The wind howled softly through the trees surrounding the mansion. Moonlight poured in through Stella's window, brushing against the soft sheets where she lay - sound asleep.
Her breathing slowed.
Her eyelids flickered.
And then-
The dream began.
---
Stella stood in the center of an endless garden.
But it wasn't like Earth. The sky above was a swirling dome of starlight - blue, violet, and silver - with a massive floating moon, casting its glow over everything.
The trees sparkled with hanging lanterns that floated like fireflies, and the ground pulsed with an otherworldly hum - like it remembered something ancient.
She turned around.
In the middle of the garden stood two tall women, cloaked in royal blue and black robes. Their faces were hidden behind intricate silver masks, studded with celestial symbols. Each woman had a powerful presence - regal and inhuman.
Between them stood a young child - barely four years old - with messy black hair and glowing crimson eyes.
He stared directly at Stella.
But the women did not see her.
They spoke, their voices soft and echoing - like music mixed with wind and thunder.
> "The prophecy has begun," said the taller one.
"It is time," replied the other. "We cannot stay in this dimension any longer. Our blood will be hunted. Our people forgotten."
They looked down at the child between them.
> "He is the link between our families," said one. "Born of the shadow blood... and the heart of gold."
> "Then it is decided," said the other. "We descend."
> "And the girl?" the first asked.
The wind turned cold.
The child slowly turned his head toward Stella, his crimson eyes glowing brighter.
The women didn't notice.
They simply raised their hands together - and a bright ring of celestial light surrounded all three.
> "We leave behind the world of immortals," one whispered.
"And entrust the balance to our bloodlines," the other finished.
And then-
The women and the child vanished in a spiral of stars.
The dream crumbled like sand beneath Stella's feet.
---
She woke up gasping, her heart hammering, forehead damp.
Sitting upright in bed, her hand flew to her collarbone - nothing was glowing, but she still felt the heat under her skin.
Her breaths were uneven.
"That child... those women... that place..."
What was that dream?
She stood up and walked to the window, staring at the night sky.
Far above, the moon pulsed faintly with a soft red glow.
And somewhere inside her - a voice whispered:
> "You are not just a girl, Stella. You are the key to a forgotten realm."