We all have dreams...
Oftentimes, these dreams are fantasies we wish we could live in.
Things hoped for. Things wished for. Things yearned for...
And more often than not, we'd rather dwell in those fantasies than remain grounded in the harshness of reality,
Where life never ceases to throw slaps at our faces.
It was the same for her too... Naya wanted to live that fantasy life.
The life she had always dreamed of. And now, a strange man had suddenly appeared before her that very day.
She looked at the young man, her cold gaze subtly shifting as she examined him with suspicion.
There was shock beneath her usually composed demeanor.
How did he know?
She was never one to share personal matters—much less her private thoughts, future goals, or the dreams she kept locked away in her heart.
Telling people those things only attracted the kind of attention she didn't want.
Besides, she'd learned from experience that when people couldn't reach certain heights, they often wanted to convince others it was unreachable too.
Her situation made things worse.
She barely had a roof over her head. She scavenged for food. Her clothing—though she was beautiful—was far from what anyone would call suitable for a model.
She was stunning, yes... but beauty alone didn't open doors.
And her icy personality kept most people at bay.
She had turned down more than a few men in her time. Each time, she was met with insults. She didn't hold it against them—rejection stung anyone.
Hurling insults was the easiest outlet they had.
Still, she wasn't about to lower her standards or beg for affection.
Pity wasn't love. She didn't need either.
Romance wasn't part of her plan.
All she wanted was to live her dream. To make it a reality. The rest, she believed, would fall into place afterward.
At least, that was what she told herself.
And now, as she stared at the mysterious man standing before her—who, somehow, had peeled back the curtain to her mind and exposed her innermost desires—
She felt a mixture of shock, wonder, unease... and something more dangerous.
Hope.
The worn-out rags in her hands slipped to the floor.
Only then did she truly register what had just occurred.
"Who are you? What do you want from me?" Naya asked, her voice low but edged with tension as she cautiously backed away.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the emergency telephone hanging on the wall.
A direct line to the police.
She had insisted on it being installed. Bars weren't always safe. She knew this well.
She began closing the distance between herself and the phone, one step at a time. If the man made even a single suspicious move, she would not hesitate to call.
But there was something else within her.
Beneath the fear... there was curiosity. There was yearning.
If he could read her mind, knew her desires—then maybe, just maybe...
He could make them come true?
Still, she couldn't let her guard down.
"Who am I?... Is that really the question that matters right now?" the man asked, a calm, almost teasing smile curling at the edges of his lips.
Naya didn't respond. Her eyes remained on him, sharp and alert, not willing to give an inch.
"Is it really my identity that you care about... or the possibility of having everything you've ever wanted?" he asked again, his dark gaze steady and intense.
There was something in his eyes.
Something that made her skin prickle.
She felt exposed. As if she stood naked beneath those gray, piercing eyes.
They weren't just looking at her—they were dissecting her very soul.
And when the man's lips curved into another smile, she knew.
He understood her thoughts—every last one.
'…This man... he's no ordinary man.'
She glanced at the telephone again. It was still there.
She was nearly close enough to reach it.
"I'm calling the police if you don't leave right now," Naya announced, summoning every ounce of courage still within her.
She didn't care who or what he was. The police would deal with him.
"Is that so? Then please, go ahead... I'd love to see how you plan to reach them."
'Huh?'
Her eyes darted to the side—where the phone had been.
But it was gone.
She froze.
Gone. Completely gone.
It had been right there only a moment ago.
Her mind reeled.
'But how?' she thought in disbelief.
A low chuckle echoed through the bar, bouncing off the walls and wrapping around her like a cold wind.
It sent shivers racing down her spine.
"Oh, my dear Naya... I simply want to offer you a gift. No need to be afraid. If you're not interested, I'll leave. I promise."
His voice was calm. Almost too calm.
And that made it worse.
Because Naya knew, without a doubt, that she was not in control anymore.
She was in this stranger's grasp. Entirely.
If he could make an entire telephone vanish—without so much as moving a finger—
What else could he do?
She was terrified.
There was no point in pretending otherwise.
With trembling lips, she took a deep breath.
"What is it? What's your offer?"
The man could see it in her eyes—fear. Uncertainty. Hesitation.
But he didn't flinch.
He stood from the stool and casually slid both hands into the pockets of his long leather coat.
Then, after a moment, he pulled out his right hand and placed something on the table—a card.
"I'll give you everything you've ever desired. In return... all I ask is that you keep this little card safe," the man said, his voice calm, deliberate.
Naya's eyes moved from his face to the card on the table.
After everything she'd seen, she didn't doubt he could deliver on his promise.
And all he wanted in exchange was for her to safeguard a card?
'...Is this a dream?' The question rang through her head.
Everything felt unreal.
But her heart—her racing heart—told her this was no dream.
She looked up again.
"And what if I say no?"
The man sighed softly.
"Then I'll leave, of course. Like I said, I want nothing from you... only that you take care of my card."
Naya narrowed her eyes.
"Why can't you take care of it yourself?"
"Ah, but isn't that unfair? I'm offering you everything you've ever wished for. Shouldn't there be something in return? Just a token price to pay for my power."
It still didn't make sense.
But something about it—about him—was too real to ignore.
She just believed.
No matter how dangerous it seemed... something within her urged her forward.
Her throat went dry. She swallowed hard, sweat beading across her skin.
"So what do you say?" he asked again, his tone now carrying a trace of impatience.
Naya thought for a moment.
"If it's only to take care of your card, then fine. But no other requests. I won't accept them," she said firmly, though her eyes betrayed a flicker of greed.
If that was all he wanted, she had no complaints.
The mysterious man smiled.
"Very well, Cardholder. I leave my card in your care. Please... take good care of it."
Naya blinked—and when she opened her eyes again, he was gone.
Completely vanished.
As if he'd never been there in the first place.
But his presence still lingered, heavy in the air.
She could feel it—his eyes, watching her.
Waiting.
'Is he watching to see if I'll take the card?' she wondered, her heart thudding in her chest.
There was only one way to find out.
Naya walked forward, reached out...
And placed her hand on the card.
{Ding!}
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