For a few seconds, we didn't move. I have to admit I just froze in place. Her mocking and humorous expression vanished, giving way to a furrowed brow and a twisted lip. She stared at me with an analytical look, probably trying to figure out whether I was lying or not. We stayed like that for a few seconds—maybe ten or less—that felt like minutes to me.
She is honestly beautiful, seeming to be around my age, 21. Her hair is black and wavy, flowing around her face in a fluid manner and cascading smoothly just past her shoulders. Each strand seems to subtly shine, reflecting the light in a way that makes her curls move almost ethereally. Her skin is fair and natural, without makeup, enhancing her simple and authentic beauty. Her face has an angular structure but with a touch of softness, and her eyes are a deep, mesmerizing green, like two pools of clear and mysterious water. They have an intense color, almost as if they are loaded with secrets and emotions that can captivate and hold the attention of anyone who looks into them for longer than is comfortable, but at the moment her gaze is gentle and relaxed, conveying a sense of tranquility or contemplation.
She is wearing a plain white shirt and a black hoodie with the hood down over it. The jacket has a casual and practical style. Her pants are dark blue and casual, and she wears black shoes that seem to be chosen for comfort and functionality. From the looks of it, she was running through the streets before she stopped to break into my apartment.
Suddenly, her expression changes to a mix of disappointment and resignation. She huffs as she turns her face to the side, murmuring something I can't understand. After a few more moments, out of my peripheral vision, I see her turn back to me. I am still analyzing the red stain on the floor, trying to discern what it is and where it came from, almost praying it's not what I think it is.
My thoughts are interrupted when I hear some clicking noises. I look back at the stranger and see her with an annoyed expression. And then I realize—how stupid am I! Here I am, getting distracted while there's a stranger who broke into my house. With that thought, I grip my keys a little tighter.
Apparently, she noticed this small movement. "Hey, hey, you don't need to be so nervous, I'm not going to hurt you, you know. Look, I'm not even holding anything," she says with a soothing tone, raising her hands to chest level in a gesture of surrender.
I'm still a bit hesitant, but I let out a small sigh, easing some of the tension. However, my eyes remain fixed on her. "You... broke into my apartment," I say, with a mix of disbelief and irritation in my voice.
She shrugs, showing no remorse. "Well, technically, I broke the door," she casually admits, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
"As if that's a valid excuse!" my voice rises with indignation, pointing to the now ajar door, whose lock was clearly forced. "Do you really think that's normal? Breaking into someone's home and acting like it's perfectly okay?"
She raises her hands as if trying to calm the situation. "I know it looks bad, but I swear I'm not here to hurt you or steal anything."
I take a step back, keeping my distance. "Then what are you doing here? Why did you break into my house?"
"And I'd like you to answer me quickly before I call the police," I'm bluffing; there's no way I could call the police if I didn't notice.
She hesitates for a moment, carefully choosing her words. "I was... actually watching you," she finally admits, looking away. "And before you think the worst, I'm not a crazy stalker. It's a bit more complicated than that."
My heart speeds up a little, and the hand holding the keys tightens. "Watching... what do you mean?"
She sighs, looking a bit frustrated with herself for having to explain. "I don't know how to say this without sounding weird, but... I needed to know if you are who I think you are."
"Who do you think I am?" I ask, trying to keep my voice steady but feeling the confusion grow.
"We have plenty of time, you know?" I start to say slowly as I see her open and close her mouth, seeming to think about what to say. "So spill it," I say with a bit more force but without raising my voice. Unfortunately, I've never had much patience, and in this situation, I have even less.
"Okay, okay, there's no need to get upset," she says in a soothing tone. I gesture for her to sit in one of the chairs I have in the living room, which she promptly does. "Wow, don't you have any other chairs? I feel like I'm sitting on something that might break at any moment," she says with a slight shiver, which I respond to with a more intense stare. "Stop stalling," I say, remaining standing.
"Okay, I'd better get straight to the point then. Have you ever had a strange dream that felt very real?"
"Everyone's had one of those," I reply tersely.
