I opened my eyes and found myself in a different place. I was in a garden filled with roses, lavender, and wild orchids. I walked around slowly, touching nature's ornaments, when I saw a fair lady. She sat on a reclining chair, talking to her plants while sipping coffee. Then a young man walked toward her with a little girl, most likely their child. She was still a toddler, all giggles, with sleek brown hair and hazel eyes flecked with gold. She looked adorable.
I had no idea what I was doing there, but something urged me to stay and watch. I watched the little girl play happily around her parents. Suddenly there was a loud noise. A mighty wind rose, and dark clouds swallowed the sky.
"Quick, Morticia! Take her. Run far away to your sister in the east, she'll protect her!" the man said urgently as he pulled out a sword.
My heart pounded. What was happening? Who were these people?
"No, Adrian, please come with us! They'll kill you, Adrian! They'll kill you!" the woman cried.
"No! I must protect the child. Run, Morticia, run!" he shouted.
Before he could say anything else, the door burst open. Armed men, wolves, and strange creatures with inhuman strength stormed in.
I gasped.
The woman ran right past me with the child in her arms, unable to see me. Then one of the wolves ripped the man's heart out of his chest. I screamed loud, raw. The woman and the child screamed too.
"Daddy! No!"
Their cries echoed mine.
Suddenly everything shifted. The clouds vanished. The little girl was gone. The woman stood before me in a place filled with bright flowers, birds, butterflies, like a heavenly meadow.
In an eerie voice she said, "He's coming. Save our realms. Don't let him get to you first. You are the key."
The world around me spun. My mind blurred. And then..
"Lyra! Lyra, wake up, child!"
I opened my eyes and saw Aunt Sasha staring at me, worry carved into her features.
"How long have you been having those dreams?" she asked.
"About a month ago. Why?" I replied, already walking to the bathroom.
"And you didn't bother to tell me?" she snapped. I'd never seen her that angry.
"It's just a dream. I've been watching a lot of supernatural stuff lately," I said, grabbing my towel.
"These aren't just mere dreams, Lyra. Come home early tonight, we need to talk."
"Can't. I'm sleeping over at Xavier's," I replied.
"Xavier… he's bad news. He's not a friend; he's a deceiver."
"Well, I don't see him that way. He's my best friend, and he would never hurt me."
I walked into the bathroom. Aunt Sasha sighed heavily and left.
After breakfast–eaten in a hurry–I grabbed my bag and left the house. No phone meant no Uber, so I walked.
"Be careful, child. May the spirits guide you," Aunt Sasha said, waving.
"See you tomorrow, Aunt!" I called back, blowing her a kiss.
I was painfully late for my exam. I studied History and Archaeological Studies at the University of California, and I was not about to retake this exam. The bus drove slower than ever, testing my patience.
******** Skip ********
The exams were brief and easy. Later, I met Xavier for lunch. He seemed surprised to see me.
"Hey," I said, tapping his shoulder before sitting.
"How were the exams?" he asked.
"They were good."
He nodded stiffly.
"What's with you, Xavier? You look tense."
He opened his mouth to speak, but something on the table caught my eye, a phone.
"You got a new phone?" I asked, picking it up.
He hesitated.
My heart skipped.
"Xavier… how did you get this? I lost this last night when I was kid..."
I froze.
"You weren't with me last night. How did you get my phone? Were you the one who abducted me?"
"Lyra, listen. I'm sorry. I can explain. But there's a lot you don't know about me, about yourself, about everything."
"Explain?" I shouted, standing. "Why would you abduct me? Did I offend you somehow?"
"Lyra, I..."
"Save it! To think you were my best friend! A brother, even!"
"I had to do it to save my mum," he said, desperation in his voice. "This may sound crazy, but there are beings–creatures you can't even imagine–after your life. You're not who you think you are."
His words washed over me like cold water. My anger melted into confusion.
Aunt Sasha had said something similar.
My dreams flickered through my mind.
What if…?
I couldn't process any of it.
"I'm heading home," I said.
"Want me to drop you off?" he offered.
I shook my head. I needed space, air, something.
The walk home took forever because I stopped at every ice‑cream shop I passed. Ice cream softened the blow of existential crises, apparently. I walked slowly, painfully slowly, until my feet ached. I regretted not taking Xavier's offer.
It was past 7 pm when I reached the restaurant near my apartment. A little later, I finally reached my place. I felt watched for a second but only spotted some teenagers giggling nearby.
I sighed and walked in.
The living room was a mess, tossed around like a storm had hit it. Panic surged through me.
"Aunt Sasha?" I called.
No answer.
I rushed to my room.
I screamed.
Aunt Sasha lay there, bloody, bruised, a knife plunged deep into her chest. Or so it seemed. I wrapped my arms around her, sobbing.
"No.. Aunt Sasha, please wake up!"
My mind spun. I called the police, and within minutes, an ambulance arrived.
I sat beside her lifeless body, trembling.
Who would do this? Why?
Then I noticed her hand clenched tight around something. Gently, I pried it open. Inside was a small folded paper and a bag of protective charms.
I hid them in my pocket as the paramedics examined her.
"She died of a heart attack," one of them said.
My head snapped up.
"A heart attack? What are you talking about? She was clearly murdered—look at her injuries!"
The marks and stab wound had vanished.
Gone.
Fear seized my chest.
While the paramedic turned away, I unfolded the note.
It read only one word:
Run.
My heartbeat thundered.
I didn't think.
I bolted out of the apartment and ran, I ran like something monstrous was behind me. I didn't stop until the city lights faded and the forest swallowed me whole.
By then it was past 8 pm. I was alone, terrified, lost. I broke down completely.
Rustling echoed through the trees.
I spun around, s
eeing nothing.
A deep growl vibrated the air.
Red glowing eyes appeared in the darkness.
Sleep.
The voice echoed inside my head.
And I fell into a deep, dark slumber.