A ray of sunlight touched her fluttering eyelids, and Elina woke up, utterly bewildered as to where she was. She found herself in the luxurious, unfamiliar setting of a cozy bedroom, with delicate beige drapes covering the windows... and a soft, expensive, snow-white bed.
What hotel was this, and how had she arrived here with her parents? A memory flashed through her mind: boarding an superjet and enduring a long, tiring flight across a starry sky.
They often traveled together to tourist destinations, staying in luxury hotels; surely Mom and Dad were sleeping in the next room right now...
She had woken up too early; she would wait for them to come and call her for breakfast. She didn't feel hungry at all, so she could simply luxuriate a while longer in the bed, which exuded the faint scent of lilac freesias.
Elina lifted her head again and glanced around anxiously, looking for her electronic device. There was nothing to be found; her parents had likely taken it away to keep her from ruining her eyesight by mindlessly scrolling through endless feeds of entertaining social media videos. She couldn't recall a single detail about the previous day... what exactly had happened yesterday?
Growing curiosity wouldn't let her stay in bed; she sprang up and hurried over to a large mirror standing nearby in a massive, carved frame. Her reflection left her in a state of shock and frozen disbelief. Instead of a ten-year-old girl, a slender young woman in a knee-length pink lace nightgown stared back at her. Her trembling fingers traced the delicate features of a youthful face—a beautiful appearance framed by locks of flaxen hair.
Had she been in a coma and grown up while she slept? How was this possible? Had they been in an accident? How? Her look had changed so drastically! About eight or nine years had passed, perhaps...
She shook off her stupor, pulled the door handle, and stepped into a spacious corridor bathed in multicolored flashes of light filtering down through intricate stained-glass ceiling panels.
Searching for anyone at all, she darted back and forth along the passageway, trying the locked doors of other rooms. It looked like some sort of elite Empire-style boarding school.
How long had she been here?
After crying out helplessly with unanswered questions, she headed down a wide spiral staircase and emerged into a well groomed garden of emerald green. It was filled with fragrances and the melodic singing of birds, featuring numerous paths lined with marble figurines and planters overflowing with lush, blooming vegetation.
Suddenly, a loud, commanding voice in an unfamiliar language caught her attention; it was coming from behind tall, neatly trimmed rectangular camellia hedges dotted with unopened lilac buds.
Creeping toward a gap in the hedges, Elina peered through and froze at the sight: standing by a gently murmuring fountain and brandishing a stick was a beautiful girl in a blue dress. She had long black hair—partially tied back with a scarlet bow—and small gray wings sprouting from her back. Someone answered her with a disgruntled grumble, and—strangely enough—Elina understood the nature of the argument; the translation of every phrase spoken rang clearly in her mind.
"What makes you think I have to obey you?"
"Because my dad is an Archon and your King, and I'm going to be strong just like him..."
"...when you grow up, Ula!"
"You owe it to me to serve me right now!" ...the girl continued in an angry tone, shaking her pointer at a blond boy of about eight who was dressed in a neat, old-fashioned dark blue suit. "Get used to listening to your mistress and carrying out all my orders!"
"As if!" objected another clear, disgruntled voice nearby.
"Most likely a group of children putting on a play here," - Elina concluded, deciding to ask for help; she called out a friendly greeting.
"Hey!"
Ula turned around, and her lovely, fairy-like face—with its faint blush—broke into a mischievous smile.
"Oh... the new girl! You're awake! Finally!"
"Awake?" Elina repeated in her own language, looking bewildered.
A group of five winged boys, all resembling one another, stared at the stranger with genuine interest and mocking grins.
The girl's feathered wings fluttered and spread slightly; it was clear they were real—they moved far too organically and naturally to be anything else.
"How did I get here, guys? Is this a hostelry? Who are you?"
"The Royal Palace, actually! We're Syrinxes, and I'm - the mistress here!" Ula declared sternly, eyeing Elina critically. "You're a princess too... Why aren't you wearing a proper dress? Wandering around in a nightgown!"
The boys burst into mocking laughter, making her feel even more self-conscious. What strange children—with wings that actually moved behind their backs!
It suddenly dawned on her that she had ended up in some sort of parallel reality... Patting her body with her palms, she froze under the appraising gazes of these fantastically pretty, large-eyed kids.