[color=ffff00][center][h1]Rana Haq[/h1][/center][/color]

Rana's eyes opened slowly, a welcome change to her usual snapping awake. That was an unusual dream. But not unpleasant. A welcome change from the fire and fury, the rubble, the screaming, the water, so much water. She sat up, her small futon pushed up against the corner of her tiny one-room apartment. While Shumi Entertainment Media had provided her with room and board, it was only temporary. They had secured this apartment for her, enrolled her in the Academy, gotten her back on her feet, and gave her a head start by finding her a low-paying part-time job working at a convenience store. It was enough. She could take care of herself from now on. She had to.

[hr]
After an uneventful journey to school and the first few classes, Rana sat at her desk, eating her meager lunch alone. She flipped through her phone, a necessity, courtesy of Shumi Entertainment Media. She checked her phone during her breaks as a habit. it usually involved opening it, seeing no new notifications, and closing it. She checked it only because her coworkers and manager at the convenience store sometimes had requests. She noticed an email from an unknown sender and read it. She subconsciously began playing with the amber ring on her finger, the last keepsake she had of her mother. The email mentioned cards. Was that what that stack of things was that she had found in her apartment? She had, on a whim, taken them with her. She wondered where they had come from, if it was some sort of prank, or a gift from Shumi Entertainment Media. The email had said to meet to get more cards. Rana was unsure if she wanted more cards. Was the email from SEM? Was this something they needed her to do? Seemingly unprompted, she wondered if this had anything to do with the dream, but banished the thought. She shouldn't read too much into the one fantastical dream she had had in years. It was probably just a sign that she was moving on. That the trauma's hold on her was loosening. One could only hope that such memories will fade in time.

Yet after lunch, she slowly made her way towards the common room. It wouldn't hurt to see what this was about. It could be important. Maybe the cards belonged to SEM, and they needed to be returned. After all, their business was in entertainment, which would include games such as these cards.