Sit, my princess… I will not harm you. You are my soul. Even if time and dimensions separate us, you will remain my princess… and I will never allow anyone to harm you."
I couldn't speak. I wanted to ask him who he was, but my tongue felt frozen.
I woke up to my mother's voice:
"Wake up, Rana… you're late for school! And why are you sleeping in those clothes?"
I didn't answer. My mind was focused on only one thing: who is this knight who visits me? Why do I feel his presence so close, so comforting? Is he just a dream, an illusion? Or a reality hidden behind a veil of mystery?But fate had another plan. I tried to adapt to my situation, and days passed—days without dreams, without voices, without whispers or touches. I began to forget everything and gradually returned to my normal life. Even the case of Hamza's death started to fade away. My days all looked the same: I went to school and returned home. I became lonely; everyone avoided me, and I understood that what had happened to Hamza was not something simple.
One cold morning, while I was walking to school as usual, my eyes heavy with sleep, my heart suddenly began to beat faster, and I felt a heat I had never felt before. Yes… I saw him in broad daylight, while I was fully awake. I saw the knight—but he was not riding a horse. He was on a motorcycle, wearing a leather jacket. He looked at me with a brief smile, a smile that answered no questions. Then he left, leaving me frozen in place.
I spent the entire morning thinking about that moment. On my way back home, my eyes kept searching everywhere. Yes, I was looking for him—as if he were my other half. What I felt could not be explained: how could a realistic person like me become attached to someone who only appeared in my dreams? I, who had never believed in love.
I went home and slept, hoping he would visit me in my dreams again—but he didn't come.
Days passed like that until Sara's birthday arrived. She invited me to her party and told me she had arranged a rock band. I told her to excuse me, as everyone was already avoiding me, but she insisted. She said I was the only friend she had from school, and the party would be in her garden at 8 p.m.
I returned home and asked my mother for permission. She agreed easily without questioning me. I went to my room and took out a short red dress and a leather jacket—yes, I wore it because it reminded me of the knight. I began getting ready, feeling as if tonight was my fate.
The party was loud and crowded—lights flashing, young people dancing, music everywhere. Sara welcomed me and gave me a drink, telling me the band would arrive soon. Since I didn't know anyone, I sat on a sofa away from the noise, watching the stars and asking them whether my destiny was to love someone I didn't even know.
Then soft music began, and a song played:
"O you who gaze at the stars…"
I raised my head—and I saw him.
Yes… the knight, standing in front of me like a shining moon. He wore a red shirt and sang with all his soul. A voice more beautiful than anything I had ever heard. I stood frozen, trembling, overwhelmed by emotions I couldn't understand.
Who is he? And who am I?
He sang as if every word was meant for me:
"You stole my heart across all time,
Knights cross seas for love,
And for your love I crossed ages,
And transcended all dimensions…"
His words struck my mind like lightning. I couldn't comprehend anything. I remained frozen until I heard Sara asking me how I liked the song.
I replied with a trembling voice, "It's him."
"Who?" she asked.
"The knight."
But before I could explain more, her brother pulled her away to blow out the candles, and the party ended.
On my way home, I kept looking left and right, hoping to see him again—but he was gone.
That night, I couldn't sleep. At sunrise, I got dressed and went to Sara's house. She looked at me with sleepy eyes and asked, "What's wrong, Rana?"
"If I don't find him, something bad will happen to me," I said.
"Who?" she asked.
"The knight."
She replied, "It was just a dream."
But I insisted that he had been at the party, that he had sung there. She said it was simple and suggested we go to a music band nearby.
While we were having breakfast, a song played on the radio—exactly the same melody as the night before, with the same voice:
"Don't look for me outside…
I run through your veins…
I am your heartbeat…
I am your breath…"
I froze. I didn't understand anything anymore.
We went to the music group's place. After knocking several times, the door finally opened. A musician greeted Sara and told her the singer had been absent the previous night and someone else had replaced him.
My heart sank.
I asked, "Who was it?"
He replied coldly: "A talented young man named Malik. He's just an amateur."
"Where does he live?"
"I don't know. I meet him at a café down Red Street."
We left and went to the café, but there was no trace of him. He appeared… and disappeared… taking a part of me with him every time.
I returned home broken, crying. How could I fall in love with a stranger? Why does he torture me—appearing and disappearing?
While I was crying and staring at the full moon, I suddenly felt a gentle touch on my neck and a warm whisper in my ear:
"Don't cry… I am with you. Just give me your consent, and I will come to you."
I whispered, "Who are you?"
"I am your destiny, Rana."
"Who are you?" I asked again.
"I am your soul bound to yours."
"Are you a demon?"
"I am your other half. And how could a pure princess's other half be a demon?"
"Answer me! Who are you?"
"My identity is hidden for your protection.