Alina jolted awake, breathless, heart hammering wildly against her ribs. Her small apartment, bathed in the dim orange glow of the city streetlights, suddenly felt alien, filled with lingering echoes from a dream she couldn't fully recall. Sitting up slowly, she pressed a palm to her forehead, attempting to steady herself. These dreams—vivid and unsettling—had become increasingly frequent.
With a sigh, Alina swung her legs off the bed and padded barefoot across the cold wooden floor to the small kitchenette. As she poured herself a glass of water, her reflection shimmered briefly in the window—a young woman with fierce determination, framed by unruly waves of dark hair and eyes that betrayed exhaustion. She stared for a moment, caught by a strange sensation of disconnect.
"Get it together," she muttered, dismissing the unease.
Returning to her room, her gaze fell upon her bedside table, where lay the delicate silver pendant she'd inherited from her grandmother—a relic that had always felt simultaneously comforting and inexplicably heavy. She reached out, fingers gently tracing the intricate design: interlocking symbols encircling a small, opalescent gem that seemed to pulse faintly in the muted light. Her grandmother's words echoed in her memory, as they had countless times before: "Guard it carefully, Alina. It will guide you when darkness falls."
She smiled faintly at the memory, though the cryptic advice offered little comfort tonight.
The next morning brought no relief. Alina navigated crowded streets toward her workplace, a bustling café nestled amid towering office buildings. Each step felt heavier than the last, the mundane reality clashing sharply with the lingering whispers of her dreams.
"Late again?" teased Mei, her coworker and closest friend, sliding behind the counter with practiced ease.
"You know how mornings treat me," Alina replied, forcing a smile. But even Mei noticed her distraction.
"You look like you've been chased all night," Mei commented, eyebrow raised. "More dreams?"
Alina hesitated, then nodded. "Always the same palace, Mei. The courtyard, lanterns glowing in twilight, whispers in a language I somehow understand yet have never heard."
Mei's expression softened with concern. "Maybe your grandmother's stories got deeper into your head than you thought. You said she always talked about dynasties and fate."
Alina shrugged, unconvinced. "They're just dreams."
But even as she dismissed them, an inexplicable shiver travelled down her spine. It felt like denial rather than truth.
The day dragged onward, marked by customers' orders and the rhythmic brewing of coffee, yet beneath it all pulsed a persistent sense of waiting—though for what, Alina couldn't say.
As dusk settled, Alina tidied the café, methodically stacking chairs, when she heard a soft tinkling sound behind her. Startled, she turned sharply, her gaze immediately drawn to the pendant resting atop her blouse. It felt strangely warm against her chest. Lifting it carefully, she watched with growing unease as the gem within shimmered subtly, catching the fading sunlight in ways she couldn't quite explain.
Suddenly, the café's bell jingled sharply, pulling her attention away.
"We're closed—" she began automatically, turning to find no one there, just the empty, darkening street outside. The door swayed gently, pushed by a breeze she hadn't felt moments before.
Heart racing inexplicably, Alina approached cautiously, glancing out onto the street. There was nothing but shadows and the distant hum of traffic, yet she could've sworn someone had been standing there just seconds ago, watching.
Unease tightened its grip.
That night, sleep brought no relief. Instead, the dreams returned, clearer and more vivid. An unfamiliar palace rose majestically beneath a crescent moon, lanterns flickering softly, casting elongated shadows across carved pillars and silk-draped corridors. Voices whispered urgently, words lost to her ears but heavy with meaning.
A figure emerged—a silhouette shrouded in silk robes, imposing yet distant, eyes shadowed beneath a crown. The stranger reached out a hand, whispering words she felt more than heard.
"Find me."
Alina jolted awake once more, this time certain of one thing:
Her ordinary life had begun to fracture, giving way to something ancient and profoundly dangerous. She clutched her pendant tightly, its warmth radiating reassurance yet also a warning.
Somehow, deep within her, she knew these dreams were no mere coincidence.
They were a summons.