"Awakening of the Unknown: A Dream or a Warning?"

My father turned to us, his gaze steady as if trying to reassure us. "At that time, there was no other way. She had to lose consciousness for her mutant to finally awaken. That's exactly what happened. The problem was, we didn't know when she would wake up. But the sage reassured me, saying she had only a week. 'Stay by her side,' he told me. 'Your mutant will help hers emerge. You are companions, and your presence is key.'"

He spoke slowly, his voice laced with the weight of memory, while I sat there, lost in my own thoughts, an unfamiliar feeling stirring inside me.

"I never left her side," he continued. "For three days straight, I remained beside her, barely moving, watching her in silence. I couldn't walk away—not until I was sure she was safe. Then, on the third night, exhaustion overtook me, and I finally fell asleep. But I was jolted awake by a piercing scream."

His eyes darkened slightly as he recounted the moment. "Even before I opened my eyes, I felt it—something was different. And when I finally looked at her… her eyes were not the same. It was as if she had become someone else entirely."

A strange, guttural sound escaped her lips, and then, without warning, she shot up. I scrambled to follow, but she moved too fast. Right before everyone's eyes, she transformed—her body stretching, shifting, until she stood before us as a massive osprey. She let out a fierce growl, her piercing gaze radiating power and defiance, commanding the attention of all who bore witness. And before I could react, she spread her enormous wings and soared into the sky.

A single thought struck me as I watched her disappear into the heavens. Was my mother… an eagle?

Confusion settled over me. I had always heard of eagles as cowardly scavengers, feeding only on carrion. Turning to my father, I blurted out, "Isn't the vulture an eagle?"

A knowing smile crossed his face as he answered, "No, they are not the same. Many people mistake them, but they couldn't be more different."

His voice took on a reverent tone as he explained, "Vultures are majestic, powerful birds of prey. They have enormous wingspans, their heads and beaks are sharp and strong, built to tear through the flesh of their prey. Their vision is unparalleled—they can spot movement from incredible distances. And when a vulture soars through the sky, no other bird dares to fly near it. They are rulers of the heavens, and among them, the females are even larger and more dominant than the males."

I nodded, letting my father's words settle in my mind. "I understand now. Please continue."

A faint smile tugged at his lips as he resumed his story. "I transformed into a massive brown bear and charged through the forest, trying to catch up with her. But she was too fast… and furious. As you know, vultures live on mountain peaks, so after losing her trail, I searched for the highest point in the area. It took me hours to climb, and by the time I reached the summit, she had returned to her human form—but the anger still burned in her eyes.

I used our bond to calm her, grounding her in reality. It took time, but eventually, we recovered, and together, we returned to the clan."

A warm smile softened his face as he looked at me. "Don't worry. All you need is training and motivation. I have faith in you."

My heart swelled with affection, and before I could stop myself, I wrapped my arms around him in a tender hug. Then, without another word, I hurried upstairs to my room.

Grabbing a fresh set of clothes from my closet, I headed straight for the shower. The day had been long, and exhaustion was creeping into my bones. The warm water was soothing, washing away the weight of everything that had happened. But even as I dried off and changed into my nightwear, my mind buzzed with unanswered questions.

I lay down, letting my eyelids drift shut, surrendering to the pull of sleep.

Darkness greeted me.

I found myself in a dense forest, its towering trees casting long shadows under the moonlit sky. The night was silent, but it wasn't eerie—rather, it felt… peaceful. I wasn't sure if this was a dream or something else entirely, but I let myself move forward, drawn by an unseen force.

Before long, I reached a vast lake, its glassy surface shimmering under the moon's glow. I sat at the water's edge, absorbing the stillness, until the faint sound of footsteps disrupted the calm.

I tensed, lifting my gaze.

On the other side of the lake, a figure emerged from the trees. A young man. He leaned against a tree, watching me. His face was unfamiliar, yet something about him felt oddly familiar, as if I had known him in another life.

The silence stretched.

I finally broke it. "Hello? Who are you?"

No response.

A strange unease crawled up my spine. My voice sharpened. "Who's there? Why don't you answer?"

Still, he remained motionless, his silence heavy, his expression unreadable.

I exhaled, trying to shake the tension. It's just a dream, I told myself. Nothing to worry about. There was a wide lake between us; even if he decided to approach, it wouldn't be quick.

But then—

A voice.

"Luke!"

I turned sharply at the sound of my name being called. The young man across the lake turned, too, before vanishing back into the darkness.

My eyes flew open.

Sunlight streamed through my window. Across the room, Luke was already dressed, his voice impatient.

"Come on! We're so late!" He grumbled, rummaging through his bag. "You were supposed to be in charge of breakfast, but you're still lying there! Get up!"

Still groggy, I blinked at him. "What if I just don't go today?"

Luke scoffed. "Oh, please. You only have me at school, and I'm busy half the time. You really want to spend the whole day alone?"

I let my eyes close again, intent on ignoring him—

But then he yanked the covers off. "Wake up! We have a test today! Did you forget?"

My heart lurched. The test.

I shot out of bed, nearly tripping in my rush to the bathroom. As I scrambled to get ready, I heard Luke chuckle from outside.

"I left your clothes on the chair," he called. "Hurry up!"

I got dressed in record time, hastily tying my hair up before rushing downstairs. Luke had prepared sandwiches for the road, and without wasting another second, we bolted to the car.

By the time we reached school, we were five minutes late.

We sprinted into the classroom, breathless—

Only to find that the teacher wasn't even there.

Collapsing into our seats, we took a moment to catch our breath. Then, out of nowhere—

Luke smacked the back of my head.

I winced, rubbing the spot. "Ow! What was that for?"

His eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you seriously asking me that?"

Feigning innocence, I shrugged.

His glare darkened. "Because of you, we were almost late for the exam! Imagine if the professor had walked in before us—we would've missed it!"

I shot him a glare of my own, rubbing my bruised scalp. Then, without warning, I jabbed him in the stomach.

He doubled over, groaning.

"That's for bullying me," I said smugly. "Besides, this is the first time I've been late! If Dad didn't wake you up every morning, you wouldn't be here acting like the king of early risers!"

Luke sat up, still grumbling under his breath, when something dawned on me.

"The test… should've started by now. Why isn't the teacher here yet?"

We glanced around the classroom.

Students were chatting, playing on their phones, some even listening to music with their headphones in. There was no tension, no rush—just a relaxed atmosphere as if class wasn't even in session.

Luke frowned. Rising from his seat, he approached a classmate. A quick exchange later, he returned.

"They said there's an emergency staff meeting in the principal's office," he explained, settling back beside me. "All the teachers had to attend."

Relieved, I let out a long sigh and rested my head on Luke's shoulder.

"Luke," I murmured.

He hummed in acknowledgment.

"I had a strange dream."

Curious, he turned to me. So, I told him everything—about the forest, the lake, and the mysterious young man.

His brows furrowed. "Weird," he muttered. "Have you ever dreamed about him before?"

I shook my head. "No… this was the first time."

Luke nodded slowly. "Don't worry too much about it. If it happens again, we'll look into it together."

I smiled at his words, feeling slightly reassured.

"Don't overthink it, okay?" he added.

I exhaled, nodding. "Okay."