated. Right now, she's unconscious, and we're waiting for her CT scan results. But... there's a strong chance she's slipped into a coma."

A tear slid down Jasper's cheek. Alice, still nearby, sat down quietly, feeling her own chest tighten. There was nothing more to do now but wait-and hope. The medical team began moving Lilian to an inpatient room. Jasper had already handled the paperwork and was now waiting for Lilian's mother to arrive.

Somewhere else-far from the noise and urgency of the hospital-Lilian felt her body drifting. She was floating through a narrow corridor filled with soft, white light that grew brighter the further she went. In the distance, she could hear the sound of waves crashing, birds singing sweetly in the air. Slowly, she began to walk-tiny steps on a path that felt oddly familiar. Eventually, she reached the end of the corridor... and stepped into a place unlike any she had ever seen.

Beautiful. Peaceful. Surreal.

"Where am I...?" she whispered.