Chereads / Warrior Of Fire And Ash / Chapter 4 - A strange dream Chapter Three

Chapter 4 - A strange dream Chapter Three

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Sunday, January 7, 2026

A quarter to eleven in the morning

The truth is that if someone had ever asked me what I would have liked to do on my summer vacation, I would definitely say travel the world, no doubt, but in three months?

It may sound like a crazy idea, but I have the resources to do it now.

I've been saving my money since I was twelve to take that trip with my friends ...

They will catch up with me on the way, Lucia who lives in Spain and Carmen in Colombia.

Now everything here has advanced a lot with technology, in 2020 there was a Pandemic in the world, and for about a year the country had to apply itself to absolute quarantine ... But ... good things came later ... AND everything returned to normal over time.

Personally, I think my city is beautiful, it was blessed with incredible places.

The food is tasty and of quality, there are fabulous historical monuments, Culture from all countries (since many foreigners come to live in Argentina, temporarily or permanently, they usually stay), historical characters from comic cinema, Football Lovers (Let's go Celeste and Blanca !!) ... I feel good to be Argentina, I also like the culture of other countries, the food and the landscapes they have, each country in that world has its charms and peculiarities, here it is cold and a little humid. California my uncle Enrique told me it was hot, very hot ...

Today the sun was brighter than usual well we were in the middle of summer at thirty seven degrees and it is only eleven o'clock, an hour before noon ... well anyway I am enjoying a good coffee and apple muffins, today I wanted I had lunch outside, and when I dressed to go out I put on the white Yaguar trainers, Celestes Jeens and a red blouse, I didn't want to tie my hair, so I left it loose on my shoulders it never reached my waist because I never liked having it so long , the bracelets and the necklace of the crescent moon with the sapphire as always on my neck I never took it off, it was the last gift from my grandfather a week before he passed away ... in In the end I ended up in Vidalde's cafeteria, typical I plan one thing and another comes out ...

... My family is hard-working and economically they have no problems, my father is an architect and earns well and my mother is a tango teacher ... So I have her tastes ... Well, in part.

Tomorrow I say goodbye to this beautiful country, and to Vidalde's coffee, haha, even if it's only for three months ...

I finished my coffee and muffins right away, I took the trouble to go to the bar, the girl already knew me, years ago I came here with my dad, I think it was when I was nine years old, I had coffee with milk for him The first time here, my Dad ordered a strong coffee, the kind that make your headaches disappear and you feel better in a matter of minutes ...

I spoke with her for a while, I told her that I was going on a trip, to visit places and cities with my friends, she smiled at me, and was happy ... I left her good advice, I joked that none of them In three months I was going to leave a tip like mine, and he laughed out loud. I left the cafe after that and walked to bus stop 92, which drops me off at La Plaza De Mayo ... I want to be there before I finish packing my things.

Sitting on one of the benches in the square, I blew the air and made my waves dance, I always liked my light hair as well as the birthmark on my left shoulder blade, it was three in the afternoon, I was listening to music, which I always like . She calmed down until she suddenly stopped when my cell phone rang, I was startled because the one who called me was my mother

- Celeste, where are you, what are you doing? - She asked with her usual questioning tone

- There she is, mom, don't scare me, I was listening to music in the plaza, you know I wanted to come here before I left ... Why did something happen? - I replied

- Stop wasting time, you are not going to undertake a fabulously epic journey to the end of the world. It will only be a tourist trip.- she said as if she did not see the importance of that

- Go backpacking on my summer vacations, and with my friends is a very good idea, don't you think mom? - I asked on purpose just to make her angry, I could hear her sigh through the cell phone.

"In the end, I still think it's not a good idea. Why don't you go to One Place, Like Los Angeles, so your father and I can stay calm?"

