Second dream
The Melody. The bright, upbeat melody didn't irritate Nika at all this morning. She woke up lively and full of energy, ready to embrace the challenges of a new day. Quickly rising from her bed, Nika silenced the alarm clock.
With a slight smile, she left the comfort of her bedroom and headed to the bathroom. The water cascaded over her body, awakening every cell. Nika noticed how her reflection in the mirror gleamed with freshness and determination.
Getting ready for work was swift, and soon Nika was on her way to the office. Along the way, inhaling the fresh morning air, she felt her worries dissipate into the distance. Warm smiles from colleagues greeted her at work, and the day commenced with its usual array of tasks.
Throughout the workday, Nika handled her secretarial duties with ease and grace. At one point, as she immersed herself in her tasks, the realization of the dream she had the previous night returned to her like a pleasant ghost. Colleagues' laughter and the sound of keyboard keys became the backdrop to her contemplation.
Nika longed to experience that dream again. She hadn't had lucid dreams for a long time and decided to restart her practices. During her university days, she was intrigued by esoterics and stumbled upon an intriguing article about dreams. While lucid dreams had been part of her childhood, she hadn't attached much importance to them. However, that article made her think, and she resolved to engage in practices that would allow her to summon these dreams at will. Nika realized then that dreams were more than just images in her mind. So today, she set herself the goal of recreating that wondrous state of lucid dreaming.
Throughout the day, she carefully observed the world around her, performing reality checks even during breaks between work tasks, asking herself, "Is this reality or a dream?"
Returning home, Nika continued her personal experiment. The evening in her life was filled with astonishing moments of self-revelation. She savored every breath, every sound, as if trying to grasp the subtle line between reality and dream.
As dusk fell, Nika felt that the past day had been something special. With these thoughts, she closed her eyes, ready to encounter new adventures.
Night enveloped Nika in its darkness, and with hope in her heart, she delved into the boundless world of dreams.
Nika dreamed of the sea, an endless blue sea. The warm waves caressed her body as she effortlessly floated on the water, gazing at the equally boundless sky. The sun set behind the horizon. Nika closed her eyes and suddenly found herself on the shore, where a bonfire burned, surrounded by a group of people.
There were, as it seemed to Nika, five of them. Three men and two women. Each of them appeared to carry the shadow of a secret.
"Hey you, don't just stand there, come join us," a gentle voice sounded.
Nika saw a tall, strong woman with neatly arranged short black hair turn towards her. Taking a step forward, Nika hesitated.
"Come on, don't be shy, dear. It's just a dream," the woman said.
"Am I dreaming?" Nika asked herself, unsure how to react or what to do. Nevertheless, she decided to approach the bonfire.
"Sit, dear, sit," the woman said, pointing to a bench near the fire.
"Why is there a bench on the seashore?" Nika wondered.
"It's a dream, anything is possible here," the woman reminded her, as if reading her thoughts.
Nika hesitantly sat down on the bench.
"We're cooking some delicious fish here. Help yourself," another woman said.
She appeared young, around twenty-five. She couldn't even be called a woman, rather a girl. Slim and of short stature, with white hair like snow, woven into a long braid. But when Nika caught her gaze, for some reason, she seemed much older than she looked.
"Thank you," Nika said.
The girl handed Nika a plate with pieces of fried fish. The aroma was so appetizing that Nika immediately dug in and didn't notice she had finished everything.
"It's very tasty," Nika said.
Everyone smiled.
"But this doesn't seem like a dream," Nika suddenly said. "I'm fully aware of everything. Here I am, you, the taste of the fish, its smell."
Everyone simply smiled again.
"But what's happening here, and who are you?" Nika asked decisively.
"Just a campfire picnic," the woman replied.
Nika looked at her incredulously.
"We're just travelers," a male voice sounded, and Nika saw a stocky man of medium height, around forty, with short, sun-bleached hair. "I'm Andrew, and this woman is Alla, this is Katerina, Joe, and Ryu."
He introduced everyone. Sitting opposite Nika were two young men, seemingly around thirty, but Nika couldn't determine their age exactly. They were quite handsome. One had light hair, casually cascading to his shoulders. That was Joe. He looked like a typical American. The other was Asian, with long black hair and a piercing gaze. That was Ryu. Nika looked closer and recognized him as the man from her first lucid dream. Everything around pulsated with mystical energy, as if glowing threads of fate were weaving in the dark night.
"Did you like the fish? Ryu cooked it," Alla said.
"Yes, very delicious, thank you," Nika said.
With a smile, the woman looked into Nika's eyes and asked, "Have you ever tasted the flavor of magic?"
"Magic? Like sorcery?" Nika blurted out, not knowing what to say.
"Exactly," Alla nodded. "In this world, magic is part of our everyday life."
"And how did I end up here?" Nika asked.
"The magic of the night summoned you. You're able to see the threads that bind our destinies," Ryu inserted.
"But you're still too weak to understand all the mysteries of this world," Andrew explained.
"And what should I do?" Nika asked with surprise.
"Let yourself go. Allow dreams to guide you like glowing threads in the night," Alla said gently.
"And for now, let the forces restore your energy," Ryu added.
"And what are you doing here?" Nika asked.
"We are guardians of this dream, guides in the world of magic," Andrew explained.
"It sounds like some kind of adventure," Nika whispered with a smile.
"Every adventure starts with a dream," Alla said.
"What else can I see in these dreams?" Nika continued to ask questions.
"Everything that exists in this world and beyond it. You are connected to the magic that reveals secrets," Andrew explained. "Your dreams are the key to understanding yourself and your destiny."
"Sometimes, you might meet your true companion in the world of dreams," Alla said, smiling, as she approached Nika and sat next to her on the bench.
"A companion?" Nika exclaimed.
"Yes, someone whose path intertwines with yours. Someone who feels your energy," Ryu said, looking at Nika. His piercing gaze from deep dark eyes gave the impression that he knew much more than he was ready to tell.
"And what should I do?" Nika asked with interest.
"Just follow your heart. It will guide you to what matters," Andrew explained.
"Well, I guess I can participate in such an adventure," Nika said with a smile.
"You're not alone. We're here to help you in this strange journey," Alla said.
"Why do you want to help me?" Nika asked directly. She wasn't used to trusting people and didn't understand why someone would just do something for her.
"You'll understand in time," Alla smiled.
Suddenly, Nika felt a sharp fatigue. And her vision began to darken.
"Hey, hang in there, don't wake up," Alla's voice sounded.
"She's still very weak," Ryu's voice sounded.
Nika looked straight ahead, and through the bonfire, she saw Ryu's gaze, piercing her through. Her eyelids grew heavy.
"I think she's had enough for today, let her go," Andrew's voice sounded.
And Nika plunged into darkness.
