The church hall was filled with the soft hum of the teenagers' program. Music floated through the space, laughter and whispers of the congregation blending together. Lucia moved across the polished floor, performing with her partner Sophie, every step practiced, precise, controlled.
And yet, her eyes kept drifting toward the congregation.
There she was.
A girl sitting quietly, slightly apart from the crowd, observing everything with calm, curious eyes. Something about her made Lucia's chest tighten, a strange, dizzying recognition that she couldn't ignore.
She didn't know her name. Not yet. But she knew her face. She had seen it before—many times, in dreams. Vivid dreams that were impossible: playing together, laughing, fighting, loving, even raising children. A life that had felt real in her sleep, now standing—or rather, sitting—before her in reality.
Lucia froze, her movements faltering slightly with Sophie mid-step. Her heart raced. How could this be happening? How could the girl from her dreams—the one who had been so real, so present in her mind—exist in the same room with her now?
Max didn't move. She didn't look at her. She didn't speak. She just sat quietly among the congregation, a normal, new church member unaware of the chaos she had caused in Lucia's mind.
Lucia shook her head subtly, trying to refocus on the performance, but it was impossible. Her dreams had come alive, and she didn't know why—or how to make sense of it.