"No, no, the real I'm talking about is a different kind. When I say real, I mean truly real," she clarifies.
"Your explanation is terrible."
She seems a bit upset by this but also thoughtful, and finally, an expression of realization takes over her face. "I mean a dream where you woke up in a familiar place, but somehow altered, as if two different places had merged."
Okay, now I know what she's talking about, and I struggle to keep a suspicious expression from showing on my face.
"And if I had, what's the problem?" My impassive expression threatens to slip as I think about that dream, and unfortunately, I can't hide a slight shiver, which she notices and gives a clearly satisfied smile. "Huh, so I was right. See, I knew my explanation would work," she says, sounding very smug for someone who broke into my apartment and could be arrested.
"And what does that have to do with anything?"
"Well, it has to do with basically everything."
I raised an eyebrow in curiosity and gestured for her to continue.
"To simplify, that dream you had wasn't a dream."
"I'm sure there's no way something like that isn't a dream. If you broke into my apartment just to spout nonsense like this, we're going to have a problem." I wasn't in the mood for jokes anymore.
"Wait, wait, wait, don't you find it very strange? A dream like that happens one day, and on the same day, several strange things start happening. I'm sure some strange things happened to you today, right? Right?" She looked a bit desperate.
"I can admit that some strange things happened today," particularly with my phone, "but none of that has anything to do with this 'dream'"—I made air quotes with my fingers—"that you're paying so much attention to." I didn't even try to hide the sarcasm in my voice.
"I know it wasn't a dream because it happened to me a few years ago, and as you should know, it wasn't pleasant." She let out a dry laugh. "Strange things happened to me too until I figured out what was going on."
"And what exactly happened?" I wasn't buying any of what she said, but at least it was something interesting, in some way.
"I gained powers!" she exclaimed, her fists on her hips.
"You realize how ridiculous this is, right?" I said in a flat tone. Maybe she wasn't an idiot, and I was just the one who looked like an idiot. What a tiresome woman. "No, wait, maybe I shouldn't send you to jail but to a mental hospital instead."
"No! Wait, I can prove it," she exclaimed and began looking around as if searching for something. I crossed my arms; the only reason I hadn't called the police or a mental hospital was that my phone was fried.
She scanned the small apartment as if looking for something. Her eyes landed on a crumpled soda can I had forgotten to throw away, and she picked up the can thoughtfully. "Look," she finally said, and before he could understand what she was doing, she threw the can into the air, caught it, and then threw a pen that was on the table next to the can.
The pen flew through the air and, without fail, struck the can right in the center, with a precision that made me widen my eyes. "That was just luck," I murmured, trying to hide my astonishment.
She simply smiled, a glint in her eyes. "Alright. Let's see."
She then turned to him and pointed to a spot on the wall, right next to where he was leaning. "Don't move."
Before he could protest, she grabbed a needle that I use for mending things and, with a quick, confident motion, threw it. I felt the needle pass close to my face, enough to feel the breeze of its trajectory. There was a small, unpatched hole in the wall exactly at the spot she had pointed, and the needle pierced it.
I can admit I was now speechless. "How... how did you do that?"
"I don't miss," she said simply. "Everything I aim at, I hit. Always." She then turned to look at me. "So? Satisfied?" I'd like to say no, but I could sense something wrong with that throw, something unnatural with a familiar but unwelcome feeling. Moreover, she seemed slightly anxious, as if she was expecting something. Her eyes darted to certain spots quickly and then back to me, and I could see tiny beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
Before I could respond, she glanced at a silver watch on her wrist, and her eyes widened slightly. "Okay, time's up." She rushed towards me, and before I could react, she dragged me out of the apartment and continued pulling me down the hallways.
"Hey, what the hell are you doing? Did you suddenly go crazy?" I demanded, my speech becoming more disheveled from the shock of her sudden action. She didn't even look back at me when she replied, "We don't have time. I let the conversation drag on too long; we need to get to the location quickly."
"Location? What location? And why do we need to get to this location? Are you trying to go from intruder to kidnapper now?" Even as I tried to make her stop, she was stronger than I had thought and kept dragging me along.
