Derik opened his eyes abruptly.

His foggy mind struggled to piece together the recent events as he looked around. Nothing seemed familiar. "Hospital? Shit..."

Derik was an ordinary man, someone whose routine rarely got him into trouble. Still, the discomfort came not from the place itself, but from what it represented. The room he was in was far more luxurious than anything he could afford. Numbers started dancing in his mind. "This is going to cost a fortune..."

— Oh, you're awake. — The cheerful voice interrupted his thoughts.

Turning his face, Derik saw a man with a mustache sitting nearby, folding a newspaper. The man was bald and wore an expensive suit, which was completely out of place in the hospital setting.

— My name is Boris. A pleasure, despite the circumstances. — His voice was calm and formal, as if he were used to handling unusual situations.

— Derik... — he replied instinctively, his voice still low as he tried to organize his thoughts.

— I'm here on behalf of Giuliana Cabrini. I must, first of all, offer our sincerest apologies. — Boris bowed deeply after finishing his sentence.

Derik's face contorted. First, he wakes up dazed in a hospital, and then an older man, impeccably dressed, starts bowing before him. "What the hell?" he thought. He raised his hands, almost in panic.

— Please, don't bow!

Boris remained bent for a few seconds, enough to show respect but not to make the moment awkward. When he stood back up, a smile appeared on his face, making his mustache almost jump.

— I must apologize. To be honest, I have no idea who you're supposed to be. Not even... Giulia? — He hesitated, getting the name wrong.

— Oh, sorry, my mistake! Actually, it's Giuliana, Giuliana Cabrini. You must know her...? — he quickly corrected himself, without losing his composure.

Derik frowned. Boris's tone suggested he should know who this Giuliana was, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember anyone by that name. He searched his memories, even recalling brief love affairs, but no face matched.

— Is it bad if I say I have no idea who she is...?

Boris's eyes widened for a moment before he regained his composure, shaking his head.

— Actually, no. — He hesitated for a second, but soon the smile returned to his face. — I'm just used to people recognizing her name. Giuliana Cabrini is the youngest daughter of the Cabrini and Speranzi families, two major dynasties from the old country called Italy. I could go into details, but I believe Miss Giuliana herself would prefer to explain. Just be careful not to offend her when you meet her.

The last phrase came with a cold, sharp gleam in Boris's eyes, but Derik was more occupied trying to understand the situation.

— Meet her? I don't think it's necessary. From what little I know, rich people are, with all due respect, a bit... 'demanding'. I'm a simple guy, and I'd rather avoid situations where I might accidentally offend her.

— Miss Giuliana insists. A car is already prepared for when you're discharged. She would have waited for you, but... well, you've been out for a while. — Boris paused, his expression turning slightly somber.

— How long? — Anxiety crept into Derik's voice.

— Seven months.

Derik remained in the hospital for two more days. He wanted to leave earlier, worried about the cost of private treatment, but Boris was quick to assure him that everything had already been paid for by the Cabrini family.

— You can relax, Mr. Derik. Don't worry about expenses. The Cabrini family insists on taking care of it. — Boris's formality contrasted with Derik's uneasy mood, who, despite still being suspicious, gave in. After all, it was hard to say no to food from a private hospital, which was light years away from what he was used to.

During this time, Boris stayed by his side almost all the time, only leaving to change clothes and take a shower. His impeccable mustache and renewed suits showed he was making an effort to maintain a perfect appearance, even in something as mundane as looking after a stranger.

However, these details took a back seat for Derik. The real shock came when he was updated on the events of the past seven months.

Shortly after his accident, the world experienced something extraordinary. Gigantic metallic monoliths fell from the sky in various parts of the planet. At first, mass destruction was expected, but surprisingly, the impact caused minimal damage. Tremors, dust clouds, and smaller landslides were recorded, but the monuments avoided densely populated cities, as if guided by some invisible force.

At least five of these structures appeared on each continent, with a few falling into the oceans. Their dimensions were absurd: each monolith was about a thousand meters tall, seventy meters wide, and forty meters deep. Their surfaces were black, with intricately engraved silver symbols.

— It looks like something out of a sci-fi movie, doesn't it? — Boris commented, handing Derik a newspaper with a picture of one of these monoliths on the cover.

Derik skimmed through the article while Boris summarized the events. The global population was in panic in the first weeks. The fear of monsters or imminent catastrophes was constant, fueled by the media and conspiracy theories. But none of that materialized.

Then, something even stranger happened. People began to disappear after touching the monoliths. It wasn't just anyone, though. Research revealed that all the victims shared a common experience: a dream.

— A dream? — Derik asked, frowning.

— Correct. They all dreamed of a figure cloaked in a long mantle, always facing away. The color of the mantle varied, as did the dream's setting, but the pattern remained. The figure was under the moonlight. — Boris paused, observing Derik's incredulous expression. — Strange, right?

— That's an understatement. — Derik dropped the newspaper, rubbing his temples. — And no one came back after disappearing?

— Not so far. Several governments have sent expeditions to explore the monoliths. The Brazilian government started its own mission three months ago, but the results are still a mystery.

Derik tried to process all of that. It was hard to believe, but Boris seemed sincere, and the newspapers confirmed his story. The world he knew had drastically changed while he was unconscious.

After two days of recovery, the moment finally came for him to leave the hospital.

— We've arrived. Welcome to Miss Giuliana's private residence. — Boris announced as the black SUV stopped in front of a huge gate.

Derik, distracted by the latest news on his phone, looked up at the landscape.

"Holy shit!"

— She lives here? — he asked, incredulously.

Boris simply nodded, his face maintaining its usual composure.

The house was impressive. Located inside a luxurious condominium in a city near São Paulo, the residence blended contemporary design with natural elements. The tall walls were made of smooth concrete blocks, interspersed with well-kept live fences. The gate was wide, constructed from wooden planks and silver steel, demonstrating a balance between modernity and tradition.

Upon entering, Derik noticed the open, grassy space in front of the house, with two other cars parked. The residence itself looked like an architectural masterpiece, composed of three geometric structures stacked in a harmonious arrangement. White marble, minimalist lines, and open spaces gave the place a sophisticated air.

As soon as he got out of the car, he saw a young woman standing in front of the large black door.

Her straight golden hair swayed slightly in the wind. Her light hazel eyes contrasted with her flawless white skin, marked only by a few subtle freckles on her face. The young woman was undoubtedly stunning, and the smile on her lips seemed to make her presence even more captivating.

— Miss Giuliana! — Boris greeted her with a slight bow of his head.

— I'm glad you've arrived. I hope the journey was smooth. — Her voice was light, but every word seemed carefully chosen, emanating natural confidence.

Derik, still surprised by the opulence around him, could only nod, feeling out of place in an environment that seemed to belong to another world.