Chapter 3
994 Words
Ten Years Later
“What’s your secret, Ari?” my friend Lina asked.
“My secret?” I echoed, pulling on my favorite denim jacket. “What secret? What are you talking about?”
“Oh, come on, Ari! You study in three of the hardest departments at the same time, take a ton of extra classes, do sports, and win almost every academic competition! What’s your trick? How do you manage all that? You’re basically superhuman.”
“Maybe it’s magic, Lina. People have blamed the supernatural for centuries whenever they couldn’t explain something. Does that answer work for you?”
“I’m being serious! Tell me your secret — how can I become even half as driven and successful as you?” Lina insisted.
I paused. What was my secret? I had always assumed it was obvious, but apparently what was obvious to me was a complete mystery to my closest friend.
“Remember how I told you I had severe oxygen deficiency as a child?”
“I remember. But what does that have to do with your achievements? Hypoxia usually slows reflexes and weakens cell function,” Lina said thoughtfully.
“Yes, and I was close to dying, Lina. At the exact moment I realized with absolute clarity that I was going to die… something happened.”
“What?” she asked, astonished.
I wasn’t about to tell her about the strange vision of the dragon — I only wanted her to understand that the end is inevitable for everyone, and what truly matters is how we live the time we’re given.
“Lina, I understood that I would die eventually. The end is inevitable. But the brightness and fullness of my life, that depends only on me. When the time comes, I’ll be gone, no matter what. No one knows when that moment will arrive. Maybe in a year, maybe tomorrow. Maybe my life will end in an hour. I realized that. I accepted it. And then… my illness let go. If that’s not magic, what is? None of the doctors could explain it to my mom. But I understood one thing: as long as I have time, I will live it well. I won’t waste a second. I promised myself that my life would be bright and full.
“I didn’t set long-term goals. I simply enjoyed the process. I did everything with love and gratitude — as if it were the last time, as if tomorrow would never come. Doing something for the last time fills it with meaning, don’t you think? There’s a huge difference between washing dishes because you have to, and washing them with love, knowing your mom or your brother will eat from them and remember you when you’re gone. Reading a book because you should, or devouring the pages because tomorrow you might not be here to learn how it ends.
“To understand how the world works, to try the violin, to paint a picture, to explore every kind of sport… I didn’t postpone anything. Tomorrow wasn’t guaranteed. I devoured everything that came to mind. I always gave 100 percent. Over time, my body and mind adapted, and before I even realized it, I began to reap success and recognition.
But success isn’t the point for me. The path is what matters. That’s the whole secret. I hope you didn’t expect me to reveal some secret spell, darling?” I smiled.
“You’re unbelievable, Ari! But it does make sense. And you figured this out at ten?” Lina asked.
I laughed.
“No, almost eleven.”
“Don’t you ever get tired of living like that for nearly ten years? Doesn’t it exhaust you to think about the end all the time? I could never do that!”
“I don’t know. I never thought of it that way. I just lived. As long as I have life in me, I live it — hungrily, lovingly. Believe me, I know what it’s like to have no strength left. I know what it’s like when the ground slips away, when you can’t stand, when your eyelids won’t open and your mind screams it doesn’t want to die.
I spent hours trapped in strange hallucinations. My mind lived — while my body was its cage. I screamed that I wasn’t ready to die, but no one heard me. No one except.”
I stopped myself.
“Except who?” Lina asked.
“A bundle of light… the one that healed me.”
“Wow, that sounds like a bestseller. I’m just glad you’re my friend that life brought us together.”
“And I’m grateful too. People usually avoid me. And I avoid them. But with you… I’m not afraid to be myself.”
We hugged. If true friendship exists — this was it. Understanding, accepting, forgiving when needed. The foundation of everything I value.
“Your birthday’s tomorrow. Let’s go to a party, Ari!” Lina suggested.
“I’m not sure. I’ve realized I don’t really like doing things that aren’t useful.”
“What about experience? If we follow your theory, this could be your first and last party ever.”
She had a point. And I could always leave if I felt uncomfortable or… useless.
“Fine,” I said without hesitation.
“At eight tomorrow, Eric will pick you up and then me. I promise, you’ll love it! It’s going to be huge! The grand opening of a new club, “Imagine Dragon”!” Lina said excitedly.
“What club?” I asked.
“Imagine Dragon! It means imaginary dragon.”
“Fine. See you tomorrow. Tell Eric I’ll be ready at eight.”
“Perfect! We’ll celebrate your twenty-first birthday in style!” Lina cheered.
We parted ways near the gym. I needed a run to shake off the uneasy memories of my imaginary dragon — the one who saved my life ten years ago.
- Writer
