Ayla’s Destiny

Chapter 5: The Return of Eliza

Although I felt that it really seemed real, I immediately remembered reality—just a dream, impossible to happen. I slowly walked back to the cafeteria area. Seeing Kelly and Daryl chatting again, I thought this feeling was truly real. Who was that young man with the cap earlier? It was better not to think about it. After we finished eating, it was time to return to class. Except for that strange encounter, today was an ordinary day. Now, we had my least favorite class: physics. Watching the teacher talk was excruciatingly boring. Even though I woke up late that morning and dozed off during the first class, I still felt very sleepy now. I slapped my face with both hands to wake myself up, twisted my head, and tried to prop my eyes open with my fingers, hoping my eyelids wouldn’t fall again. I couldn’t fight it; I felt incredibly sleepy, and the teacher’s endless droning was like a hypnosis spell. I couldn’t resist anymore; I needed a nap. My eyelids slowly closed, and I rested my head on the desk, gradually falling asleep.

Huh? I was back in the same place? This grassland, this forest, the lake with a mirror-like surface. This time, the sky wasn’t dusk or night; it was morning. I saw the wooden cabin again. This time, it didn’t feel as unfamiliar as the first time; it felt a bit familiar and slightly alarming.

Since this should be a dream and my memory was supposedly erased by Walter last time, if this really happened, why did I still remember? Could it be that the memory erasing didn’t work? And why was I dreaming of the same place all day today? It was really strange.

The lake was still calm, and I sat on the grass, feeling the gentle breeze on my face and body. I looked towards the wooden cabin, and this time there were no people talking. Looking up at the sky, I saw an eagle circling above, occasionally hearing its hoarse cries. I held my head and thought again about the dream I just had and the scene in front of me, racking my brain to figure out why my mind kept bringing me to the same place three times in one day. I sighed heavily, lay back on the grass with my hands behind my head, and started thinking about resting and taking a nap again.

Just as I was about to fall asleep, I heard the sound of wings flapping near my ear. I guessed a bird landed nearby? I opened my eyes wide, looking in the direction of the flapping sound. The eagle was looking at me, measuring me. Startled, I stepped back.

I like animals and nature, so I wasn’t particularly scared, just a bit surprised to see it up close. I stared at the eagle, and it looked back at me with sharp eyes, continuing to measure me, jumping around and circling near me. After a few seconds, it stopped moving and stared at a certain direction in the forest. I saw a young man walking out from the forest. From afar, it looked like a tall, slender man. His hair shone golden in the sunlight, he wore a red cloak, and long boots, walking slowly towards me. His eyes were green, and his golden hair and red cloak glowed, sparkling brilliantly. With the sunlight shining on him, he was indeed a handsome man. But as he approached, his expression carried a sly smile, not enough to make me feel terrified, but definitely giving a sense of ill intent.

He raised his right arm, and the eagle flew onto it. He looked into the eagle's eyes, and they seemed to exchange some kind of message in less than three seconds. Then, he covered the distance from the forest to stand right in front of me in less than a second. He roughly grabbed my chin and lifted my head, tilting it left and right, scrutinizing my face. Then he stepped back, placed one hand on his chest, and with the other hand, he supported his chin, his eyes measuring me from top to bottom.

I stayed still, observing him. Judging by his outfit, he must be part of the vampire army. Because it was so dark that night and only the moonlight shone, I couldn’t clearly see what Ezekiel looked like, but I thought the man before me must be him. I figured since this was just a dream and I was in the same place again, there was no need to fear whether he had an army behind him this time.

As he measured me from side to side, I kept my gaze on him. He finally spoke.

Ezekiel, with an intense look, said to the eagle, “The scent is unmistakable! Nimbus, your keen eyes and nose have proven accurate. You shall have a feast when we return.” He then lifted his arm gently, and Nimbus took off, circling slowly towards the sky. Nimbus flew around the forest by the lake, seemingly on the lookout for any enemies.

Ezekiel extended his hand in an inviting gesture and said, “Come back with me to the vampire world. This place is not for you.”

I was filled with confusion. “Back”? I’m not a vampire, nor was I born in the vampire world. Why should I go back there? This place isn’t for me? Then where do I belong? Based on this dream's setting, I am human, this place is for werewolves, and there’s a third world for vampires. By all logic, I belong to the human world.

I replied to him, “I’ve never been to the vampire world. How could you say ‘back’?”

Ezekiel asked, “Have you forgotten everything?”

He looked at me with such tenderness that I relaxed my tense expression. Today, he didn’t have his fangs. If the events of the previous dream hadn’t occurred, he would appear to me as a gentle, elegant gentleman. Seeing his gentle eyes made me soften a bit, and I didn’t want to retort harshly or angrily. I felt an urge to comfort him.

Carefully, I responded, “Are you the Ezekiel who led the vampire army to attack the werewolf village last time?”

Ezekiel's expression changed instantly, his eyes becoming slightly fierce, as if my words had struck a nerve.

Ezekiel said, “Yes, I am Ezekiel, the grand general of the vampire army, the guardian deity of the vampire world, and the protector of the balance of this world.”

His expression softened again, and with a sorrowful gaze, he continued, “Eliza, have you truly forgotten me? You said you would never forget, that you would always love me. I’ve waited for you to return for five hundred years.”

I suddenly gaped in shock. Five hundred years? I’m only 16 years; how could I have known him five hundred years ago? Was it in my past life?