"I'm sorry ma, you're not going to convince me, you know I decided a long time ago ... With grandfather - I put my hand directly on my necklace taking the blue crescent moon from my fingers, my grandfather always told very good stories." I was always with him almost all the time, maybe because he had all the children and I am his only granddaughter, my uncles also had children, but they never had daughters, it's ... strange but that's the way it is. remembering my grandfather makes me sad I thought about that moment, remembering and almost forgetting that I was talking to my mother - but he passed away and I, I am going to follow my dream ... With my friends, since my grandfather is not there - I firmly protested

"Well, come home, let's have dinner before you go, okay?" - He asked, and when he did, his voice regained its normal tone, warm and calm as it was. I accepted her order and she sounded happy, she hung up right away since she had to go to the supermarket to buy what was missing for dinner. I had to agree or else they would tie my feet and hands to the bed so as not to let me travel ...

I got up from the bench, before putting the cell phone in my pants pocket, I put on music to listen to on the way, the first one that rang was Fire Meets Fate De Ruelle ... How I loved that song.

I'm not going by bus - I think - This time I'm going by taxi, to get there quickly and finish packing what I need ...

I just saw one, a lady came out with bags, no car passed many bags so I crossed quickly and with a sign I told her to wait for me ... She understood ... She stayed there and discovered that I opened the door of the taxi, my crescent moon ... hunch. I stopped suddenly, Hunch again, felt like someone was watching me.

I turned around but nobody did, the man asked me if I was going to go up or not.

"Maybe I found out," I thought to myself ... Confused

I got into the taxi and during the whole trip I did not say a word, the taxi driver did not speak much either, he was listening to the TN news on the radio, but after a while he did.

-It seems that today it is going to rain hard - I comment with you seriously

- I don't think so sir, maybe it's a weak rain, tomorrow it's going to be forty degrees, they said - I exclaimed

- Mmh - he said doubtfully - and you baby, what are you going to do on your vacation? You have a vacation right?

- Of course I do, this year I finished high school, so I have vacations -

-I'm glad, and that you go to study when your vacation is over - I ask curiously

-I don't know, maybe Literature or Architecture, my dad always said he had a talent for making plans and all that - I replied

—Well, with architecture you earn money, you earn well, but you have to study hard to work on what you like - the last thing he said sadly, there are people who work only to support their family even if they don't like it their work, and others who know exactly what they want to do, unlike me, I never really thought about what to study after finishing school ... But I haven't decided yet ... I still have time to find out

Six in the afternoon

Finishing packing, well I'd rather be deciding, I packed two travel bags and in the end I took everything out because I didn't like it, what I kept in them ...

Then I remembered how we were going to be traveling from city to city for a few months.

So carrying a lot of things is going to be annoying, I have to take what I use the most, keep the large suitcases I had and change them for the medium one that looked like a box where they kept the musical instruments, those that appear. . on television, full of Stickers of the countries and all that, it was red and I was left with my Jeens pants, my blouses and shirts, my toothbrush, my hair, slippers, a pair of party sandals ... And there were space ... Still, what else can I take my passport and my document that I already had? What else ... What else can I bring, a book, yes, yes, yes, books to read ...

I looked at my shelves and I saw Florence Bonelli Hate Weddings one of my favorites, checking the shelves I saw the box of my grandfather's diary ... That was another gift, but when he gave it to me he had a padlock, and I don't have the key, my Dad tried to open it with everything, we even took it to the locksmith, but he couldn't do anything. Perhaps on the trip you will find a place where you can open it. I took it out right away, it was heavy, I had some books "Diarios y Libros Mios" that my grandfather had told me the day he gave it to me, I put it in my suitcase. Now I have it all.

"Celeste, are you finished?" My mother exclaimed from the kitchen, "I came to help me with dinner!"

