The man in my dreams.

Chapter 3: The Dream Returns

The rest of the afternoon at the bookstore passed more slowly than usual for Amélie.

Although a few customers came in and out, her thoughts kept returning to the same moment again and again—the moment when her fingers had touched Julien’s while handing him the book.

It had felt strange.

Not uncomfortable, not frightening… just strangely familiar.

Every time she looked toward the reading corner of the bookstore, she could see him sitting quietly with the novel she had recommended. His eyes moved slowly across the pages, and from time to time he glanced around the shop as if he were observing every small detail.

Amélie tried to focus on her work, but it was difficult.

There was something about Julien that reminded her of the man in her dreams. She couldn’t explain why, but the feeling was strong enough to make her heart uneasy.

Later that evening, as the sun began to set behind the rooftops of Paris, the bookstore finally closed.

Amélie walked home slowly along the peaceful streets. The air had grown cooler, and soft lights from cafés and restaurants began to glow warmly in the evening darkness.

Not far away, the shining lights of the Eiffel Tower stood proudly against the night sky, watching over the city.

Normally, Amélie enjoyed these quiet walks home. But tonight, her mind felt full of questions.

Who was Julien?

Why had his presence felt so familiar?

And why had her heart reacted so strongly when she met him?

By the time she reached her small apartment, she felt both tired and thoughtful. After changing into comfortable clothes, she made herself a cup of warm tea and sat near the window.

The streets below were calm now.

People laughed softly as they passed by, and distant music drifted from a nearby restaurant. It was the peaceful rhythm of life in Paris.

Yet Amélie couldn’t shake the strange feeling inside her.

Eventually, she finished her tea and went to bed.

“Tomorrow will probably make more sense,” she whispered to herself before turning off the light.

But that night, the dream returned.

Just like before, Amélie found herself standing beside the quiet waters of the Seine River. The city was glowing with soft golden lights, and the night air felt cool and calm.

In the distance, the beautiful Eiffel Tower shimmered gently against the dark sky.

Amélie looked around.

Her heart was already beating faster.

She knew this place.

She had been here many times in her dreams.

Then she saw him.

The mysterious man stood only a few steps away from her.

But this time something was different.

As he slowly turned toward her, the soft light from the city finally revealed his face clearly.

Amélie froze.

Her eyes widened in shock.

It was Julien.

The same dark hair.

The same calm expression.

The same warm eyes that had looked at her earlier that day inside the bookstore.

Her voice trembled as she spoke.

“Julien…?”

He looked at her with a quiet smile, as if he had been expecting her to recognize him.

“You see me now,” he said softly.

Amélie’s heart pounded loudly in her chest.

“How is this possible?” she whispered. “You… you were in my dream before I even met you.”

Julien stepped closer, the gentle sound of the river moving quietly behind them.

“Sometimes,” he said, “two people are meant to find each other… even before they meet.”

Amélie tried to understand his words, but her thoughts were spinning.

Nothing about this made sense.

“How do you know that?” she asked.

But before Julien could answer, the dream began to fade.

The lights of the city dimmed, the river disappeared, and everything slowly dissolved into darkness.

Amélie suddenly opened her eyes.

She sat up quickly in her bed, breathing heavily.

The room was dark and silent.

Her clock read 3:17 a.m.

For a few seconds she simply stared ahead, trying to understand what had just happened.

Then she whispered the words she could no longer ignore.

“It was him…”

The man in her dreams had a face now.

And it was the same man she had met earlier that day in the bookstore.

Julien.

Outside, the quiet streets of Paris slept peacefully beneath the night sky.

But for Amélie, everything had suddenly become far more mysterious.

Because now she had only one question in her mind.

How could a man she met today already exist in her dream?