“Everyone ready?” the tour guide called out to us. It was one of those camp trips with friends. Shawn said, “Hey Abigail, remember that ghost story?”
Before I could answer, Matt interrupted, “YES! We’re going to find some ghosts and freak out Layla.” He grinned mischievously. Layla, the girl with the long, dark brown hair, stood in silence, ignoring Matt’s remark.
I replied, “Whether we’re here to find ghosts or not, I’m just here to enjoy my trip. I’m not worried about something I don’t even believe in.”
Matt’s face fell into a mock-sad expression. “Party pooper.” The group burst into laughter.
As noon rolled around, we had passed dozens of trees, climbed endless hills, but still hadn’t reached our destination. My legs ached, and I couldn’t help but think, What is this tour guide doing? We’ve been walking for hours.
But suddenly, I noticed something. The guide was gone. I looked around, confused, and saw the same bewilderment on my friends’ faces.
“Where are we?” Layla whispered quietly.
We decided to keep moving, heading farther up the trail. The sky dimmed, casting long shadows as the light faded. Time seemed to stretch, and darkness crept in faster than we expected.
“We should set up camp,” Matt suggested, “Maybe find a cave or… an abandoned house.”
“Hey, guys! I found one!” Matt shouted a short time later, gesturing toward an old, dilapidated building in the distance.
We followed, though something about it all felt… off. Shawn, always the skeptical one, raised his eyebrow. “Doesn’t this seem a bit weird? First, our guide vanishes, and now we stumble upon this place? And it’s already getting dark?”
I shrugged. “Honestly, I’m just glad we have somewhere to rest. Let’s figure out the rest after we catch our breath.”
The others nodded, too tired to argue.
The house looked as abandoned as Matt promised. Vines crawled up the cracked walls, windows shattered or clouded with grime. The stone walkway was choked with weeds, and the heavy wooden door looked like it belonged to a castle. Matt and Shawn had to push together to get it open.
The moment we stepped inside, the lights flickered on, and the door slammed shut behind us.
Matt was the last to enter. “What the..."?” he muttered.
The interior, however, was unsettlingly clean. White sheets draped the furniture, but there wasn’t a trace of dust. Someone had been taking care of this place.
A creak echoed from a nearby door, sending chills down my spine. We all froze.
Layla let out a startled yelp, and Matt grinned, amused by her reaction. Shawn frowned, clearly on edge.
I was more curious than anything, my eyes fixed on the source of the sound. “Come on,” I said, “Let’s see what’s behind it.”
As we approached, the door slowly swung open, revealing two figures cloaked in shadow.
“Welcome,” a feminine voice echoed, sending a shiver down my spine.
“What is going on?!” Layla yelled, her voice trembling. We were all taken aback," Layla never yelled.
“Please, sit down,” the woman said, her voice calm but commanding. “We have much to discuss.”
One of the cloaked figures lowered their hood, revealing a young man with sad brown eyes.
I stared at him. “I thought you were a woman,” I said, surprised. “You sounded like one.”
He gave a small, sad smile. “Yes, there are two of us. And what you see now… is only a reflection of what is yet to come.”
As the cloaked figures removed their hoods, revealing an old woman and a small girl with striking purple eyes, confusion settled over us.
“Hey, Shawn, what do they look like to you?” Matt asked, sounding unusually serious.
“I see an old woman with yellow eyes, an old man with blue eyes, and a young boy with purple eyes,” Shawn said.
I furrowed my brow. “I see a young man with brown eyes, an old woman with blue eyes, and a young girl with purple eyes.”
Matt chimed in. “I see a young girl with yellow eyes, a green-eyed woman, and an old man with purple eyes.”
Layla muttered, “I see two men with red eyes… and a young boy with yellow eyes.”
We all exchanged startled glances. Layla’s description was completely different from ours.
The young man stood up, the old woman sat down, and the girl with purple eyes suddenly ran toward Layla.
“Interesting,” the old woman murmured. “We have quite a unique group.” Her voice lowered, almost too quiet to hear. “One of you will turn…”
Her words sent a chill down my spine, though no one else seemed to notice.
The old woman spoke again, louder this time. “What you see before you are not figments of your imagination. This is not a dream. You are no longer in your world.”
Shawn, who had been quietly gazing out the window, didn’t seem surprised.
“If you look behind you, you will see your past reality is no longer here.”
She continued, “The forms you see of us are reflections of what may be: future instances of who you might become, those you might encounter, or even those who could be your undoing.”
Matt’s eyes widened. “Wait, are you saying… we could be killed by these people?”
The woman paused, letting his words settle. “These are merely potential outcomes. We are not your enemies; we are your allies. What you see are age, eye color, and gender. These are hints at the powers you possess but have not yet unlocked.”
Curiosity overwhelmed me. “What do they mean? I see an old woman with blue eyes.”
The young girl turned to me; her voice quiet but firm. “The eyes represent wisdom, age represents the strength of your power, and gender reflects how you perceive your abilities. Male indicates an active power, while female represents a passive or nurturing power.”
Matt piped up. “And the colors?”
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