First Future Prophecy in the Dream
Dreams had always been the one thing Lahan could never quite explain.
He found himself standing inside some unnamed forest, the air thick with the scent of damp earth and wildflowers. A woman with golden hair that shimmered like sunlight on water stood with her back turned, slender ears pointed and delicate as rose petals. She stood before an enormous ancient tree, one hand resting lightly on its bark as if listening to a secret whispered only she could hear.
Then she turned.
In that single instant, the world shattered into light and sound.
He jolted awake with a gasp.
“Hah—!”
It wasn’t even a nightmare. Yet sweat beaded across his forehead as if he had run a mile.
[The flow of inner strength has activated future prophecy.]
[In the distant future, you will encounter her.]
“Future?”
Lahan stared at the half-transparent text hovering before his eyes, then let out a dry chuckle.
“…After everything with Estella, I end up dreaming about some other girl? I’d feel embarrassed if I wasn’t already.”
He knew it was ridiculous. Yet some part of him felt guilty anyway.
“Haa, morning already?”
Sunlight poured through the window in bright golden beams, accompanied by cheerful bird songs outside.
Lahan swung his legs out of bed, opened the door, and stepped into the hallway of the inn.
***
“Lahan!”
Downstairs, Estella was already waiting in the lobby, waving with a bright smile on her face.
She had come down before him.
She must have slept in after the dream.
…Does that mean I feel guilty about something I did?
Lahan found himself unable to meet her gaze as she bounded over, full of energy.
“Hah… Did you sleep well, Estella?”
Still, he forced the proper greeting.
Estella’s face lit up with a genuine smile as she nodded.
“Yeah! You too?”
“Yeah…?”
“What should we do today!?”
Her energy felt different—brighter, more lively than usual. Perhaps the dream had unsettled her, or maybe it was just the fresh morning air.
Lahan kept staring at her face without realizing it.
Do I not remember what happened yesterday?
That would mean the film had snapped. Maybe he couldn’t even recall his last words.
“…”
“Why are you looking at me like that, Lahan?”
“Nothing. I was just thinking about something else.”
His voice carried a trace of lingering unease. He worked hard to hide it, forcing a calm mask.
Maybe it’s better this way.
If she truly didn’t remember, he could simply live out ordinary days again.
“Why do you keep staring at people’s faces like that?”
Lahan finally shook his head, clearing his thoughts.
He offered a small smile and held out one hand.
“Want to go somewhere?”
“Where?”
Estella blinked at him in confusion, as if he were an unfamiliar beast.
***
“Waaah! The weather’s so nice today~”
She walked ahead with light, carefree steps, hands clasped behind her back.
Lahan trailed behind, watching her in silence. The look in his eyes, the feeling in his chest—it was something he couldn’t quite name.
When she suddenly turned toward him, he snapped out of his daze and quickly looked away.
Still smiling, she called out again.
“Lahan!”
“…?”
Lahan turned his head back. Their eyes met. She tilted her head, clearly waiting for an answer.
“Want to do something besides adventuring today? Like a date?”
“…”
The sudden, direct invitation left Lahan stunned.
“Uh, I… that is…”
He hesitated. If he accepted, everything with Estella might become irreversible. He couldn’t bring himself to say yes.
Instead, he stalled, searching for the right words.
Estella watched his face and expression for a long moment, then suddenly burst into laughter.
“Just kidding!”
She spun back around, humming a little tune as she strolled ahead at an easy pace.
Lahan followed, still wearing that same inexplicable, complicated expression.
Then she spotted something ahead and pointed, waving him over.
“Lahan! Lahan! Look at that! Street performers!”
Lahan hurried over to stand beside her. Sure enough, a flamboyant clown was performing on a large, colorful ball high above the ground—juggling, spinning, and flipping in ways that looked almost impossible.
“Wow! He’s amazing!”
Estella’s eyes sparkled with pure delight. The clown indeed moved with dazzling precision, balancing a long wooden pole and a tray on top of the spinning ball while tossing balls into the air, catching them effortlessly, and even landing one on his nose.
