The dream began in a dark, endless void, where a soft glow outlined a floating chessboard. The black and white squares pulsed gently, like buried secrets trying to break free, each one holding mysteries that seemed to call out to her. Anika stood at the edge, her bare feet touching a cold, unseen surface that seemed to move with each breath she took. She knew this board—it was familiar like a half-remembered dream, yet it felt alive in a way that made her skin tingle. The pieces moved slightly, swaying as if caught in a gentle wind. Pawns shook with hidden power, knights bent forward ready to jump through space, and the rooks... the rooks glowed with a soft, golden light that cast long shadows across the board, shadows that sometimes moved on their own.
Her eyes fixed on one special rook, its energy singing a song that she felt deep inside her chest, a melody that felt like something she should know but couldn't quite remember. A voice rang out, deep and clear, filling the empty space like moonlight on water. "The rook's journey is long, its path hidden in the mists of time. A quiet force, the balance of power sleeps until it's time to wake."
Anika spun around, her breath stuck in her throat. From the darkness stepped a figure wearing robes that sparkled like stars woven into cloth. His face was blurry, like looking through water, but she knew who he was—Krishna, the divine player of endless games. He moved without a sound, each step making waves in the darkness around him. The air grew heavy with secrets waiting to be told.
"Every move matters, Anika," he said, his voice gentle but firm, carrying the wisdom of ages. "The game is now yours, as it was meant to be, as it will always be."
Before she could speak, before she could ask what it all meant, the rook shot forward. It flew across the board in a flash of gold so bright it left traces of light dancing in her vision. The chessboard cracked under it, breaking apart like a mirror, each piece showing glimpses of what might come. The floor disappeared beneath her feet, and Anika fell into the darkness, the sound of the rook's movement beating like a giant heart, matching the rhythm of the stars themselves.
She snapped awake, her mind rushing back like a wave hitting the beach. The smell of melted candle wax filled the air, rich and old, mixed with sweet spices and mystery. Duggu, her labrador friend, probably her only best friend, lay beside her, his amber eyes shining in the candlelight, filled with the same strange knowledge she had just seen. He watched her, never blinking, as if he had traveled with her through that space between sleep and waking, guarding her journey.
Her eyes moved, pulled by something she couldn't name, to the chessboard on the table. The one she remembered NOT BUYING, the one that had just appeared in her room, as if by magic. Every piece stood exactly where it should—all in their proper places like silent guards-- except for the Rook. It stood boldly in the middle of the board, breaking all the rules of chess, its golden glow faint but real in the dark before dawn. A quiet reminder of the dream still racing through her mind, and maybe, she thought with a shiver, a sign of what was coming.