Echoes of the Protector

"Miranaa....Miranaa....."

The unseen voices whispered the name I had never heard. Slowly, the voices became strange, and suddenly, I found myself standing before a magnificent Crystal Palace. It was in a calm and peaceful environment, and its spires reached high into the clouds,shimmering with a kaleidoscope of colors. The palace seemed alive, each crystal humming softly, resonating with the pulse of the earth. As I stepped closer, the ground beneath me sparkled as if scattered with tiny stars. I walked slowly on that path the crystal palace suddenly disappeared and it became a green forest. It was beautiful, and that beauty bound to the strangeness.

"Miranaa....Come into me," again voices emerged from the jungle. I stepped there slowly.

***

"Hey, wake up, dude. You are late today."

Oh my god! When I opened my eyes, I was in bed, with a confused mood and bleary eyes. Suddenly, I opened my eyes and grabbed the phone to check the time.

"Oh God, it's already past seven o'clock! Today, I am definitely going to hear a million scoldings."

In a rush, I dashed off to get ready. Even as I put on my clothes and went downstairs, Nyra was already at the dining table, setting up the food.

"Good morning, sweetie. I didn't do anything big, darling. I just made some sandwiches because I have a meeting at the office today. There's also some fruit juice that makes sure to drink it before you leave, okay?"

"Nyra, you're the one spoiling her. Look at this, she said that she had to start an experiment at seven in the morning, and now, when she wakes up, it's already seven!"

"Oh, poor thing. Well, we do take care of her like a child, don't we? Our little one."

When Shim, saying, Nyra squeezes my cheeks. Those two are always like that. Normally, they're the ones who defend me all the time. And when it comes to scolding me, well, that's always Baylen's job. She is an American, really strict and completely unfiltered, always saying things straight and anything to anyone's face without hesitation. But no matter what, she is one of my favorite best friends I have.

And you know a secret? I actually like getting scolded by her. If a day goes by without her yelling at me, I can't even sleep properly. Shim Chun is Korean, and Nyra is Indian. And me?

I'm Eithne (En-ya), a ghost-like existence who came from a European country to America for higher studies. To everyone else, I probably seem like a super-smart character (except to Baylen).

But honestly, if you ask me, I sometimes feel like I'm an alien from another planet. This is not a story about our four-person pickle. But, something more than that.

***

"Mmm... I saw that dream again."

"Hmm?"

"Baylen, are you even listening? I saw that strange dream again today."

"I'm listening Eithne, but I can't figure out what I'm supposed to do understand. What do you think about it ? Does it feel like some kind of a message? "

"Yes, exactly. That's how it feels."

"But whose message is it?"

"I don't know, Baylen. It feels like a puzzle to me. And the strangest thing is that they call me Mirana in the dream. But I'm not Mirana. So who is this Mirana? "

"Hmm... Let's observe for a while. For now, don't overthink it and stress yourself out. Focus on completing our experiments properly. And don't forget we have a weekend trip planned."

"Hmm..."

"Eithne, listen. I once heard that when making a tough decision, it's often because we don't have enough data. So maybe we should think about this in the same way, right?"

"So then, now you're saying that I should gather more information? "

"Yeah."

"From dreams?"

"Yep."

Beylen dropped me off near the lab and went to her office. I walked into the lab, feeling as if I were floating. I had been having this dream for almost two years now. The same dream, every single night. How exhausting is that?

And worse, the weird sounds in the dream. It felt like watching the same ghost movie over and over again.

By the time I finished work at the lab and headed home, my mind was cluttered with endless thoughts, just like every other day.

Anyway, the only comfort I had was the trip we had planned for the next day. The thing I love the most is escaping from a chaotic environment when my mind feels restless and getting lost in a place filled with trees and greenery.Tomorrow, we are going somewhere near Atlanta to collect some samples for Baylen's project.

***

"Your Highness, the demon's hour is only a few hours away. Do you believe she will come?"

"This is all fate, Aradia. Her destiny will undoubtedly bring her here. And when that happens, her pure soul will once again be hunted by the darkness."

"How long have I waited for this day? Once the daughter of light, with her pure heart, is sacrificed to the demon, I shall become the Empress of this world, the Queen of Darkness."

"Ha ha ha ha..."

Laughing maniacally, she was breathtakingly beautiful, yet her heart was the demon's dwelling place.

"But, your highness, what if he returns to protect her in this time too ?"

"Have you forgotten? He cannot come between us. He is cursed, trapped between life and death."

***

To be continued to the another Echoe...