“Uncle! Uncle! Can you do more things?”
A small boy tugged his parent’s hand, eyes wide with excitement.
The clown nodded with theatrical flair, then hurled the balls high overhead. One bounced off his head, landed in his palm, and he kept spinning the tray without missing a beat.
“Whoa!”
The balls in his arms suddenly inflated into balloons and popped like soap bubbles, vanishing in a burst of colorful confetti.
Freeing his hands, the clown quickly gathered his tools—tray, pole, and balls—and tucked them behind his back as he stepped forward again.
Then he leaped off the large ball with a dramatic flourish and bowed to the cheering crowd.
The show had ended.
“Waaah!”
Clapping erupted from the audience.
The clown snatched a bouquet from his sleeve and tossed a few flowers into the crowd, playing the role of the gracious entertainer.
Lahan watched the performance with keen interest, especially the flawless hand movements.
“Wow! That was incredible, wasn’t it, Lahan?”
Estella clapped along with the crowd, then turned to him with sparkling eyes. “Right?”
Normally he would have agreed enthusiastically. But he just nodded once.
“Yeah… it was decent.”
“What? Too harsh?”
Estella pouted, poking his shoulder with a familiar, affectionate touch. It was the kind of casual skinship girls often used with someone they liked.
Lahan glanced sideways at her. She hadn’t seemed to intend anything deeper. She was simply smiling softly at the clown now, watching him bow and exit the stage.
He studied her profile in silence, arms crossed.
Then her gaze drifted back toward him. Their eyes met again.
“…”
“…”
The awkward tension from before returned, heavier somehow.
Estella was the first to look away, ears faintly pink.
“…Want to keep walking?”
Lahan’s question was gentle, almost hesitant.
She nodded without a word.
“Yeah…”
They turned toward the adventurer guild, Lahan leading the way.
Behind him, Estella stood still for a moment, watching his back. In that gaze there was the same mysterious spark he had seen earlier, but something softer lay beneath it—gentle, almost yearning.
She followed more lightly now, stepping briskly to catch up.
“Lahan! Wait!”
Her voice was bright, full of warmth. “I want to go with you!”
***
Lahan pushed open the door to the adventurer guild, Estella right beside him.
“Ah, hello, Lahan!”
Rona, the receptionist, greeted him first even though Estella was clearly standing right there. Her smile was perfectly polite.
Estella’s bright eyes narrowed for a split second, then hardened into something dangerous.
“…”
Lahan felt the shift too. He glanced sideways at her, suddenly on edge.
Behind him, Estella’s presence alone radiated dark, ominous energy.
She stepped forward immediately.
“Hey, you don’t see me at all, do you?”
“Ah, Estella! Good morning!”
Rona answered cheerfully, clearly confused. She had only meant to greet Lahan.
Estella’s smile was sharp now.
“Duel.”
Clack.
“Ouch!”
“A duel? What kind of knight are you?”
“…Damn. Why me?”
“You keep talking nonsense.”
Lahan stepped in smoothly, mediating. “That’s enough, you two.”
Estella clutched her hat in both hands, pouting dramatically.
“Hahaha, you two seem really close.”
“Really? Really? You think so?”
Estella’s eyes sparkled as she crowded closer to Rona. “You don’t see me either, right?”
Rona gave an awkward, uncomfortable smile. “Yes… you do seem very close.”
“Really? Really? Like actual lovers?!”
Clack.
“Ouch!”
“You’re the one making weird noises.”
“I was just asking!”
“…”
Lahan rubbed the back of his neck, feeling awkward. He tried to look away and pretend he wasn’t part of it.
“Truly…!”
Rona simply smiled awkwardly, clearly bewildered by the sudden tension.
“Hahaha… hahaha…”
“Hmph!”
“…”
The three of them stood in uneasy silence for a moment, then finally moved to claim the next quest.
This time it was a simple mission: investigate the movements of mutated crocodiles.