Echo Of Dreams: Legacy Of The Past

Episode 5

When I regained my balance, I turned towards the person who hit me. My eyes widened in surprise when I saw this stranger, tall, with dark hair and soul-piercing emerald green eyes. His features were defined, with sharp cheekbones and a strong jawline that suggested dogged determination. He wore a long black cloak that seemed to blend in with the night, and he was almost invisible except for the faint silver glint on his cufflinks. His confident and authoritative stance was striking. When our eyes met, I felt a chill run down my spine.

"Who are you?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady, but my heart was pounding with a mixture of fear and curiosity.

The stranger smiled, a hint of mischief appeared in his eyes that made me wonder about the secrets he was hiding. His lips curved slightly, a small dimple appeared on his left cheek, and I found myself involuntarily drawn to that subtle flaw. "Someone watching you, Lyra," he said, his voice low and husky, sending a thrill through me. "There's a kind of… charm about you."

As he spoke, I felt a flutter in my chest and couldn't help but wonder what he meant by that. Was this a compliment or a warning? There was something in his tone that sent a warning signal to my brain, but I couldn't quite place what it was. It was as if he was hiding something behind his charming smile and piercing eyes.

"What do you want?" I asked, trying to sound braver than I felt, but my voice came out barely above a whisper.

The stranger chuckled, his voice low and husky, sending a shiver down my spine. "I want to talk to you," she said, never taking her eyes off me. "About your future. About the choices you're about to make. And about the danger that lurks in the shadows of your dreams."

I felt a wave of fear at his words but tried to push it aside. I didn't know this man and I certainly didn't trust him.

“I don't know what you're talking about,” I lied, trying to sound convincing.

The man's eyes narrowed and he moved closer. "Don't play games with me, Lyra," he whispered, his smile cold and calculating. “I want to help you, but I think we can discuss that later,” he said, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "For now, let me just say that I'm interested in getting to know you better."

I raised my eyebrow, not sure what to do with this mysterious stranger. His words contained a subtle threat, and I couldn't help but wonder what he might do. "I don't think this is a good idea," I said, trying to sound determined.

The stranger's smile grew wider and he took a step towards me, never taking his eyes off me. “Oh, I think that's a great idea,” he said, his voice sounding confident. "And I'm not one of those people who takes no for an answer."

With that he turned and disappeared into the crowd, leaving me both curious and uneasy. As I looked around, I tried to see him again, but he was nowhere to be seen. Tonight it was as if magic had dissolved into the air radiating from all sides.

"Lyra, what's wrong?" asked Tilly as she came running towards me with a worried expression on her face.

"Nothing, just a strange encounter," I said, trying to downplay what had just happened, but my heart was still pounding.

Tilly nodded, but I could tell she was worried. "Let's get out of here. We can talk later."

As I walked out of the crowded market, the stranger's words echoed in my mind: "And about the danger that lurks in the shadows of dreams," he said. The way he said this sent another shiver down my spine, leaving me with more questions than answers.

A very quiet and even boring week had passed since the carnival. The most exciting news the days later was the doorbell, announcing the arrival of the letter Mia had been eagerly awaiting. She seemed to be in a pretty good mood ever since she got the news, talking about how great we would look, the sparkling ballrooms, those drinks that were said to taste like sherbet, the handsome men, and of course those handsome men would be lining up to dance with us. Two days ago, very early in the morning, I found her dancing by herself downstairs, with one hand extended elegantly forward as if she had a partner in front of her, and the other hand holding the hem of a fluffy prom dress. To tell you the truth, this was the first time I'd seen Mia so dedicated to anything, and I was impressed.

As the days passed more slowly than I expected, Mia's excitement turned dull quicker than I expected. As usual, I was looking at myself in front of the large ash mirror and my hair was almost gone. If you wanted someone to cold-bloodedly stitch up your open wound, I was the guy you could call, and yet my hands were incapable of doing my own hair. So, earlier in the evening, when Mia saw my desperate struggle, she pushed me aside and quickly gathered my hair with her deft hands.

I was quite happy when it started. While I was getting ready, I was trying to get information from Mia about the dress, which she had been keeping secret for days. I hadn't seen a new pair of dresses since the day she said she traded a memory for two dresses, and the situation made me even more curious.

"Come on, I'm already ready, tell me now. Even if I prefer to attend the prom in my pajamas, I don't think you'll approve."

Even though she acted bored with my questions, I knew she secretly liked the fact that I was asking all of these things. I often didn't pay attention to the things she was interested in (i.e. clothes, fashion, and men), and right now the world was literally revolving around the things Mia loved.

"Ly! You're so impatient, and if you try to come there in your pajamas, you'll be guaranteed to avoid you all night," he said with a fake sigh of annoyance, laughing.

"Watch now." Her eyes were shining as she opened a small velvet box she took from her skirt pocket. Inside the box were two pairs of small drop-shaped earrings made of white sapphires.

"Here are our clothes," Mia sang.

Had she traded a moment of her life for these stupid earrings? Without me having to say anything, Mia read my face and said, "Can you try it first?"

“Well, after that, am I free to sulk as much as I want?”

"Yes yes, of course." He quickly brushed me off.

When I first put on the earrings, I felt a small wind wave. I quickly looked at the open window with my head, but the wave I felt was not coming from there. I screamed involuntarily as a small vortex began to form around me, but this small-scale spectacle was cut off as suddenly as it had begun. She left behind a white corseted ball gown with generous cleavage. White tulle was flowing like water from the bands that came as a thin strip on both arms. It was like a dream. I was like a dream.

“I think… I can stop questioning some of their dealings.” I said as I looked at myself with admiration, my smile spread all over my face. Maybe one or two people might actually want to dance with me tonight.

As for Mia, the gold embroidery extending from both sides of the pale blue dress went up to her arms and wrapped around her arms in a surreal way. When she finished spinning around with her fluffy skirts flying, she looked at our reflection in the mirror with her cheerful attitude and said, "Now, we look like real princesses." she said.