- I go! - I answered in the same way

I closed the suitcase and placed it next to the nightstand, then left my room in a hurry

Nine p.m

The smell of the meat, the potatoes, the chicken, it was exquisite, without a doubt the Asado, it is one of the things that I will miss the most, natural orange juice, Russian salad, salt, plate and cutlery, everything was on the table and there was a space available for the tray that approached the table was brought by a thin man, with brown hair, like mine, although mine is light brown with waves, my father's was brown and in one of the photos of the His boy had it right, until he cut it off and it stayed that way until now. My mother sat next to me and my father began to cut the meat, the chicken, then he served me a little of both, in my opinion, I prefer chicken more than meat, but no one can deny a Asado, and less if it is from my dad. My mom served me Russian salad

We talked about the first city where I was going to visit Spain, I would go to find Lucía, and then Carmen ... My father had a beer, my mother and I had the orange juice that he had prepared

Despite everything, how excited she was, she couldn't stop thinking about what happened before getting into the taxi.

I was sure that the Crescent Moon had throbbed, I also felt that strange feeling that I was not alone, that they were looking at me.

- Aah - I sighed and threw myself on the bed with everything and slippers, I looked at the clock, a quarter past eleven at night, it's time to sleep, I took off my slippers and got into the sheets ... I put on my headphones, I turned them on and listened to music, I always listen to music before sleeping. He looked around me, everything seems to be in order, the suitcase, the morning clothes, I yawned and turned off the light ... The streetlight filtered through the edges of the curtains but I didn't care, I just wanted to get out. tomorrow already.

A large, white house with flowers at the entrance, and throughout the garden, a girl with long light brown hair with braids was drawing in the yard, on the table, in it there were many watercolors, brushes, colors and others. things, a man was approaching, he was old, but not decrepit, the truth was in sight, which was surprising for his age, he sat next to the girl

- Celeste - I call

But the girl kept drawing

- Celeste, are you listening to me? - Asked the man, her blue eyes and light hair still did not lose their color, as they did when she grew old, the girl turned around and saw her eyes immediately gave her a smile.

- Grandpa Ariel, hello- I hug him right away leaving the brush on a paper

-How are you? she asked as her cheeks turned pink

-I'm fine, Celeste, and how are you girl, are you okay, have you felt bad? - I ask while the girl shakes her head - Have you ... had another strange dream? - and the girl nodded, as she settled into her seat.

—You know that yesterday I dreamed of that Magic World again, Grandpa Ariel, but there is always that woman, the one who has your eyes and has everything, everything, blonde hair,

less in the end because she has it from Rosa ...

And there is the other woman who has hair like wood, almost dark brown, with green eyes like the leaves of flowers in her grandmother's garden - he said.

- What else did you dream of, what happened this time in your dream? - I ask interested.

They were sitting in the sunlight, it was spring and the flowers were beginning to bloom ... that spring the first dreams began

—I don't know, I can't explain it in words, it was something strange grandfather ... I saw a man, a man younger than Dad, when I saw him between those two women in that great hall I woke up and when I did, I had tears in his eyes, while dreaming he cried.

I don't know why, but when I saw it my heart got heavy and I wanted to cry, but I didn't want to cry like when I hurt my knee with the skates, but ... I want to cry like when Uncle Enrique and Aunt Soledad with Tomy they went to live in California ... But even sadder, I don't know, I don't understand - he revealed and continued drawing. Give brush strokes after brush strokes

The man looked at her worried, moments later they entered the house where the girl's parents were talking with an older woman, it was noticeable, although she was small, on her face you could see the silhouette of the face of a woman who in her youth She was beautiful as few, with white hair, thin. It was Grandma Sofia, Grandpa Ariel's wife. Grandma Sofí told the girl that she will stay in the living room, playing while the others prepare the table for lunch.

Being alone she lost the desire to draw, some withered roses were in the vase on the table and the girl did not like it ... she came to caress the withered petals until they began to turn red, full of life, releasing that beautiful fragrance, the roses bloomed again ... the girl gaped at them ...

One heartbeat, another heartbeat, and I woke up with a start from the bed, I turned on the light, I was sweaty, my throat was dry ... this time I was sure, I felt a throb from my necklace, I held tightly ... Me too I was having a dream ... How strange ... In that dream the girl was me ... But there was no point in making the Roses bloom.

