While she was still thinking about what was happening around her, her cellphone suddenly rang — the name X appeared on the display.
"Who's X?" she said to herself, with a sense of wonder, as feelings of dread and confusion spread through her chest. It was as if she had never heard or recognized the name before, and her eyes suddenly widened in bewilderment, because she truly couldn't understand what was happening.
"She answered it, raising an eyebrow as her voice carried a hint of concern and wonder, gentle yet marked with doubt: "Hello, who is this?"
A familiar voice greeted her—as if she had heard it before, but her mind couldn't pinpoint where or when.
"Hey, the Manager has been looking for you for a while now! Why aren't you participating in a practice dance, huh? She's absolutely furious with you."
The voice from the other line was a man's—familiar, calm but with a hint of playfulness, as if they had known each other for a long time.
Tanya couldn't understand what 'practice' was being referred to or who was really on the other line. "Wait, what practice? And who are you really? How did you get my number?—Are you a stalker?" Her tone was full of anger, but with a strange firmness that suggested her words weren't entirely serious.
"Wait—did you just call me a stalker? How dare you? Who do you think you are to be stalked by me? Never in my life!" The man's voice now had a hint of anger, his tone slightly rising.
But before Tanya could continue, a louder and heavier voice interrupted their conversation—her manager's voice. "Hey Tanya! I'm telling you, you're really going to get it from me!" She was furious, as if ready to devour anyone who stood in her way.
The man immediately hung up. "What was that?" Tanya whispered, her eyes still clouded as she processed what had happened.
As she pondered, she glanced at the antique bracelet she was wearing. It gleamed intensely—as bright as the sunlight outside. She jumped in surprise when the words "Face Recognition" suddenly appeared right above the bracelet. Another thing to add to the questions filling her mind.
Overwhelmed by her thoughts and sudden shock, her vision quickly blurred. Without any warning, her body suddenly collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
Tanya woke up from a long, unconscious sleep, and looked around. Darkness had enveloped the surroundings. When she touched her cellphone, a pile of calls and messages appeared.
"What is this? Why are there so many messages? How many hours did I sleep? It's already night," she uttered, as if waking from a long rest in a warm and comfortable bed. She forced herself to stand, her feet seemingly unwilling to obey, still lacking the desire to move. She went to the bathroom, and there, she vigorously splashed water on her face, desperately trying to awaken her dormant senses. But when she faced the mirror, she was startled by the reflection that greeted her—a face she seemed to have never seen before. Its eyes gleamed, and its lips were as soft as a pillow that accompanies one in a dream with limits. "Whoa? What is this? Am I dreaming?" she mumbled, as her mind played with the strange sight.
In the midst of her deep contemplation, a sudden sound caught her attention. Her cellphone, left in the living room, just outside the bathroom, rang. She immediately hurried out, her heart pounding, to get the ringing cellphone.
"Who is calling again?" she whispered, full of wonder as she scanned the screen. When she saw the name, "Unknown Number" was written. "Oh, maybe it's a wrong call," she said, then hung up, but only a few moments passed, and the cellphone rang again, and again, the same number. She had no choice but to answer it.
"Hello? Who is this?" her soft voice, tinged with nervousness, flowed through the other line.
"Did you like my gift to you?"
The voice was familiar to Tanya, as if she had heard it somewhere before but couldn't recall. An old woman was speaking to her, with a voice that seemed to hide many secrets.
"Who are you? How did you get my number?" she quickly retorted, as if chasing every word.
"That's a secret. Just always remember, you will know the answer if you try," said the person on the other line.
Tanya was about to say something else, but the call was suddenly cut off. She remained stunned, holding her cellphone. "You will know the answer if you try? It's like I've heard that phrase before, huh? Wait, where did I hear that?" she murmured to herself, as the confusion returned to her mind, more intense and mysterious than before.