When Zamira woke up that morning, the air of the previous night still lingered in her room.
Even the light slipping through the curtains felt unfamiliar; as if the world had shifted a few millimeters, as if something unseen had rearranged itself.
There was a burning feeling inside her chest she couldn't quite name.
Not fear… not excitement.
Something in between — a call.
She took a deep breath.
"Today…" she whispered, "something is going to begin."
Her phone was full of "Happy birthday" messages, but none of them touched her.
Her mind was stuck on a single word:
Bond.
She walked to the sink and washed her face.
And right then, the first sign arrived.
Her reflection forgot to show the background behind her.
For a brief moment, a swirl of gray, violet, and silver appeared —
the colors of Nayel's realm.
Zamira startled.
The reflection snapped back to normal.
But now she was certain:
Last night wasn't a hallucination.
When she sat at the kitchen table, the silence of the house felt heavy.
Even the birds outside sounded different, as if their rhythm had shifted.
Then, right beside her ear, a soft breath whispered:
"Today is the day the threshold opens."
Zamira turned quickly.
No one was there.
But the voice… it wasn't a whisper this time.
It was sharp, clear, deliberate.
Nayel.
She placed her trembling hand on the table and breathed deeply.
"Why today? Why me?" she asked.
The answer rose not from the room, but from within her chest —
from the core of her heart:
"Because the bond was born from you."
She stood up.
Today she couldn't run.
Today she couldn't hide.
Today the curtain would fully open.
As she grabbed her bag, a shadow moved near the window.
A body wrapped in darkness…
And two icy blue eyes glowing from within.
Nayel.
He was appearing in daylight for the first time.
For a moment, their eyes met.
Something broke inside Zamira — not fear, but recognition.
As if she had found something she'd lost long ago.
Nayel's lips didn't move, yet his voice came from beyond the glass:
"We will meet today."
Then the shadow dissolved.
As if he had never been there at all.
Zamira closed the door, her heart pounding.
It was her birthday…
And today, the doors of two worlds would open at once.
---
The Bus — As the Threshold Draws Near
The morning air was heavy.
The breeze was light, yet carried a strange hum within it.
The streets looked normal, but Zamira knew —
nothing was normal today.
She boarded the bus and took the back seat.
Looking out the window, she noticed even the shadows on the road no longer moved the same;
as if they were all turning toward her.
The engine sound suddenly warped.
Conversations blurred.
The air thickened.
Then, right behind her ear, that breath again —
real, close, undeniable:
"Zamira…"
She turned slowly.
In the shadowed corner of the bus, between the seats, a ripple moved.
Not a full silhouette…
Not a simple shadow…
A presence shaped by light.
Zamira's eyes filled with tears.
Not from fear…
But from the overwhelming feeling of not being alone for the first time.
Nayel's voice sharpened:
"I have a question for you."
No one noticed.
Everyone was lost in phones, windows, their own lives.
"Are you ready?"
"I'm not ready…" Zamira whispered,
"but I'm not running."
The shadows quivered softly.
Nayel stepped closer.
"Being chosen is easy, Zamira.
But holding your pieces together… that is rare."
The bus hit a bump.
Everything shook — except Zamira's seat.
"You called me that night.
Now I'm asking you:
Do you truly want to walk my path?"
Zamira's heart wasn't beating — it was echoing.
"What is happening to me?" she thought.
His answer wrapped around her mind:
"Do you have the courage to face the darkness?
Or will you choose to hide where it feels safe?"
When the bus reached the school entrance,
the world suddenly returned to normal.
Voices, light, rhythm… everything.
But there, right by the school gates…
Nayel stood fully formed.
Visible — yet invisible to everyone else.
He was looking straight at her.
He tilted his head gently.
"I will get your answer today."
Zamira took a deep breath.
It was her birthday.
And today…
was the day of choosing.