When the time will be yours

Crystal saw how the creature's honed, restless eyes turned completely round, just like a ferocious cat would become in front of its favorite human. It made Crystal feel warm in her chest, although she didn't know why looking at the creature in front of her felt a bit too nostalgic.

Crystal stared at the creature in front of her, her eyes tracing the intricate details of its armor-like scales. She couldn't help but feel a deep connection to this mysterious being, even though she had never seen anything like it before.

Once again, without her brain's consent, her hand was working on its own, as she raised it to her head's level, beckoning the creature to come to her. The rooster-head tilted its long neck and looked at her warily, as if examining her intentions. When it detected no malice, it walked forward, making Crystal's heart race twice as fast.

They were now face to face, with Crystal sitting properly on her knees as the creature put its head beneath her hand, clearly craving affection.

Crystal gazed into the creature's eyes, feeling a connection that she couldn't explain. As she petted its head, tears streamed down her face, the emotions she was feeling were overwhelming. While she had always been able to sense animals’ emotions, talk to them, and empathize with their suffering but she had never experienced such intensity before, not even with humans. The creature was communicating something to her, something beyond words.

The creature in front of her was clearly experiencing heart-wrenching pain that Crystal couldn't even fathom, as if it had been tortured both physically and emotionally for an impossibly long time. Darkness and loneliness seemed to engulf it from all sides, wherever it actually was.

“Do you-- do you know me?” Crystal asked tentatively, feeling an inexplicable sense of familiarity between them. She heard a voice within her that they indeed knew each other.

“Does it hurt a lot?” she asked, trying to conceal the trembling in her voice, as if she were a parent hiding her emotions from a child. The voice within her head did not answer her question but instead urged her to hide herself.

“Hide, for you will soon find yourself in an unfamiliar locale.”

Crystal furrowed her brow, trying to comprehend the meaning behind those words. Suddenly, she could not feel anything, any emotion coming from that creature anymore as if it voluntarily blocked her from peeking into its consciousness.

"What do you mean? Why do I have to hide?" Crystal asked, her fingers still caressing the scales of the creature's head and neck but her voice was trembling with uncertainty.

"I regret to inform you that I am unable to disclose all the information to you at this time. However, rest assured that in due course, you will comprehend the rationale behind my statement. It is imperative that you conceal all your abilities, both known and unknown, within your own mind. You must not divulge them to anyone, not even your most intimate acquaintances," replied the creature cryptic and ominous, its voice resonating in her head.

Crystal's eyes widened at the revelation. "Known and unknown? I am still unaware of my true identity, and there is more to explore?" she had slightly shouted involuntarily yet again.

"I'm sorry," she quickly added, sensing the creature's uncertainty towards her mannerism. "I just want to know myself. My parents have been hiding something from me, and for the first time, someone is actually talking to me in my dreams. Can't you give me even a hint about who or what I am?"

The creature's eyes softened and it leaned its head on her shoulder, comforting her in a way she had never experienced before, it felt like an embrace of a past companion. She couldn't help the tears that streamed down her face, staining her maroon gown. It was only then that she noticed the similarity in hues between her gown and the creature's scales, further hinting at a possible connection between the two.

"Crystal, I implore you to remain calm," the creature whispered softly, its voice reverberating in her mind once more. "Although I cannot disclose everything to you presently just as I mentioned, I urge you to wait until your eighteenth birthday. You will soon discover something that will shed light on the matter. It is crucial that you conceal your abilities from any potential harm, even to your closest allies to unveil the complete truth. Only then will you attain the inner tranquility that you have always sought."

Crystal was hesitant to trust these words so easily. However, the way she felt the creature's emotions made her believe that most of what he said was true. The creature lifted its head away from her shoulder and pressed its beak against Crystal's nose, covering her with its massive wings. She closed her eyes, feeling safe and protected, like she was in the arms of her real family.

"I must depart, and I cannot guarantee that our paths will cross again anytime soon," the creature stated as its voice grew fainter. "However, I trust that fate will bring us together once more. Remember, patience is a virtue that will serve you well." And the creature began disappearing from her sight.

Crystal woke up from her slumber, and tears streamed down her face. This dream felt more real than any other dream she had ever had before. She had dreamt of running from a dark crimson shadow in an old historical building's corridors, searching for a melody around a giant fountain, or falling into a dark abyss without end.

In some of her dreams, she saw other people too. She dreamt of someone delivering a baby or crops flourishing or diminishing, but she couldn't share these dreams with anyone else. Her parents had warned her that people would consider her an outcast if they knew, and the thought alone frightened her.

The only source of solace for Crystal was the village people's love, and the thought of losing that love was terrifying.

She stood up with a heavy heart, feeling as though the weight of the world was on her shoulders. The pale light of dawn had barely crept into her room, casting a mournful shadow over everything. She knew that she had to face the day, but the thought of it made her feel even more tired than before.

With slow, languid steps, she trudged towards the window, as if her very existence was a burden to bear. Once she arrived, she gazed out over the backside of their quaint little house, which was situated at the very edge of their sleepy village.

As she peered outside, a breathtaking sight unfolded before her very eyes. The sun was slowly but surely rising over the distant forest, casting a warm and welcoming golden glow over everything it touched. She couldn't help but feel a sense of awe wash over her as she beheld the sheer beauty of the scene before her.

As she stood there, lost in thought, a cool breeze brushed past her skin, causing her to involuntarily shiver. The memory of her dream came flooding back to her, and she couldn't help but wonder if the forest she saw outside was the same one she had seen in her dream, or if it was someplace she had never seen before, like in her other dreams.

The thought gnawed at her mind, urging her to take a closer look and see if she could spot anything that would provide her with an answer. She leaned forward, her breath fogging up the window, and scanned the forest below with an intensity born of desperation.

"In the dreams, we lie,

For the wild is the sky.

You will see, one day,

When the time will be yours,

You will,

You will,

You will be able to conquer."

She sang softly, the melody in her head taking on a life of its own. It was a song that she had heard before, countless times, in her dreams and sometimes even when she was awake.

Many times, it had scared her, but at the same time, there were a few occasions when that melody would bring comfort to her in times of desolation. Talking to that creature today in her dream, but today it held a deeper meaning, and the words of the song seemed to resonate with her on a whole new level. She felt connected.

'You will see one day, when the time will be yours.' The creature must be hinting the same thing as the song, she could not say so for sure but there still stood a possibility.