A skinny looking young man with deep black eyes and vibrant blonde hair woke up startled and began looking around the empty plane. He was about to stand up, but a gorgeous-looking flight attendant quickly came to check up on him. She wore a brightly colored vest which complemented her dark hair nicely. Her smile revealed a perfect pair of white teeth.
"Is everything all right, mister Luke?"
The boy named Luke snapped out of his daze and remembered everything: his trip to Margaret Chapel, the birth town of his father, and the strange events that unfolded there. A strange thought that had no place in his mind emerged, confusing him even more.
'What did I dream about today?'
He would never have thought about this a month ago, but here he was, feeling like a lunatic straight out of a mental asylum. Luke searched for other familiar faces for emotional support, but remembered that he foolishly decided to make this trip alone, using his father's private plane. It was 'meant to bring him closer to his ancestors', as his father said, but it turned out to be just another a bizarre experience that deteriorated his mental health even further.
'If I continue like this, I will truly become a patient in a mental asylum,' he lampooned.
The beautiful attendant shook him and stared straight into his eyes.
"Luke, wake up already. Is everything all right?"
"It could be if you bring me one bottle of that liquor that my father always praises!"
The woman rolled her eyes and added in a serious tone.
"You do know that mister Bahmer strictly forbid you from touching alcohol? Moreover, I've observed that you've been frequently unfocused, lost in your thoughts, and unresponsive to my messages. Has something happened?"
Looking at her with his deep black eyes that seemed dull, Luke decided to ignore her question. Deep down, he felt ashamed of doing this to the girl he loved, but his mind wandered somewhere else.
"Come on, Elina, just this once, please."
Luke instantly changed his expression and stared at her with enormous eyes, looking as if he was about to burst into tears at any moment. After a few moments, the mature-looking girl gave up and left with a sigh.
Left alone, he regained his bearing and began contemplating the events that transpired before he boarded the plane. His memories were shrouded in haze and seemed distant, as if they were from times long gone. All that was left was the impression that he made an important discovery, only for him to forget it.
'At least I found out that it is not only in my dreams and nightmares. It is as real as I am.'Luke laughed in self deprecation.
From high above, the city shone like an island of light in the vast ocean of the night. Tall skyscrapers were reaching for the sky, a symbolism of humanity's futile attempts to understand the space and its mysteries. Even though it was past midnight, the streets were bustling with tiny humans that were suffocated into the never ending lights produced by the city.
This scene sparked a distant yearning and hope for the teen. Luke was quite popular in his high school, but it was mostly because of his last name and his looks. Even though he had quite a scrawny build, his face matched the modern beauty standards. Despite this, he wasn't really outgoing and had a small circle of friends which lived quite far from his home. Because of those circumstances, he rarely experienced the nightlife of Larsion, the capital city of the country.
The sound of high heels disturbed the meditative silence, making Luke turn his attention to their source. The lights of the plane seemed to have gone out the instant he turned his head. Only the dim light of the city remained, flickering ethereally.
'Is Elina playing a prank on me again? I shouldn't have been such an asshole.'
The feeling of regret for not opening up to her stung him.
"Elina, look, I'm sorry for ignoring you, it's just that I'm having a bad time recently"
The steps came to a halt, leaving the plane in an eery silence. Her melodious voice reverberated through the entire plane.
"Why would you have a bad time? You should be happy. You are just beginning to remember. "
A hint of melancholy crept into the sweet voice of the woman.
"What is there to remember about? I'm pretty confident that I haven't forgotten anything. Are you ok, Elina?"
Suddenly, Luke felt a chill go down his spine and he couldn't help but shiver.
'It's happening again. This time I couldn't even figure out when it began.'
"It is us that you forgot about. The eons we spent together, the worlds we traveled. You chose this over us."
The pitch of the voice rose, creating ripples through the air.
Suddenly, from the darkness, a glowing white hand emerged and stretched towards Luke. He tried to evade, but it was inevitable. The hand got closer and was about to reach him, but the mirage dissipated. The boy found himself once again in the familiar plane looking at the starless sky. It seemed that at some point in time; he fell asleep.
Elina stood right next to his seat, shaking him slightly with her fair hand. She seemed concerned about Luke, but tried to hide it .
"Here is your orange juice…sir."