As it turned out, his office was inside of one of the empty high-rise buildings. All the apartments were empty and only one apartment served as an office.
Luca opened the door for me and said, "Please come in."
When I entered the room, I found that it was really an office.
A large table, three chairs, a closet and nothing else.
"So, professor, maybe you want a cup of coffee?" he asked.
"No thanks."
"I'll still make you coffee," he replied, and began to warm the water in an iron kettle.
Still, where did I see him?
For a moment, I thought he looked like a snake. And his cold, mocking smile...
Why did I come here?
"Professor, as you guessed it, I'm a lawyer. And I want to be your friend. I know about your book and everything. If some people are just happy to have such a rare opportunity to change, then other people just hate you. I know all that. After all, some are afraid of change. And if you have any problems, I'd like you to come to me," he said holding out a cup of coffee.
"I don't think it will last long. People just loved this book. That's what happens. Sometimes they go crazy on the movie, on the songs."
"It won't pass, professor. The situation now is different from a simple love. Now, the whole world is changing. People change. They suddenly remembered that they had to start living. And you contributed to that."
I looked silently at his face in profile. He was full of thoughts and at the same time something was repulsive in him.
"Professor, after reading your book, I also rethought my life values. When I was a kid, I always wanted to be a pianist, and after your book, I suddenly wanted to quit everything and start playing the piano. And just follow the dream."
"I didn't mean it, I didn't want people to throw everything and run for their long-forgotten dreams," I said, sensing that the taste of this coffee was strange.
But it was too late to panic, because a few sips had already been drunk.
"Behind a dream that was forgotten because of life circumstances, were so many people," Luca continued.
Now, his expression was somehow ferocious and desperate.
"What you have written is a masterpiece and the whole world has been waiting for. You motivated everyone, you woke everyone up. Aren't you proud of yourself?"
Looking at the clock, I said, "I have to go. I think we could talk later."
Then he got up and came up to me. Nearby, his face seemed even more familiar to me. And those black curly hairs that were gleaming reminded me of someone.
"I don't think you're that kind of person," he whispered, and at that moment I wished I stayed at home.
What's wrong with me? Why I so naively trusted him, and now I just sat and couldn't move.
My head, my arms, my legs, it was heavy and I couldn't do anything. I couldn't get up. My eyes were closing on their own.
I was drowning in the darkness and only his voice sounded from somewhere. A voice that said, "Professor, you created a masterpiece."
I hate the feeling of running and wanting to run faster, but your legs are so heavy that you just trample on one spot. And all the walls, everything around you gets soft, and the next second you fall, but really, you wake up.
It was a dream.
I opened my eyes. My head was still aching. Looking around, I realized that I was in the room and lying on the bed.
It's dark and quiet.
I touched my face, yes, I didn't sleep anymore.
Suddenly, I heard someone light a match and the light of fire began to illuminate the far corner of the room.
Luca was sitting on a leather chair.
I wanted to sit down, but the dizziness made me fall back.
"Professor, I'm sorry, of course. But I couldn't let you go without showing the most important thing," he said and smiled.
"What are you doing?"
"You've been sleeping for a very long time. I didn't think you'd like to sleep so much."
"And how I didn't understand, " I muttered.
I knew it was in vain, but still, I headed toward the door.
"Don't make a face like I'm holding you against your will," Luca said and approached me.
His black eyes glistened with impossible radiance.
"What do you call it? Enjoy a tea party with a friend?"
Another dizziness and I almost fell to the floor, but he caught me.
"I am not your enemy, and you will soon understand it."
"I doubt it."
"We're going to be friends," he whispered, and suddenly a mad thought came to my head, he was more like Leon.
And I said, "Leon."
Luca, too, made such an expression as if he was surprised and at the same time frightened, but changing it to a smile, he said, "Leon, my beloved Leon."
"Do you know him?"
"It's impossible not to know him."
"What do you want? Just tell me."
"I don't want anything from you. Except to prove to you how important you are in everyone's lives."
"Look, I didn't want this to happen. My book, I'll just take it off the publishing house, we'll stop the sale."
"You don't want that, and so do they," he said and pointed to the door. Then, lazily rising from his chair, he went to the door and slowly opened it.
Darkness could be seen from behind the door. This darkness made me feel uncomfortable.
"What's going on?"
"Let's go and find out everything. I have a surprise for you," he said, and disappeared into the darkness.
I had no choice but to follow him. Just like, he wouldn't let me go anyway. And I knew that very well.
I didn't know where I was or where I was going. But for some reason I kept going until I crashed into another chair.
No sooner had I asked, the cold, dark room became bright. The whole rows of chandeliers made everything so artificially bright.
I was standing on a place that was more like a stage. In front of me was a spacious dance hall with shiny floors.
