Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or the characters related to it. Inspiration for this Prologue came from one of my favorite authors, Nicholas Sparks. But the rest, I do own.

Author's Notes:

As you may have noticed, I removed all the chapters that used to exist because I had a new idea and a new inspiration for this story. I wanted to go in a different direction from where my previous story was headed. Major revamping was needed, sadly. I do apologize for those who chose this as their favorite story because they liked how the story was going. I will take no offense if you remove this story from your lists because of the sudden changes. But I do hope that you will still continue to read and take this new version into consideration.

And! I plan on writing shorter chapters compared to the last ones. Well, it depends really.

Thank you!

Hope you enjoy the prologue! Do leave reviews and comments for me. They are always and forever appreciated and welcomed.

Spread the love!

~dancedaze

Prologue

I grew up with the grandiosity that life bestowed upon me and I couldn't have asked for more. But I was wrong. I was eighteen then—twelve and a half years ago—when my life changed forever.

Constant bombarding of questions and wondering from relatives and old friends always came my way, but I would always gesture them with a nod or a smile. It was not that I refused to answer or their questions stirred haunted memories. It was because I could not give an answer that would be enough for someone who passed by and just wanted answers. Someone would have to go through the pain and agony of entering my empty, and yet filled, apartment and sit down and meet my crimson eyes that were surrounded by, what teenagers would call these days, crow feet – also known as those damned, wrinkly lines that shoot out from the corner of my eyes because of work-related stress.

Three words were not enough. A sentence would not be enough. A paragraph would not be enough to explain my story.

Old friends and relatives of mine dared not to question or share my story for they, too, have witnessed it and lived it with me. It was I, however, who lived every moment of it. It was I who smiled, then cried.

Pardon me, but I would always take the road that leads to memory lane every now and then. So do bear with me.

I stare out from the porch of my house and into the garden that continued to grow all these years. The sky was filled with gray clouds and rain would fall any moment now. A young couple passes by, who doesn't seem to value their time together, and instead spends it by tinkering with their so-called Blackberries. I walk down the stairs and gather Magnolias that freshly bloomed two days ago. I, then, walk out of the house and into the street that leads me to the love of my life.

As I take this road, I close my eyes and I hear the clock stop. The second hand, minute hand, and hour hand slowly reverse and speed up by the minute. My almost gray (well, not really) hair turns back to the dark, raven hair that girls used to rave about. The dull, red eyes I have brightened and my famous crimson eyes shone. As I return to the old days, so does my surroundings. The busy city grows… well, less busy. Greener surroundings fill my eyes and I see Alice Academy – that red-bricked school that I once thought was a nightmare.

I am Natsume Hyuuga. Should I still say more? I grew up with the grandiosity that life bestowed upon me and I couldn't have asked for more. But I was wrong. I was eighteen then—twelve and a half years ago—when my life changed forever.

There will be times when you will smile, there may be times that you will cry.

Hey, don't say I didn't warn you.