Chapter Four: Reflections of the Heart

Author's POV

Days passed, and life in the city carried on with its usual rhythm, but for Selene and Callista, something had shifted. The encounter at the coffee shop, brief as it was, left an indelible mark on both women. They found themselves thinking about each other more often than they would admit, a persistent presence in the back of their minds. Selene continued to wrestle with her daily responsibilities at work, but the dreams and the mysterious woman in the coffee shop seemed to haunt her. The dreams were becoming more vivid, more real. In them, she saw the same girl—always the same one—walking beside her, speaking in a voice that was both familiar and distant.

Selene's POV

The dreams are getting more intense. Each night, I find myself in the same place—a vast, open field bathed in moonlight. The air is cool, and the night is quiet except for the soft rustle of leaves. And she's always there, walking beside me.This time, we were walking side by side, our hands brushing lightly as we moved through the dreamscape. I wanted to reach out, to hold her hand, but something held me back—an unspoken fear of breaking whatever spell had brought us together. As we walked, she spoke, her voice a soft whisper in the wind.

"Do you remember me?"I looked at her, trying to see her face more clearly, but it was always slightly out of focus, as if the dream itself was keeping me from fully recognizing her.

"I don't know," I replied honestly. "But it feels like I should."She smiled, a bittersweet expression that tugged at my heart.

"We've met before. You just don't remember yet." Before I could ask what she meant, the dream began to fade, and I woke up with her words echoing in my mind. Who was she? And why did it feel so important that I remember her?

The day passed in a haze as I replayed the dream over and over in my mind. I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something I was missing, some vital piece of information that would make everything clear.But no matter how hard I tried, the answers remained just out of reach.

Author's POV

Callista, too, was experiencing similar disturbances. The dreams she had been having were becoming more vivid, more insistent. And the woman in those dreams—the same one she had glimpsed in the coffee shop—was starting to take on a clearer shape in her mind.

Callista's POV

It's strange how dreams can feel more real than life sometimes. Every night, I find myself in that same dream, in the same place. The woman I see—she feels so familiar, so close. Yet, every time I reach out, she slips away like a shadow. Last night, the dream was different. This time, I was the one who spoke first.

"Do you believe in fate?" I asked her. She looked at me, her expression unreadable.

"I don't know," she replied. "But I do believe in connections."

We walked together, our steps in perfect sync, the world around us fading into the background. The bond between us was palpable, something that transcended the dream itself. I wanted to stay in that moment forever, to never wake up.

But, of course, I did wake up, just as the sun began to rise. The dream left me with more questions than answers, but one thing was clear—I had to find her. I had to know who she was and why she was appearing in my dreams.

Author's POV

The next day, Selene found herself drawn back to the gallery she had visited earlier. She had told herself it was just a coincidence, that the gallery had nothing to do with her dreams, but deep down, she knew that wasn't true. She entered the gallery with a sense of purpose, hoping that maybe, just maybe, she would find some clue that would help her understand what was happening. The gallery was quiet, just as it had been the last time. Selene wandered through the space, her eyes scanning the paintings until she found the one that had captivated her before. The abstract piece, with its swirling colors and hidden emotions, seemed to pull her in once again.

As she stood there, lost in thought, she heard footsteps approaching. Turning slightly, she saw the gallery owner, the same elderly woman with kind eyes.

"You've come back," the woman said with a gentle smile."

I have," Selene replied, not entirely sure why she felt the need to return.

"Art has a way of calling us back to it," the woman said, as if she understood everything that was going through Selene's mind.

"Perhaps there's something here that you're meant to see."Selene nodded, unsure of how to respond. The woman's words echoed in her mind as she continued to stare at the painting, hoping that the answers she sought would reveal themselves.

At the same time, across the city, Callista was making her way back to the coffee shop. She wasn't sure why she was drawn to that place again, but something told her that it was important, that it was the key to unraveling the mystery of her dreams. She entered the shop, the familiar warmth enveloping her as she ordered her usual latte. As she waited for her drink, her eyes wandered to the same corner where she had seen the woman before. But the corner was empty. Callista's heart sank a little, though she couldn't explain why. She took her drink and found a seat, trying to shake off the disappointment that settled over her.

Author's POV

Fate, however, was not done with them. The threads of their lives were slowly being woven together, each day bringing them closer to the moment when their paths would finally collide. For now, though, Selene and Callista remained two souls searching for answers, unaware that they were searching for each other.

As the day drew to a close, they both found themselves lost in thought, the same question running through their minds: Who is the person in my dreams?

Little did they know, they were on the brink of discovering the truth—a truth that would change everything.