Vanished time

Chapter twelve

Soraya

I couldn't sleep again. The sun is rising soon too. I go out of my tent. What the..?
Dylans And Lily's tents are gone. Did they leave me here alone? But they wouldn't.
I smell smoke.
I follow the smell and find the source. Lily's tent is burning. There's a man there, I think it's the one who attacked her. He's trying to hurt her again. I scream at him to stop, to leave her alone. He turns around and sees me. His face is twisted with anger. I take a step back, feeling fear creeping up my spine. He runs towards me, his knife gleaming in the morning light. I try to run, but my legs won't move fast enough. He grabs my arm, pushes me to the ground, and raises the knife above my chest. I close my eyes, waiting for the pain.
He leans closer to me, whispering something..
"Time is a storm in which we all are lost.”

I wake up, gasping for air. I don't know if it's weird that I finally fell asleep, or that I had such a weird dream. I stretch and look around, confused. The sky is a bright blue, the grass is green, and the flowers are in bloom. But something feels...off. I sit up and take a deep breath.
"Hey, Soraya. Are you awake yet?" Dylan asks, poking his head into my tent. He looks...different. His hair is messier than usual, and there's a glint in his eye that I can't quite place. "I was just about to ask you the same thing," Lily adds, following him out of his tent. "We were thinking of going to visit Dylan's kingdom, Ji, today. You want to come with us?"
"Uh, sure, I guess?" I reply, still a bit groggy. "I've never been there before, so it'd be interesting to see what it's like."
Dylan nods in agreement, throwing a sack over his shoulder. "Great! We can leave whenever you're ready." He turns to Lily and smiles warmly. "Are you excited, princess?"

Lily smiles back, but there's something forced about it. "Yeah, of course." She glances at me, then quickly looks away. Something tells me there's more going on here than they're letting on.
As we start to walk to the carriage, Dylan begins to tell us about his homeland. "Ji is known for its beautiful architecture and its rich history," he says proudly, leading the way. "It's also home to some of the most skilled artisans in the world." I nod along, trying to imagine what it must be like to come from such a place.
Lily, on the other hand, seems distracted. She keeps glancing back over her shoulder, as if she's expecting someone to follow us. "Is everything okay, Lily?" I ask her, concerned about etching its way into my voice. She looks at me briefly, then quickly looks away again.
"Yeah. I just..I don't know. I had a weird dream today." She shrugs it off, trying to seem nonchalant. "Anyway, I'm sure it's nothing."
I stop walking. "You too?" I ask, a chill running down my spine. "You had a bad dream?"
Lily frowns. "What do you mean?"
"I had a dream too. In my dream, your tent was burning. A man tried to harm you, and he killed me. He also whispered something into my ear..but..I don't remember" I hesitate, not wanting to say any more.

The color drains from Lily's face. "I...I had a similar dream," she whispers. "A man with a knife, and he was going to hurt me...and then he...he whispered something to me too. I can't remember what it was. It wasn't the first time dreaming of him, though. When I was in Csillaghold, he stabbed me with a..fork.."

Dylan stops walking, his expression a mix of shock. "You both had the same dream at the same place? Girly, Soraya, this isn't a coincidence. No, but this is really crazy."
He shakes his head, taking a deep breath. "I think we should chill a bit at the bright town village. It's really big, and I'll pay for you two too. Maybe it will help to clear your heads." He looks at me and then Lily, his eyes softening for her.
We arrive at the carriage, the two horses still eating their food.

"Okay, hop in." Dylan says, opening the carriage door for us. We climb in, taking seats opposite each other. Like 30 minutes later, the town comes into view, nestled between rolling hills and lush forests. It's bustling with activity, with people and animals moving about in a cheerful blur. It's a welcome contrast to the unease that's been following us since we woke up.
As the carriage pulls into the center of town, we step out and stretch our legs. Dylan leads us to a small café, where we order some tea and sweet pastries. The warmth of the fireplace and the gentle hum of conversation around us are oddly comforting.
"I'll be right back," Lily says. She goes to the bathroom, leaving me and horseface alone.
"Soo" I look at Dylan, who gives me a knowing smile. "What do you think? Pretty nice place, huh?"
I nod in agreement. "It's very admirable"
Dylan laughs. "Admirable?" he says, a teasing note in his voice. "That's not exactly how I'd describe it." He takes a sip of his tea. "You love Lily, don't you, Dylan?" I grin at him, and suddenly he spits his tea right into my face.
"Ew, what the heck, dude?”" I sputter, wiping my face with a napkin." Ew ew ew. ", "My bad. Uh, love is a strong word, Soraya. " I smile. "Is it really? I see the way you look at her,  horseface."
"Stop calling me horseface—"