ECHOES BEYOND REALLY
845 Words
Sleep never truly came that night.
Aurora lay motionless in her bed, staring at the ceiling while the moonlight spilled through the dormitory window. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the wolf being thrown backwards by an invisible force. She heard its terrified cry. She felt the strange power that had surged through her body.
None of it made sense.
Across the room, Octavia slept peacefully, one hand resting beneath her cheek. Her beautiful orange-red curls spread gently across the pillow, glowing softly beneath the moonlight.
Aurora envied how peacefully she slept.
She quietly slipped out of bed and walked to the window.
The university grounds were silent.
The fountain shimmered beneath the moon.
Everything looked... normal.
Yet nothing felt normal anymore.
Suddenly—
A sharp pain shot through her head.
She gasped, gripping the windowsill.
The world around her blurred.
For a brief second...
She wasn't standing in her room.
She was standing in the middle of a dark forest.
Fog curled around ancient trees.
Somewhere ahead...
A little girl cried for help.
Aurora's heart raced.
"Who's there?"
No answer.
The crying grew louder.
She took a cautious step forward—
"Aurora!"
Octavia's voice shattered the vision.
The forest disappeared instantly.
She found herself back inside the dormitory, breathing heavily.
Octavia had rushed from her bed.
"Aurora... are you alright?"
Aurora forced a weak smile.
"I... I think I just got dizzy."
Octavia looked unconvinced.
"You've gone pale."
"I'm okay."
She wasn't.
---
The following morning, the university felt as lively as ever.
Students hurried to their lectures, chatting excitedly beneath the ancient trees.
Professor Hawthorne entered the classroom carrying a stack of old books.
"Good morning."
"Good morning, Professor."
His eyes briefly settled on Aurora.
She looked unusually quiet.
He noticed.
"Miss Aurora... are you feeling well today?"
She smiled faintly.
"Just didn't sleep much."
"I recommend rest after class."
"I will."
The lecture began.
Professor Hawthorne spoke passionately about forgotten civilizations and the importance of preserving history.
Normally Aurora would whisper jokes to Octavia.
Today...
She couldn't concentrate.
A strange ringing filled her ears.
The classroom slowly faded.
She blinked.
For a split second...
She saw Professor Hawthorne standing alone in the empty lecture hall.
Then—
The ceiling collapsed above him.
Aurora jumped to her feet.
"Professor!"
The entire class turned to stare.
Professor Hawthorne blinked in surprise.
"Yes... Miss Aurora?"
She looked around.
The ceiling was perfectly fine.
Nothing had happened.
Students whispered among themselves.
Aurora's face burned with embarrassment.
"I... I'm sorry."
Professor Hawthorne gave her a reassuring smile.
"It's alright."
But his thoughtful expression lingered.
Something wasn't right.
---
After class, Aurora insisted she was fine.
Octavia wasn't convinced.
"You've been acting strangely since yesterday."
"I'm just tired."
"No."
Octavia gently held her hand.
"You looked frightened."
Aurora hesitated.
Should she tell her?
Would Octavia believe her?
Finally...
"I've been seeing things."
Octavia frowned.
"What kind of things?"
"Things that aren't there."
She lowered her voice.
"I see places I've never been."
"People I've never met."
"And sometimes..."
"They feel real."
Octavia squeezed her hand.
"We'll figure it out together."
Aurora smiled.
Having Octavia beside her made the fear feel smaller.
---
That afternoon, the two friends wandered through Eldoria's bustling marketplace.
Musicians played cheerful melodies while merchants called out to passing customers.
Everything seemed ordinary.
Until Aurora froze.
Across the street...
A little boy stood beside a fruit cart.
He laughed as he reached for an apple.
Aurora suddenly saw something else.
The cart tipping over.
Heavy wooden crates falling.
The boy trapped beneath them.
"No!"
Without thinking, Aurora ran.
She grabbed the child and pulled him backwards.
A heartbeat later—
CRASH!
The overloaded cart collapsed exactly where the little boy had been standing.
Wooden crates smashed onto the ground.
People screamed.
The merchant stared in shock.
The little boy looked up at Aurora.
"You saved me."
Aurora couldn't answer.
She simply stared at the broken cart.
Her vision...
Had been real.
Octavia slowly approached her.
"...You knew."
Aurora's hands trembled.
"I saw it before it happened."
---
That evening, back at the dormitory, Aurora sat silently on her bed.
She was terrified.
Not because she had saved the little boy...
But because she no longer knew what was real.
Sometimes she saw the present.
Sometimes she saw dreams.
Sometimes...
She saw the future.
A gentle knock came at the door.
It was Arina.
"I heard about what happened in the market," she said softly.
"Is everyone alright?"
"They're fine," Octavia replied.
Arina looked at Aurora.
Their eyes met.
For the briefest moment...
Aurora saw something impossible.
Behind Arina...
A magnificent palace.
Moonlight.
A silver crown resting upon crimson velvet.
The vision vanished.
Aurora blinked.
Arina was standing exactly where she had been before.
Nothing unusual.
Nothing at all.
"Are you alright?" Arina asked kindly.
Aurora forced a smile.
"...Yes."
But deep inside...
She knew this was only the beginning.
Whatever had awakened inside her was growing stronger.
And with every passing day...
The line between dreams, visions, and reality was beginning to disappear.
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