The morning had come. Birds were singing outside the window. As he woke up, Michael walked over to his wardrobe, took out his clothes, and then stood before the mirror to get dressed. His clothes looked gray, subtly emphasizing that, to put it mildly, he wasn't very wealthy.
After tidying himself up, Michael left the house and headed down the path toward the village. Along the way, he listened to the birds singing. Their melodies brought a smile to his face, lifting his already good mood even higher.
Upon entering the village, the first thing that greeted him was the local market, where people sold whatever they pleased—from fruits and vegetables to rare items, possibly even artifacts, though that was very, very rare. But that wasn't important. Michael wasn't heading toward the market.
On his way, he ran into an acquaintance named Cherry, who was a few years older than him. Like most people in the area, she wore clothing in similar muted tones and had beautiful, long crimson hair. She sold fruit at the market.
"Hi, Cherry!" Michael said as he approached her.
"Hi, Michael!" Cherry replied with a smile. "How are you?"
"Oh, you know, nothing to brag about—same as always," Michael answered.
"I see," Cherry said.
"And how about you?" Michael asked.
"Oh, you know, same as always, too," Cherry replied. "As usual, lots of people are buying the fruit I sell since they're some of the best in the village."
"Got it," Michael said.
At that moment, a young man named Felix approached them. He had short, light-colored hair, somewhat resembling the color of a banana (not the peel). He was the same age as Cherry.
"Hey, Cherry, Michael!" Felix greeted them. "How's it going?"
"Same as always!" Michael replied.
"Same for me, too," Cherry answered, her face slightly flushed.
Everyone in the village knew they were in love with each other.
Michael wanted to chat with them a little longer but soon realized he would just be a third wheel in the conversation. So, he continued on his way to where he had originally intended to go.
Behind the market were bars, cafés, restaurants, and more. However, Michael did not need them at the moment—especially the bars.
Not far from there, a familiar face was busy at work—someone who owned his own bakery in the village. The bakery was called "Julius' Bakery."
The owner, who was also the baker, was named Julius, as the name suggested. At that moment, he was seeing another satisfied customer with a smile on his face.
"Thanks, Julius!" said one of his regulars with a cheerful grin. "Your pastries are as delicious as ever!"
"You're welcome. I'm glad you still enjoy them," Julius smiled.
At that moment, Michael approached him unnoticed.
"Hello, Mr. Julius!" Michael greeted.
"Huh? Oh, hey, Michael!" Julius responded. "How are you?"
"I'm doing fine," Michael answered. "And how about you, Mr. Julius?"
"Me? Ha! I'm doing just great!" Julius replied. "By the way, Michael…"
"Yes, Mr. Julius?" Michael asked.
"Would you like to come inside?" Julius offered. "I'll treat you to something."
"Sure, I don't mind. I actually wanted to talk with you anyway," Michael agreed.
Entering the bakery, Julius seated Michael at a table before heading to the kitchen to prepare everything.
Julius cooked so well that the smell of delicious pastries could be sensed from afar. This time, he had made his signature croissant and served it with slightly sweet cocoa.
Placing everything on the table, he broke the croissant in half, giving each of them a piece.
"Mmm! Incredibly delicious!" Michael chirped. "How many times have I already said that?"
"Haha. I don't know how many times you've said it, but thanks," Julius replied.
As they ate, Julius asked again,"So, how are you doing today?"
"Everything's fine, as usual," Michael said, but then his mood changed. "Except that I had that nightmare again."
Julius put down his cup, his smile suddenly fading, and the atmosphere around them grew slightly darker.
"That nightmare again, huh?" Julius asked.
"Yeah," Michael replied.
They both fell silent for a while, each lost in thought.
"Michael," Julius said.
"What is it, Mr. Julius?" Michael asked.
"That's the only thing you ever dream about, right?" Julius asked.
"Yes, you're right," Michael confirmed.
"Then maybe that nightmare is trying to tell you something?" Julius suggested.
"It's quite possible. But what exactly?" Michael wondered.
Once again, they fell into deep thought, and the silence lasted even longer. But no answers came to mind.
Suddenly, Julius remembered something.
"What is it, Mr. Julius?" Michael asked, noticing the change in his expression.
"Are you sure you don't have somewhere to be?" Julius asked with a sly grin.
Michael thought for a moment and suddenly remembered that he was in a hurry for an important event.
"Ah! I completely forgot!" he shouted as he stood up. "Thanks, Mr. Julius! I'll talk to you later!"
With that, he dashed off.
Michael was running as fast as he could toward the center of the village.
In the center of the village stood a tall structure—specifically, a tower. This tower had been there for thousands of years. However, nowadays, it served as a library.
"Hah! Hah! I'm really late!" Michael thought. "Why did I absolutely forget about this?"
"Ah, what a wonderful day!" said someone as Michael rushed past them.
"Mom, mom, what is that?" came another voice, this time from a child.
As Michael ran, hearing all these voices, he had already reached the tower.
"Hah! Hah! Finally! The entrance is right in front of me!" Michael said. "I just need to get over there, and I'll be in place!"