The whole beeing soulmates thing

Act 2, chapter 1: Echoes of the Past

Sophie had always taken pride in her simple and stable life. Having lived in a quiet suburban town since birth, everything seemed to follow a calm and predictable rhythm. Her mornings were filled with the smell of freshly brewed coffee and the low hum of the TV in the living room. She had a habit of leaving something playing when she was alone-Sophie didn't like the solitude of silence. She loved her routine and the security it offered. Her small apartment had everything she needed, and though her friends were few, they were loyal and loving. Her plans were simple, her dreams modest, and that comforted her. Until everything changed overnight-the latest dream made it very clear.

At the beginning, it was just fragments, scattered sensations that faded with the dawn. But as the days passed, they became more vivid. She found herself in places she'd never been before, in times that didn't make sense. She saw crumbling castles, ancient stone cities, and carriages rolling beneath stormy skies. In her dreams, she could smell something damp and old, almost musty, like she were trapped somewhere long forgotten. And there was always him-a man in the distance, whose presence was constant. He never spoke, but his gaze pierced through her, stirring something between fear and fascination. Every time she tried approaching him, she would woke up abruptly, heart racing and body drenched in sweat. The dreams had started softly, just vague figures, nameless faces. But now... now things were different.

Those visions began to creep into her waking life. The scenes would flash unexpectedly, as if they were etched into her memory rather than mere products of her imagination. The smell of wet earth as she walked past a park reminded her of the streets in the dreams; the sound of wind rustling through the leaves brought back the whispers that sometimes accompanied the mysterious man. Small details, but growing in frequency. Sophie often found herself lost in these recollections, as if living between two worlds.

Then came the first clear vision. It was early evening, and Sophie was returning from a shopping trip, walking the same streets she passed every day when something strange happened. A shiver ran down her spine. She glanced around, and for a brief moment, saw a man standing on the other side of the street. He wore a long, tattered coat, the high collar casting shadows over part of his face. But something about him made her stop. He watched her with a look that was both hostile and calculated, as if he knew something about her that even she didn't. The air seemed to thicken around him, and her instincts warned her to keep her distance, but curiosity won out. The man smiled-a cold, almost threatening smile, the kind seen on a predator about to pounce. She glanced away for just a second as the traffic light turned red, and when she looked back, he was gone, as if he had never been there. Her heart raced, and a deep sense of danger gripped her thoughts. It was something familiar, but she couldn't explain it. She walked away, wondering if she had imagined the whole thing.

The following nights brought even more intense, more unsettling dreams, but the mysterious man remained distant. Each time Sophie woke up, the feeling of loss deepened, as if something crucial was slipping through her fingers. Other strange things began to happen, the once subtle feeling of being watched was now constant, she could feel eyes on her, even when she was alone in the apartment. One time, while shopping, she felt a cold breeze pass over her body, despite all the windows being closed. She spun around quickly, but, as always, there was nothing. She started to question if she was becoming paranoid, her hands trembling slightly as she tried to shake off the disturbing thoughts. One other morning, while waiting for the bus to work, the déjà vu feeling intensified. She looked up at the sky and, for a fleeting moment, swore she had lived that exact moment before. The same distant voices, the same clouds, the same cold wind on her face. The sensation was so strong that Sophie had to hold onto a nearby post for support. Her mind whirled, searching for answers. It couldn't be just coincidence. Something, somewhere, was wrong.

That night, she dreamt of na old, dark wooden house filled with doors and windows covered in dust. She wandered the halls in her dream, feeling the weight of time in the structure, as if the house were waiting for something-or someone. She tried every door, but they were all locked except for maybe one. There was a room at the end of the hall that called to her, a low, muffled sound coming from inside. Sophie couldn't explain it, but the mere thought of touching the doorknob filled her with dread. It felt as if everything was about to fall apart, yet the door remained, like a promise of na ancient secret. The floor creaked beneath her feet, the sound startling her awake, heart racing too fast for such a cold morning. She woke with the bitter taste of fear in her mouth but also with a strange sense of longing, as if that place held some importance to her. Sophie shook off the remnants of the dream and the unsettling feeling that still clung to her. She had a full day at work ahead and knew she had to focus on her routine, despite these disturbing images becoming more frequent. She dressed quickly and left the house, the cool morning air offering some relief.

On her way to work, the familiar streets passed by, but Sophie couldn't shake the strange feeling that something was always lurking in the back of her mind. Black-and-white stripes flickered in her peripheral vision, like something moving too fast for her to catch clearly. The color green... for some reason, the green seemed important, as if something very significant was tied to it. Her fingers clenched as she tried to push away the growing anxiety.

At work, Sophie struggled to concentrate. She worked at a small secondhand store, mostly selling books and clothes-a place that usually calmed her with the smell of old pages and the soft murmur of customers chatting. But today, it wasn't helping. Her coworker, Tracy, was rearranging a shelf of books nearby, muttering about how customers never put them back in the right place. Sophie tried to focus on the task at hand, organizing papers on the counter. "You're quiet today," Tracy remarked as she slid a book onto the top shelf. "Everything's okay? Something happen?" she asked. "Yeah... I think so," Sophie replied hesitantly. For a moment, she considered telling Tracy about the dreams, the strange feeling of being watched, and the colors that appeared in her mind for no reason. But she held back, not wanting to sound delusional. "I'm just having nightmares most most of the nights, but honestly, this mess around here is what's stressing me out the most!" Tracy gave her a playful smile, suspecting nothing. "Well, I bet you'll be too tired to even dream tonight!" Sophie nodded, quickly changing the subject. She didn't want to bring up more questions, feeling that speaking about these things out loud would somehow give them more power.

As the days passed, Sophie found it harder to distinguish between dreams and reality. She woke up with strange marks on her body-scratches she couldn't explain, bruises that made no sense. One night, while lying in bed, she swore she heard a familiar voice whispering in her ear. "He's waiting." Sophie shot up, gasping, but her room was empty. Fear was beginning to take hold of her, but at the same time, an irritating curiosity gnawed at her. Who was he? And how could she stop all this from happening? She didn't really care about the answers, only about finding a way to get her peace back. Sophie's once calm and uneventful life was unraveling, each new day bringing more questions, and worst of all, the constant feeling of being followed. Wherever she went, she felt watched-whether by the man from the dreams or something bigger, she couldn't tell. But the weight of na invisible presence was always with her. Turning a corner, entering a room, lying down to sleep, Sophie knew something was lurking. And every day, she was closer to finding out what it was, or them to find her.

At night, as she tried to relax at home, the TV news barely audible in the background, Sophie lays down, though sleep didn't come easily. When she finally drifted off, the dreams returned, more vivid than ever. Those eyes... deep-set with dark shadows around them, a strong, guttural laugh echoed somewhere in the depths of her mind. The voice that spoke to her was unmistakable-rough and rasping, but the name remained just out of reach, lost somewhere in her memory. The smile... that distinct smile. It was like everything was hidden in layers of darkness. The next morning, Sophie woke up exhausted, the memory of the man from the night before clinging to her mind. Something was off. She knew it, but still, she didn't have all the pieces in the puzzle.