There was only one chair near me and there was nothing all over the room. Just glitter and dazzling light.
"What is this place?"
He silently reached out as if pointing somewhere and said, "Please come in!"
Things couldn't have been any weirder if a crowd of people hadn't entered the room through the high doors.
I was more surprised by the number of people than why they are here.
People walked and walked, out of the darkness, from the street, I do not know where they were coming from.
Men, women, children, they all went in my direction.
"Surprise," Luca whispered in my ear and made me sit in a chair.
When people stopped, they looked at me. They didn't blink, they just looked and waited.
I looked at Luca inquiringly, and he didn't seem so intimidating compared to them. I suddenly trusted him.
"What does all this mean? Why are they here?"
But my whisper sounded unpleasantly throughout the room.
A few minutes of silence came. The crowd of people stood in front of me and just looked.
I was terrified of their eyes.
I wanted to run away, but it was impossible to get through the crowd. I wanted to say something to remove that unpleasant silence, but I couldn't find the words.
Finally, a man with a very tired expression said, "Professor Skyemoone, thank you."
Luca, as the happiest man, looked at me and smiled.
"Yes! And why I spent my whole life living with an unloved human and working as an accountant! Who knew my whole life was a lie," the elderly man said, who continued, "I don't even know how to start, where to start. But probably everyone here knows why I'm here. I read your book. And after that, something in me changed. I suddenly realized that half of my life, I worked in a place where I did not like. I remembered myself as young, and I remembered my dream. I never wanted to be an accountant. I've always wanted to be an artist. And when I was young, I painted portraits and landscapes. I could become an artist, open my own school, maybe a gallery, follow this path. But I listened to the people around me and began to work as an accountant. Fifteen years have passed, and every day, I regret not going to that university and that I couldn't tell my parents: no, I'm going to paint my whole life, no matter what happens to me. I couldn't do it, so I didn't live my life. I didn't live at all, I just existed. But with your book, I am awake now. You opened my eyes. And now, even if I'm not young anymore, I'll follow the call of my heart. I want to live my life and achieve my dreams, and you have helped me realize that. It's not too late to stop, think, and start over."
When he finished speaking, the woman, who was holding the child, took a step forward. She had a long braid at the front, and her small, expressive face was full of sadness but at the same time joy.
"Professor, you have opened our eyes to all of us. And why we didn't realize that all this time we were living the wrong life, not the one we had always dreamed of. For example, I always wanted to open my own bakery, but the fear of defeat and the fact that everyone would laugh at me stopped me. And so, I just left my dream, and instead of baking pies, I started working as a nurse. You just have no idea how much I hate medicine. I'm still afraid to see people die, get sick. I'm afraid of that. And for that fear, I spent seven years of my life. But now, I'm not afraid. I'll go to my life. And I will do everything to ensure that my child never ignores his dreams and spend his life on monotonous and unloved work."
And then I realized that everyone here, the people who once missed their chance and now, lived someone else's life.
And these are the people who once seemed to me happy and careless. And now I saw that all this time, they weren't happy. They didn't own that happiness.
What did they own then?
"Human life is so short, so why should we ignore our dreams and do what would please other people. This is our life! This is my life!" someone exclaimed from the crowd.
"Professor, we are all grateful that you have given us the opportunity to understand everything."
I listened to people screaming, complaining and most importantly, changing.
"Since childhood, parents, teachers, all dictate to us how to live and who to be. But why has no one ever said that you always have to dream and go to the life you want to live? Why doesn't anyone say that?"
"Since childhood, I have been told that I should inherit my mother's hospital. But I never wanted to be a doctor, so why did they make me become one? I didn't want that kind of life. What if I still dream of a peaceful, quiet life where I open my little cafe? I will not let anyone decide what life I have to live!" shouted a young woman in a green cloak.
Because of the noise, because with every anger and happiness, people began to approach me and soon I was already pressed in the middle of the crowd, I felt a headache and I wanted to run away from here.
"Luca stop it all," I whispered, but he put his hand on my shoulder and said, "You made people's hearts beat again."
"Professor Skyemoone, how can we thank you! And why didn't I think that at any moment I could start over?! It's never too late!"
Screams, enthusiastic screams surrounded me.
I saw the cover of my book everywhere.
Why did I write a book about dreams? But the fact that people began to take their lives and dreams seriously, I was probably pleased, but still I was ashamed.
Ashamed of what?
My head was splitting in pain, Luca's icy arm was pressing uncomfortably on my shoulder. I couldn't sit here anymore. I didn't have enough air. Claustrophobia suddenly appeared and took over my consciousness.
"Stop," I whispered over and over again. But Luca wouldn't let me get up and leave.
Until there was a loud thud like a gunshot.
Everyone turned around, Luca moved away from me. His black eyes flooded with anger and astonishment.