In Dan's chilling past, all kinds of beings had taken center stage with the purpose of interpreting his curse; however, there was never a single doctor, fortune-teller, or healer who offered him a convincing explanation for the sleep disorder that martyred him. Consultations followed one after another without change; diagnoses accumulated without a cure. When the nightmares increased and fear—mixed with loneliness and sadness—began to suffocate him, he found himself forced to walk in perpetual agony, glimpsing a fatal end every time he closed his eyes. The border between rest and wakefulness had blurred, leaving only a state of constant alertness. He still felt this way, even in that moment, as Ana's sweet face looked at him with concern while he came to his senses with a submissive expression.
The room's lights were on, proof that night had covered the sky. The artificial brightness hurt his dilated pupils. His eyes reflected the moon through the windowpane and, suddenly, he sat up with a start. The sheets slipped down to his waist, leaving his cold sweat exposed to the air.
—That woman!
His reaction visibly afflicted Ana's heart. A stabbing pain in her chest sealed her lips; her face, always full of life, grew pale. With her head bowed, she pointed toward the bedroom door, lacking the strength to raise her voice.
Dan felt everything in his body accelerate: his blood flow, his heartbeat, his breathing, and an urgent stubbornness to open that door. The muscles in his legs contracted, ready for movement. He got out of bed without looking back.
His eyes revealed the figure of Janab, sitting on the sofa. The living room light softened her appearance. His steps became clumsy as he advanced toward her, as if the floor were tilting beneath his feet.
Then Janab stood up. She was the figure that had appeared in his dreams since the first day of their encounter, the woman who stared fixedly at his window, the expressionless girl with golden eyes who tormented him. Dan had the impulse to touch her face, just to verify she was human. He extended his hand, his fingers brushing the air inches from her skin.
—You are real.
The very instant he uttered those words, he recoiled, conscious of the absurdity of his declaration. Janab had quite common dark eyes and the warmth of her skin was similar to anyone else's. There was no trace of the supernatural in her texture, only flesh and bone.
—It was you, that day, that girl...
Janab struggled to affirm something of which she herself was not aware, but before she could formulate a response, Dan closed the distance between them again. His shadow fell over her, blocking the light.
—Who are you? Why are you here?
Evident paranoia controlled him. Only Janab seemed to be in sync with his chaotic behavior. The temptation to tell him that she had been looking for him almost escaped her lips, but she did not dare to vocalize it. The words stuck in her throat.
—You tell me. You, someone I have never seen before... why do you seem to know me?
The naturalness with which she responded created a stinging shame in Dan, who finally backed away. The floor creaked under his weight as he moved off. In that moment, Ana's breath, which had been cut short, regained its flow.
—I am passing through the city. I am sorry; it seems that, somehow, I have intruded upon you.
Janab's voice was low but clear; her modest and simple expressions made her seem more earthly the more he listened to her. And despite that, Dan wished to keep her there, knowing he had no right to continue questioning her. His hands relaxed momentarily.
A thick silence expanded through the room. Janab herself was surprised by the course of events and, as a last resort, attributed everything to Isaiah. Perhaps she was not the one meant to find Dan, but the other way around. Then she had an idea and raised her left hand, revealing the lapis lazuli necklace coiled around her wrist, naively and mistakenly relating it to current events. However, Dan did not even look at it. His attention remained fixed on her face, searching for a crack in reality.
Despite Isaiah ordering her never to show the artifact to anyone, in that moment she wanted to find answers in the smallest detail. The dark blue stone captured the reflection of the lamp.
Ana's perceptive brown eyes, on the other hand, landed on the necklace. Her posture changed, leaning slightly forward.
—Imdugud... he who hides destinies.
Dan and Janab turned in sync. Ana approached with care and reserve, as if the object could bite.
—A very ancient deity carved upon lapis lazuli. This is quite a beautiful and costly piece; I have never seen anything like it.
Janab blinked, her attention now centered on the necklace. She knew nothing about what she had been given. The weight of the object on her wrist seemed to increase suddenly.
—Costly? —she said in surprise, the desire to return it immediately growing within her. But it was not strange if it was something given to her by the son of a noble. She also wanted to hide it again, realizing that perhaps—just perhaps—that was the reason Isaiah ordered her not to show it to anyone. She covered the stone with the sleeve of her clothes.
The atmosphere transformed. Dan finally recovered himself; the exchange between those two women, so simple and so human, relaxed his entire body and being. The tension dissipated slowly, like mist under the morning sun, but the questions remained there, floating around them, waiting for answers that perhaps would never come.
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