He watched with a smile as the guests continued to arrive at his palace. Every one of them was dressed in magnificent attire, and each bowed respectfully whenever they caught sight of him.
The musicians began to play, filling the grand hall with elegant melodies.
But then...
Screams erupted from outside.
People were running in panic.
He looked around in confusion.
What's happening?
The once lively banquet instantly descended into chaos as the guests fled in terror.
A blinding light engulfed the entire palace.
"YOUR MAJESTY!!!"
.
Xylon jolted awake, gasping for breath. Cold sweat soaked his body as he clutched at his chest.
The nightmare again...
For the past several nights, he had been haunted by the same dream. He had no idea what it meant, but one thing always stood out—it took place inside a magnificent palace, and everyone addressed him as Your Majesty.
He glanced at the clock.
Almost eight o'clock.
He had class.
After taking a quick shower and getting dressed, Xylon paused before the framed photograph of his late parents.
They had died in a tragic car accident years ago.
He was the only survivor.
The cruelest part wasn't just losing them—it was losing his memories as well.
He remembered nothing from before the accident.
Leaving his apartment, he rode a jeepney, then transferred to a tricycle before finally arriving at the public college he attended.
"Hey, Xylon!"
He turned and saw his classmate, Tomas, waving at him.
"Morning," Xylon greeted.
"How are you? Did you finish our assignment?" Tomas asked.
"Yeah. It wasn't that difficult," he answered.
Tomas chuckled. "Man, I salute you."
The two entered the campus together.
As they walked through the courtyard, Xylon noticed a familiar figure.
Stephen.
A student from the Science Department.
Stephen was known for his fascination with ancient books on alchemy. Quiet and reserved, he rarely spoke to anyone unless necessary.
Stephen suddenly looked in his direction.
Caught off guard, Xylon instinctively looked away.
That weird guy...
For some reason, he felt as though he had known Stephen for a very long time.
.
.
.....
Inside the office of a tall company building...
"Here are the documents for the construction of our company's next branch," the secretary said as she handed a stack of files to Xenon.
"Thank you. You may leave."
Once the secretary left, silence filled the office.
Xenon was the only son of one of the country's most influential businessmen. Since his father had fallen seriously ill, he had taken over the management of the family's company.
Loosening his tie, he let out a weary sigh.
The workload had become overwhelming.
And on top of that...
Those strange dreams had begun tormenting him again.
He stood and walked toward the floor-to-ceiling window.
The morning sun blazed brightly outside.
As he extended his arm into the sunlight, a sharp, burning pain spread across his skin.
He immediately pulled it back.
It had been a month since this mysterious condition started. Every time he was exposed to direct sunlight, his skin burned as though it were being scorched.
His phone suddenly rang, pulling him out of his thoughts.
.
.
.....
The school bell rang, signaling the start of lunch break.
Students poured out of their classrooms.
As Xylon walked down the hallway, he accidentally bumped into Stephen, causing several books to fall onto the floor.
"I'm sorry," Xylon said as he bent down to help.
Stephen simply nodded before picking up one of the books.
"You really like alchemy, huh?" Xylon asked.
"Yeah. Do you?" Stephen said.
"Not really," Xylon smiled and extended his hand. "I'm Xylon."
"Stephen." They shake hands.
"Would you like to have lunch together?" Xylon asked.
Stephen hesitated for a brief moment before nodding. "Sure."
The two headed to a nearby eatery.
"You know," Xylon began while eating, "I've noticed you around campus for quite a while now. You're always so quiet."
"I just don't like noisy people," Stephen replied calmly before taking another bite of his meal.
"I see," Xylon stirred his food absentmindedly. "By the way... since you read a lot of books, do you happen to know any that talk about dreams?"
Stephen suddenly froze.
His gaze slowly shifted toward Xylon. "Why do you ask?"
"I've been having the same dream every night. The exact same place... over and over again," Xylon explained.
Stephen quietly looked away.
The same dream...?
Could it really be...
Were they experiencing the same thing?
"I don't know any books about dreams," Stephen answered after a pause. "I only study alchemy," Stephen said.
"That's too bad," Xylon said.
The conversation ended there.
They continued eating in silence.
But Stephen's mind was far from peaceful.
.
.
.....
"I already told you—you guys are no match for us. Why are you still so stubborn?" Heberlin said with a mocking grin.
Standing before them was Zander and his gang.
"Bullshit!" Zander spat. "Who the hell told you that?"
The two leaders locked eyes.
Both were the heads of rival gangs that had been fighting for control of their territory for years.
"Why don't we settle this once and for all?" Heberlin challenged.
Zander smirked. "Gladly."
Without another word, both sides charged at each other.
Their movements were astonishingly fast and powerful, as though they had spent their entire lives fighting.
But the real question remained...
Who... were they really?