Chapter 1: An Unforgettable Dream
The boy slowly opened his eyes as if he wanted to prolong the dream. The first thing he felt was the warmth of the sun's rays filtering through the branches of the fruit tree under which he had slept. Then he perceived the sweet and fresh aroma of the fruits that invited him to taste them. After that, he heard the sound of the stream whispering a melody of water in his ear. The boy sat up and looked around. He was amazed to see that he was surrounded by majestic mountains that stood like stone guardians. Next to him were some fruit trees smiling with their colors and flavors. Not far away, a small river snaked between the rocks like a silver serpent.
The boy took a deep breath and felt the clean, pure air fill his lungs. "Ah, what great weather," he exclaimed, admiring the beauty of the place.
Although he was amazed by the landscape, he didn't know how he had arrived at this unknown place or if there was anyone else nearby. But there wasn't much he could do about it. So he decided to relax, enjoy the moment a bit, and think about the future.
The boy got up and brushed the dust off his clothes. He had thought enough and it was time to act. Even though the place seemed beautiful, he knew he couldn't stay there forever. He needed to find other people, perhaps someone who could explain what was happening. He remembered reading in a book that humans are "zoon politikón," social animals that need to live in a community. (Zoon politikón: Humans, unlike other animals, have the ability to relate politically, that is, to create societies and organize life in cities.) He had never had many friends, but maybe this was his chance to change that.
The boy walked without knowing where to go, just following his instinct. He had lost track of time and distance and felt his strength waning. He looked at his water bottle and saw that he only had one sip left. He knew he had to find a place with people soon or risk dying of thirst. Suddenly, he heard a strange noise near a tree not far from him. Was it a wild animal? Or maybe a person? Should he approach or move away?
The boy saw something in the distance, a creature. It seemed to be a person sitting completely unconcerned with life. The boy thought that perhaps this person could know where the nearest town was.
"Hello, excuse me, I wanted to ask you something. Can you tell me where the nearest town is?"
Just as he said that, the boy started to feel dizzy and his body and head ached. He thought he might collapse at any moment.
"Sure, there's one nearby," the stranger pointed in the direction of the town.
"Ah, you're very kind. You seem familiar, but I can't see your face," the boy thought.
"Thank you very much. By the way, do you know what time it is?"
"Ah, I feel like someone's hitting me in the head," he thought as he put his hand to his face.
Everything distorted, everything crumbled as if some mechanism had been activated that dragged everything around him.
Reality
"Ah."
What a terrible feeling it is to be woken up in the worst way by your brother, on top of waking from a bad dream.
Although at first everything was dark, he gradually began to regain consciousness. He yawned and recognized Alberto's voice, who apparently had woken him from his dream.
"Hey, that's no way to wake people up, Alberto," said the boy, a little annoyed.
The brother apologized but soon brought up the topic of a job interview he had been invited to. The boy had promised to accompany him but seemed a bit reluctant to do so.
"Come on, it's already late. You can't sleep all day. Besides, you told me you wanted to come with me, and it's very rude to cancel at the last moment," insisted Alberto.
"Well, UMD (Unknown World) is a very important company with some of the best innovative technology, and I'm very interested."
"But the interview is at night, right?" he said, confused.
"Yes, but we have to get ready. Come on, Alan, go shower first while I finish cooking," Alberto replied.
"Alright, I'm going," he said as he left the room.
As he walked to the bathroom, he remembered that dream he had.
"Why do I keep having this dream? I don't know, maybe this dream is trying to tell me something? It's very confusing."
"Who is that person I met in my dream? They seem so familiar. Also, that landscape, I feel like I've been there before," he thought.
Alan had more questions than answers. Just when he reached the bathroom, he decided to consult Alberto.
"Hey, Alberto, can I ask you something?"
Alberto, peeking his head out from the kitchen, responded, "Sure, no problem."
Alan mentioned a recurring dream he had, where he met a person sitting under a tree, but he always woke up before getting an answer to his question.
"What a dream you've had. I've heard people say that such dreams are about things that trouble you."
"…"
"Can you imagine if it's something that's going to happen to you in the future, haha," Alberto joked.
"Maybe," Alan said, a little disheartened.
"Come on, those dreams are usually a bit different from reality. Besides, the probability of dreams coming true is minimal. Cheer up, let's leave it at that for today, okay?"
"You're right. Maybe after the shower, my mind will be refreshed," Alan said, a bit calmer.
After a while, Alberto asked Alan if he had finished showering and told him that once he was dressed, he could come and eat. Alberto mentioned that he had already eaten and would take a shower while Alan confirmed that he had finished his bath.