We are all connected. It's just another part of how humans worked. Whether it's from blood or your country or just even if you like the same anime as another, we are all connected somehow.

However, this story is not exactly about normal people. At least-

Not normal anymore.

At first, we were normal and then, she appeared before us.

A young woman with short brown hair and light pink eyes. She could've been no older than sixteen. When I met her, I was still slightly new to the force. I had recently moved out of Japan to join up with my cousin and his wife on the Chicago police force in America. I was still getting used to the rough streets that they have here. The crime here is much higher than the crimes I've seen previously at home.

On a particular night, I was patrolling around the town before heading home. I could imagine that my cousin wouldn't really care if I worked late or not but, he gets worried about me, especially since I'm still new to the area. I was just about to turn back to the station to drop off the squad car when I came across her inside a dark alleyway.

I was shocked to say the least. Why would a teenager be standing here in the middle of the night? I stopped my vehicle and got out to see if she was alright.

I recall her smiling sweetly at me, holding a stuffed white and pink rabbit and keeping it close to her chest. She was wearing a dress, white and slightly stained red. Blood, most likely. Was she a runaway? Possibly a victim of some type of domestic abuse? This requires further investigation.

"Are you okay, ma'am?" I shined my flashlight at her and she nods.

"I am, Hajime." she answers, her voice almost in a whisper.

However, I wasn't paying attention to that. The fact that she knew my name is what caught me.

"H-How did you-" she cuts me off.

"Unfortunately, I've done something terrible and now, you're in danger." she stands up, pulling out a gun from behind the rabbit and I tensed up.

"Okay, easy with the weapon!" I shout as I see her directing the gun to herself.

"Please protect them, Hajime." she says before I dash to stop her from pulling the trigger.

I expected to see blood when she pulled the trigger but, surprisingly-

She vanished, as if she were never there to begin with. I was disturbed, seeing that gun pull off and having nothing happen but, even more so when I didn't hear her body drop dead onto the ground.

Little would I know that she appeared before seven others that night, each person more different than the last.

At the time, I didn't realize how much my life would change at this point.

It was at this moment that I knew that nothing would ever be the same again.

This is how our story began.

With the woman in the white dress and the haunting image of her death.