She managed to drag me into the streets and continued running in what seemed like a random direction. As she said, it was already nighttime. The sky was speckled with a few stars, faintly glowing due to the city lights. Almost directly above us, the moon stood out with a majestic presence. Its silver, textured surface emitted a soft, warm light that reflected off the thin clouds, creating a delicate halo around it. It looked almost supernatural and brought back a similar premonition to what I had felt before entering the apartment.
After a few more minutes of being dragged, we finally arrived at a destination that made sense: the town square.
The square is an urban space that combines green areas with infrastructure designed for leisure and community interaction. At the center of the square, there is a tall flagpole displaying the Brazilian flag. The pavement is well-maintained, with wide sidewalks and some grassy areas. Well-pruned trees and shrubs beautify the space, providing shade and a sense of freshness. Wooden and metal benches are positioned around, offering places for rest and social interaction. The square also features spaces for outdoor activities and community events. The lighting is adequate, ensuring that the area is safe and pleasant both day and night. In the center of the square, there is also a small stage where there are occasional performances by local artists or small bands.
"We've arrived, two minutes early," she sighs in relief and turns to me. "Look, I know you have questions and you don't quite believe me, but just wait a little while and some things will make a lot more sense, or perhaps even less, actually."
I don't respond at first, mainly because I'm trying to get my bearings again. It's not fun being dragged through various streets against your will; I wouldn't recommend it at all.
"How do you have so much strength?" was the first thing I could think to ask. "I may not be in great shape, but I could at least put up a bit of resistance." She lets out a light laugh. "Don't worry about that."
"You know how that answer makes you even more suspicious, right?" I pat down my clothes to smooth out the wrinkles and remove any dirt. "So when is whatever you're waiting for supposed to happen?"
She glanced at her watch again. "In ten seconds."
"Wait, but already?" As I was still processing, I felt a sort of pull and everything went dark.
A bright light in my eyes is what forces me to open them reluctantly. I feel like I'm lying on grass? I quickly open my eyes and regret it, as the sunlight makes me close them until they adjust to the new brightness. But how can it be sunny in the middle of the night?
As soon as I open my eyes again, this time more calmly, I realize that the square has changed just like my apartment did in that dream. The square, which once had a good base of vegetation, now seems to have merged with a forest with a supernatural touch. The tall flagpole with the Brazilian flag, still standing in the center, is surrounded by a glowing, floating aura with vines climbing it, while the flag appears to be illuminated by a magical light that shines in a supernatural way.
The meticulously maintained pavement has been overtaken by a lush green moss that grows almost wild, covering the wide sidewalks and giving them an enchanted earth-like appearance. The grassy areas, once well-kept, are now filled with ethereal flowers that emit a soft glow in shades of blue and silver, and the path stones sparkle like crystals under the supernatural light.
The trees, once pruned and organized, now have twisted trunks covered in a shimmering bark that emits a soft, mysterious light. Their branches, once symmetrical, extend in intricate patterns and seem almost alive, with leaves flashing in different hues and casting small, dancing shadows on the ground. Lush shrubs with glowing flowers and leaves that reflect the moonlight intertwine in a nearly magical way, creating a scene where urban nature and enchanted forest blend together.
The wooden and metal benches are covered in glowing vines and color-changing flowers, offering a resting place immersed in the magic of the fusion. The small central stage, once simple, is now a magical structure with lights that seem to float and create ethereal patterns in the air, turning any event into an enchanted spectacle.
The traditional lighting of the square blends with the supernatural light, creating an environment that is both familiar and deeply enigmatic.
"Wow," admiration is the only thing I can feel as I look at the scene before me, my eyes darting over every detail, trying to imprint as much as I can into my memory. "What is this place and how did I get here?"
"This is what I wanted to show you," the woman walks towards me. "It's like your dream, right? A fusion of one place with another that seems to come from another world." She turns her gaze to the landscape. "I've been through this several times."
