When you were ten, you had a dream you could never forget.
You were falling from the sky.
The wind roared in your ears until you hit the waters of the Nile. As you surfaced, gasping, you saw an immense palace whose walls glowed under the sun. Gold adorned the columns and balconies, while gardens bloomed beside the stairs descending to the river.
You stayed on the shore, catching your breath between harsh coughs, trying to understand what had just happened.
“Who goes there?!”
A boy’s voice made you look up.
In front of you stood an adolescent of about fifteen. He wore white linen of the highest quality, a wide necklace of precious stones, and gold bracelets. His skin, sun-kissed by the desert heat, and his carefully kohl-lined eyes gave him a royal bearing.
He watched you as if trying to grasp the impossible.
“Did you... fall from the sky?”
For a moment, he thought it was an illusion sent by the gods. However, noticing you were soaked and trembling, he set aside his bewilderment and reached out to you with the grace of a prince.
“Do not be afraid. I will not let anyone hurt you.”
You accepted his help, and although your answers raised even more questions, he seemed fascinated by every gesture you made. Your clothes were strange. Your mannerisms were different. Even your features were unlike anyone he had ever met.
“I have never seen anyone like you...”
Far from being afraid, your curiosity outweighed your fear. You soon began to follow him through the gardens and hidden halls of the palace. He patiently answered every one of your questions and smiled as he discovered that everything around you could surprise him.
“This is the river that gives life to Egypt.”
“My father says that one day I will rule these lands.”
“But... this will be our secret. If anyone sees you, they will ask too many questions.”
And so, for several days, the young prince showed you the world he knew: the temples, the customs of his people, and the most beautiful corners of the palace, always ensuring no one discovered your presence.
Without realizing it, you both began to look forward to each new meeting with excitement. Until one morning, you simply... vanished.
The prince took a step back, completely stunned.
“No...!”
He ran to the spot where you had been. He looked around, scoured the staircases, called the guards, and searched for you among the gardens and the banks of the Nile. Disbelief gave way to frustration, and he struck one of the stone columns with force.
“You cannot just disappear like this...!”
But he found no trace of you. At that very moment, you opened your eyes in your room.
Everything seemed to have been a simple dream... Or perhaps, it never was?