Rub my face with both hands

- I'm watching a lot of movies, I'm already starting to dream as if my life were one - I said to myself, I looked at my room again and it was in order, I breathed, trying to calm myself I went to bed again ... What a dream more I miss the truth, me giving life to some withered roses ...

Ezeiza International Airport

Monday

A quarter to ten in the morning

In a matter of time I'm going to go to Spain in search of Lucia, to take a trip together, my parents were there with me sitting at one of the tables in a cafeteria, talking about the precautions I had to take, that I would always call them and that I would tell them where I was going or where I was ... Because if I disappeared, he would look for me. In that place ... I thought so too.

The minutes passed quickly and then they warned that the passengers who were going to the flight to Spain had to go to Terminal A to get on ... I took my suitcase and said goodbye to my parents, my mother hugged me tightly and whispered to me yes. I missed, that I would listen to music and dance like I did as a child with her .. I smiled when he said it, my dad told me to let him know when he arrived or even before arriving that I would send him a WhatsApp, I gave him a kiss on the cheek and I told him not to worry that everything would be fine, both me and my parents did not like goodbyes, and when I was on my way to the terminal, they had already left too ...

Better, the people who went to the terminal were ... How to put it ... Too much.

There were also people leaving the terminal, the newcomers.

A boy accidentally hit me with his elbow and made me fall, he kept going as if he had taken some importance, I couldn't see his face but his hair was dark brown and he was wearing a black jacket ... then he got lost in the crowd and me I continued on my way while on the stairs I raised my blurred vision for a few seconds and I felt a strong urge to vomit.

I covered my mouth with my free hand and with the other I gripped the suitcase tightly and quickly went down the steps of the escalator, bumping into people who were complaining ... I looked everywhere for the ladies room and when I visualized it in one of the corridors, I quickly entered and entered one of the bathrooms, closing the door with a lock.

I vomited in the bathroom until the dizziness went away, the bitter and acidic sensation was unbearable ... I pressed the button, the water cleaned everything and I left that place, the mirror in front of me reflected how I was, pale, with cheeks pink, I splashed water on my face, to cool off and then I heard bells ... if they were bells ... And whispers, unrecognizable whispers in a strange language like soft songs.

Whispers filled the bathroom, the bells rang harmoniously with the song and again I had the feeling that I was not alone and that they were looking at me, I took my suitcase and prepared to leave but the door closed as soon as I opened. I opened it again ... And it closed with more force, the safety closed the door, the whispers were heard from the back of my head ... I looked everywhere and a light bulb, shone, increasing its brightness until it exploded, I couldn't help but let out a scream, I was startled, the lights started flashing, the mirror broke and the lights suddenly went out ... it's strange ... something strange is happening ... something purple, white and appeared Red lights on the ground forming a circle with symbols where I was standing in the center watching them draw them themselves.

- It's the devil! - I thought while my feet were paralyzed, I wanted to run but I could not move, when the circle was finished drawing the flames arose from the lines and I felt as if that circle absorbed me, as if I sank without having stopped touching the ground, I closed eyes with fear that the fire that emanated would not burn me.

I felt the wind on my face as I slowly opened my eyes, and had no words for what I was observing ...

I don't know where I was, I was on the ground and what my eyes were looking at was a great institute ... The place was spacious, beautiful, it had the image of a palace like those that appear in the movies - what the hell ... what Hell, where am I? This is not the airport! - I was totally confused, there was a wooden sign right next to the stone path where I was standing ... Roses were underneath The sign said

"Academy Of The Primavera

Where courage and blood forge the best exterminators "

- An academy - I said and turned around again when looking at the immense building, it seemed old but that did not take away from how beautiful that place was, the architecture was ... Majestic

My suitcase was not very far from me, I got up and took it -maybe you are in a dream- I tried to convince myself, I grabbed it tightly and headed towards the great doors of that Academy ... we'll see what it is. happens here ... my hunch of a crescent moon and this time I could consciously feel it