Chapter 1
July 2, 2021.
Moening. The time is 5:00.
Los Angeles.
The dark, gray room is quietly filled with bright sunlight. The room is so quiet that you can hear the gusty breathing of a young guy sleeping on a luxurious bed somewhere in the corner of the spare room. There’s also the deafening ringing of the alarm clock, ignoring which was commonplace for a guy, but today was different.
“Hell...” he crawled off the bed, weary.
He walked over to the alarm clock, and as he lightly touched it, he headed down the stairs. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.” - thought the guy, making himself some morning coffee. Taking with him a cup of black drink, a packet of not very sweet cookies and an unread but very interesting book, he headed for the backyard, where there was a wooden gazebo. This gazebo was very atmospheric, at least the owner thought so. There were artificial vines on it, and on top there was an outhouse in the shape of a rooster, which was a little strange. Guy liked to sit here, away from the noise that was heard at the front of the villa. Nearby was a small garden, from which emanated a beautiful scent of flowers. Lilacs... How beautiful its scent is! Especially when it mixes with the freshness of the morning dew. Breathing in his favorite scent, drinking a cup of coffee and reading a book, the young man did not notice that there was an unfamiliar silhouette in his house, waiting patiently for the morning ceremony to end. When he finished reading the last chapters, he sharply closed the book and, sighing sadly, directed his gaze to the owner of the silhouette. It was a girl with long purple hair.
“I’ve waited a long time for you” she smiled.
“There were only a couple of chapters left. I don’t like it when things get left unfinished” the boy said with a sleepy grunt.
“You can read really fast, or you just didn’t want to talk to me?” the girl asked, already sitting down across from him.
“That’s not it. If you read fast, you don’t get any emotions. I prefer to read carefully and thoughtfully” he said calmly, as if he were talking to an old friend.
“And why are you talking to me in such a calm, swaggering style? Aren’t you going to ask me who I am? Or why I’m here?”
“To tell you the truth, I’m not really interested,” he said, stretching his legs. “But since you’re here, you must be here for something. Not only that, you know some facts about me, which is strange, but I don’t care.”
“Let me introduce myself, my name is Dominika. I’m something of a spirit that ordinary people don’t see.”
“Suppose... ” squeezed out the guy, waiting for the sequel.
“You are the one who has to become a keeper, it is useless to resist” Dominika smirked at the edge of her lips.
“I wasn’t going to... ” He was about to walk away
“Suzuha, you’re not interested at all?” She asked hopefully.
“No, but if I have to, then tell me”
“Eh... You have your reasons for being like this” thought Dominika, seeing the guy off with a glance. Suzuha, unhurriedly, shoving his hands in his pockets, headed for the glass door that led directly to the kitchen. Just as the guy stepped inside, he saw Dominika in front of him. This didn’t surprise him at all, he just squinted his eyes and walked around her. Suzuha was on his way to the living room. When he reached his destination he sprawled out on the couch and, closing his eyes, muttered:
“You talk, I’m listening.”
“You must have heard about Dreamtis,” the girl began uncertainly, “about the village that leads there...”
“Do you mean to say that you are from there?” Suzuha asked without opening his eyes.
“Yes, that country does exist. It can only be entered by someone who “has a cherished dream, and proudly walks towards it””
“To get to the point...”
“There is a vault in this country that holds the dreams of all people on earth. Of course there are those who want to disturb the balance of dreams, so there are Guardians who guard the dreams." Dominika leaned against the back of her chair "Every five hundred years the Keepers change."
"But why me?" Suzuha asked.
"The guardians are those who pursue their dreams no matter what, those who do not break down on the way..." There was silence for a few seconds "By the way, isn’t today the second of July?"
"Yes, it is."
"Happy birthday, Suzuha" a motherly smile lit up Dominika’s face, while the guy opened his eyes and looked at her either sadly or in disbelief "I know you’ve never been congratulated, let me be the first"
"Thank you..." was all he could squeeze out. He was certainly pleased, but too unaccustomed, and though Suzuha didn’t want to admit it to himself, the guy was a little confused. He didn’t want an awkward silence "How many keepers should there be in all?"
"I can’t tell you that at once,” the girl thoughtfully stretched out, “The number of keepers varies every time, it all depends on the generation"
"Will I have to live so many years in this world?" The boy sighed heavily.
"I understand that you would prefer to live to be eighty years old and die, but fate has already decided everything for you. And besides, you know what an honor it is!" Dominika went over to the sofa and continued, "Fortune has smiled on you"
"Yeah, she’s been smiling at me all my life in an overly mocking way."