"That dream, no, the first time this happened to me wasn't anywhere near as... mystical as this, I think," my dream, in quotes, had a different feeling, but nothing compared to this. "My apartment just seemed to have merged with a medieval castle." The most mystical part of that dream, I don't know its official name, so I'll keep calling it that, were the candles.
"Come on, we don't have time to waste. I'll explain everything better once we're out of here, but first, we need to focus on finding something." She pulls a small device from a pocket inside her jacket.
The device is rectangular with rounded edges, about 15 cm long, 8 cm wide, and 1.5 cm thick. The body appears to be made of high-quality plastic, with a textured finish that is pleasant to the touch and provides a comfortable grip. The device has several physical buttons around the screen, including a power button, navigation buttons for up, down, left, and right, and a button that I assume is for confirmation.
When she turns on the device and presses some buttons, it displays a map of the area on the screen. After pressing a few more buttons, the map seems to project out of the screen like a 3D hologram. It's truly amazing to see, making my inner child burst with the desire to play with it.
She seems to be analyzing some information on the hologram. There are various points of different colors, and she frowns in concentration, searching for something. "Found it," she says with a satisfied smile, pointing in a direction and saying, "That's where we need to go. It'll be a short walk," and starts walking without even waiting for my confirmation.
I quickly follow behind the only person who seems to have a vague idea of where to go.
As we walk through what I assume is a forest, I see another incredible sight. What was supposed to be the fountain of the square has merged with a kind of lake. The water from the fountain appears to have mixed with the lake's waters, creating a layer of ethereal glow and shimmering colors. The edges of the lake were partially filled with stones from the fountain, which now seemed to be becoming a natural extension of the surrounding environment. The original pool of the fountain has disappeared, replaced by an expanded lake that reflects the moonlight in magical and stunning patterns.
The lake was now not just a body of water but an enchanted mirror that reflected not only the sunlight but also everything that passed over or near it.
In this lake, I can see some fish that are not normal. Their most notable feature is their scales, which appear to be made of solid mist, changing shape and color as they move. As they swim, they leave a trail of magical mist that can transform into ephemeral shapes like flowers, leaves, or even small creatures. They have long, flowing fins, similar to veils, which create a hypnotic effect as they swim. Their eyes are a deep blue and seem to contain a sea of stars. They seem to have intelligence, as they watch us as if they know we don't belong here; I can see the intelligence in their gazes.
"So, where are we going?" I ask as I turn to her, who also seems to be observing the surroundings more closely now that she has a direction for our destination. She raises her free hand and points to the sky. "Over there."
Imagine a floating island, resting like a suspended dream among the clouds. The island appears as a monumental mass of land covered with lush vegetation, serenely hovering in the air, defying all laws of nature. It floats at a height that seems both unreachable and surprisingly close, wrapped in a soft mist that dances around its edges, as if protected by a mystical aura.
Below the island, several waterfalls of silver water cascade endlessly, pouring shimmering rivers that seem to disappear toward an invisible point on the horizon. The water shines in the sunlight, like threads of silver vanishing into the sea of clouds below. The waterfalls create a dense mist that blends with the clouds, giving the impression that the island is suspended in a layer of cotton. From below, it's like seeing a piece of the sky falling in slow motion.
The sky above the island is a spectacle in itself. It is a gradient of vibrant colors, changing from soft pinks and oranges at dawn to a deep blue with touches of purple. This mix of colors gives the island a divine outline, where the light shifts and blends with the mist around it, making the island seem like it is constantly transforming, like a living mirage.
The trees growing on the edges of the island jut out like outstretched hands, gently swaying in the wind. Their branches covered with dark green and bluish leaves seem to reach out to me, as if calling me. Occasionally, small, glowing creatures, like birds with shimmering feathers or dragonflies with iridescent wings, can be seen dancing around the treetops, revealing that the island is more than just a piece of land; it is a world of its own, full of life.
As I gaze at this vision, I feel a mix of awe and reverence. There is a sense that this place doesn't fully belong to this world but rather to a dimension where mysticism and reality intersect.
And as I head toward this island, I can only wonder what awaits me at its summit.