Light and Shadow 1: Call of the Unknown
Light and Shadow 1: Call of the Unknown
I woke up in the middle of an eerie forest, the atmosphere heavy with danger. I felt uneasy for some reason, and every minute a potential threat as chills ran down my spine. It was unsettling, until suddenly, I heard a woman’s voice…
“The time has come…”
It was like an echo and a whisper simultaneously, yet I heard it. I frowned as I looked around, trying to locate the source of the voice. I didn’t let my guard down as I began to follow the path my feet led me.
“The time has come…”
She repeated the phrase over and over, her voice an echo in the eerie woods. I couldn’t understand its meaning, yet it seemed to resonate deep within me. A knot formed in my throat, and I found myself unable to speak.
Her words danced on the wind, haunting me until they faded into the silence once more. I looked around until I felt a presence behind me. Slowly turning, I was taken aback by the sight of a beautiful woman before my eyes.
She was like a goddess—a goddess of the forest, and I couldn’t help but be mesmerized. Then she smiled, making her even more beautiful. However, as I gazed into her eyes, I felt a strange force slowly enveloping me, almost drowning me in its unfamiliar power.
I was only pulled out of this trance when I heard her voice. “It’s time to go back to your land…”
I was speechless hearing that, especially when I found myself facing a mirror and looking at the breathtakingly beautiful woman before me. My mouth hung open in astonishment as I realized it seemed to be my own reflection.
Until I saw the lady again behind me through the mirror before she said, “Time to go back to your land now, Your Divine Majesty…”
***
I shot upright in bed, my heart pounding against my ribs as I took a deep breath. The same dream had haunted me once more and I’ve been having the same one for nearly a month now. Yet still, I can’t fathom its meaning, which leaves me baffled and unsettled.
It was as if a heavy curtain had been ripped away, revealing a familiar yet perplexing scene. A scene where she was beckoning me to return… but return to what? Where was this place she spoke of? To the Realm of Elementalists? To Luminous Realm?
I sighed before deciding to take a shower, needing to prepare for my class. I tried to put the dream out of my mind to keep me from being distracted, but even after showering, I couldn’t shake the lingering thoughts. The dream was troubling me, and I was starting to feel worried.
I feel like it’s something important, and it feels like returning to wherever she’s referring to is crucial. Maybe she was referring to Luminous Realm. I sighed before looking at the mirror, but only to be startled by my reflection. It was the same reflection I’d seen in my dream.
My face is different—everything is different and it’s exactly like the reflection I saw in my dream! It’s a far cry from my real appearance as I am seeing an ethereal beauty; a goddess-like beauty. I frowned and touched my cheeks, studying my reflection in the mirror.
Who… is she? She’s too beautiful…
My attention was abruptly drawn away from the mirror as my alarm suddenly blared, startling me. I silenced it with a heart pounding in my chest and glanced back at my reflection, but now I only saw my ‘real’ reflection. My heart raced as I tried to make sense of what had just happened.
Am I sleep-deprived, or is something else going on? Yeah, probably the latter.
I tried to push the strange encounter from my mind and went downstairs to eat breakfast. I expected to find Mimi and Nana already seated at the dining table, as usual. Nana is my aunt and she’s Mimi’s cousin and both of them became my parents.
That’s why my mom wasn’t a single parent.
“Good morning, beautiful ladies!” I greeted them cheerfully, and they returned my greeting with warm smiles. I sat down at the table and we began our breakfast.
“Good morning, sweetie!”
“Morning, Saph…”
While eating, Mimi and Nana started to talk about something related to their work. I wasn’t interested, so I just focused on eating. However, the dream I had last night crept back into my mind again, and without realizing it, I stopped eating and was drawn to deep thoughts.
I unconsciously stared into space, which is why Mimi and Nana stopped talking when they noticed me. Then I felt a hand holding mine, and when I looked to see whose it was, I saw Mimi. Her eyes were filled with concern, as were Nana’s.
“What’s wrong, sweetie?” Mimi asked with concern in her voice, while Nana waited expectantly for my response.
I blinked rapidly and mentally scolded myself. I had no intention of telling them because I didn’t want to worry them. But since they’d asked, maybe it was best to be honest. This had been bothering me for almost a month now, and I didn’t like it one bit.
“Uhm… I had this dream…” I began, “I’ve been having this dream for a month now, and it’s been bothering me.” They exchanged concerned glances.
“W-What’s this dream all about, Saph?” Nana asked, her voice trembling slightly, while Mimi looked nervous, which made me frown.
I felt a pang of regret for telling them, but it was too late now. I felt like they needed to know, especially since it felt like this was an important message, and maybe they could help me understand what it meant.
“Uhm… it’s a woman… she seems otherworldly because of her beauty, and she’s telling me something… that I should go back,” I explained.
But their reactions only fueled my growing concern.
***