The kitchen was unusually quiet.
Outside, rain drummed softly against the wooden roof of Arthur's home, the familiar rhythm blending with the occasional crackle of the fireplace.
Dinner had long since ended.
The dishes had been washed.
The lights had grown dim.
Only a single candle remained burning on the table.
Layla had promised herself she would only rest for a few minutes.
Instead...
She had fallen asleep sitting in one of the wooden chairs, her arms folded on the table, her head resting upon them.
Her breathing became slow.
Peaceful.
The world around her gradually faded away.
...
Warmth.
That was the first thing she felt.
Not the warmth of a fireplace.
Nor the warmth of the summer sun.
But the warmth of home.
Slowly, her eyes opened.
She found herself standing in a vast field of emerald grass, where thousands of white flowers danced gently beneath the wind.
The sky above was impossibly blue.
Not a single cloud drifted across it.
Birds sang happily in the distance.
The air carried the scent of wildflowers.
"...Home..."
Her voice barely escaped her lips.
She knew this place.
She remembered it.
Even after all these years.
A stone pathway stretched across the field, leading toward a beautiful estate nestled at the foot of rolling hills.
It wasn't a castle.
Nor was it a mansion.
It was elegant.
Simple.
Built from pale stone with ivy climbing its walls.
A banner fluttered proudly above its entrance.
Upon the banner was the ancient crest of the Skywalker family.
A silver wing embracing a blooming flower beneath a starlit sky.
Layla stared at it.
"...The Skywalkers..."
A wave of memories rushed through her.
The Skywalker family had never been famous because of wealth.
Nor because of military power.
They were remembered for something far rarer.
Kindness.
For generations, the Skywalkers had served as healers, teachers, and protectors of their community.
They believed strength existed not to rule others...
But to lift them up.
Their family motto had been carved into the entrance of every Skywalker home for centuries.
"A heart that reaches another will never truly stand alone."
Layla remembered reading those words countless times as a child.
She hadn't understood them then.
Now...
They carried a different meaning.
The estate's front door suddenly opened.
A little girl no older than six burst outside, laughing as she chased a bright blue butterfly across the garden.
Long crimson hair danced behind her.
Bright ruby eyes sparkled with innocent excitement.
She wore a simple white dress decorated with tiny embroidered flowers.
Layla smiled softly.
"...Me..."
She watched her younger self stumble over a loose stone before immediately standing again, laughing instead of crying.
"You'll never catch it like that."
A gentle voice echoed from behind.
A woman stepped outside.
She possessed the same crimson hair.
The same ruby eyes.
The resemblance was unmistakable.
Her mother.
Elena Skywalker.
Graceful.
Kind.
The type of person whose smile alone could calm an anxious heart.
She walked toward young Layla before kneeling beside her.
"The butterfly isn't running away from you."
"It's inviting you to slow down."
Little Layla blinked.
"...Really?"
Elena smiled.
"If you stop chasing it..."
"...Perhaps it'll choose to come to you."
The little girl frowned in deep concentration before doing exactly as her mother suggested.
She stood perfectly still.
Hands behind her back.
Waiting.
Several moments later...
The butterfly landed gently upon her finger.
Her face immediately lit up.
"It worked!"
Elena laughed warmly.
"Some things cannot be forced."
"They must be trusted."
The older Layla watched in silence.
She hadn't remembered those words in years.
Yet hearing them again caused something inside her chest to ache.
The sound of footsteps echoed nearby.
A tall man emerged from the garden carrying a basket overflowing with fresh vegetables.
His broad shoulders and weathered hands told the story of countless years spent working the land.
Despite his imposing appearance...
His smile was gentle.
Marcus Skywalker.
Layla's father.
"My two favorite girls."
He placed the basket down before effortlessly lifting little Layla onto his shoulders.
She laughed loudly as he spun around the garden.
"Higher!"
"You always want higher."
"Because I can see everything!"
Marcus chuckled.
"One day you'll climb even higher than my shoulders."
"You'll see places neither your mother nor I ever could."
Young Layla looked toward the endless blue sky.
"...Will I fly?"
Marcus exchanged a smile with Elena.
"If your heart wishes to."
The older Layla closed her eyes.
A single tear rolled down her cheek.
She had almost forgotten the sound of their voices.
Forgotten the warmth of their embraces.
Forgotten what it felt like to simply...
Be their daughter.
The dream shifted.
The bright colors of the garden slowly blurred together.
The laughter became distant.
The wind carried away the voices she had missed for so many years.
Before everything disappeared completely...
Her father's voice echoed one final time.
"Layla..."
"No matter how large the world becomes..."
"...Never lose the kindness that makes you who you are."
Darkness swallowed the memory.
The dream...
Was only beginning.
Darkness slowly gave way to light.
The dream continued.
The wind carried with it the salty scent of the sea, while golden sunlight poured across endless rolling hills covered in olive trees and vineyards.
Far beyond them stood a peaceful coastal town overlooking the Mediterranean.
White stone homes stretched across the hillsides, their terracotta roofs glowing beneath the afternoon sun.
Church bells echoed gently through the streets.
Children laughed as they ran between narrow stone paths decorated with flowers.
This...
Was Spain.
Long before the Collapse had swallowed most of the world...
It had been the homeland of the Skywalker family.
Layla smiled unconsciously.
"...Spain..."
She had almost forgotten how beautiful it was.
The dream carried her through the familiar streets until she reached the Skywalker estate once more.
Only this time...
There was no silence.
Laughter filled the gardens.
Young Layla sprinted across the freshly cut grass with all the determination a six-year-old could possess.
"I'll catch you!"
"You have to catch us first!"
Marcus Skywalker laughed loudly as he scooped Elena's hand into his own before the two of them deliberately ran away from their daughter.
They weren't running seriously.
Every few seconds Marcus slowed down just enough to let Layla believe she was catching him...
Only to laugh and dart away again.
"Dad!"
"That's cheating!"
"There are no rules in Skywalker Tag!"
"There are!"
"Who made them?"
"I did!"
Marcus pretended to think deeply.
"...Hmm."
"I don't remember agreeing to those rules."
Layla puffed out her cheeks.
"Moooom!"
Elena burst into laughter.
"I think your father is winning."
"No fair!"
"He's too tall!"
Marcus suddenly stopped.
"...You're right."
He dramatically dropped to his knees.
"There."
"Now we're the same height."
Young Layla immediately tackled him from behind.
"I got you!"
Marcus collapsed dramatically onto the grass.
"No..."
"I've been defeated..."
"The mighty Marcus Skywalker..."
"...has fallen..."
Layla climbed onto his back triumphantly and raised both fists into the air.
"I win!"
"You absolutely destroyed him," Elena giggled.
Marcus nodded seriously.
"I never stood a chance."
The three of them laughed together beneath the warm Spanish sun.
Watching from only a few steps away...
The older Layla felt another tear slide down her cheek.
"...I forgot..."
She had forgotten just how much they laughed.
How every ordinary afternoon somehow became an adventure.
How her parents never cared if they looked silly.
As long as it made her smile.
After several more games of tag, Marcus suddenly stood.
"I have another challenge."
Layla's ruby eyes sparkled.
"What is it?"
Marcus bent down and whispered dramatically.
"The Great Skywalker Treasure Hunt."
Layla gasped.
"The treasure is hidden somewhere inside the garden."
"But..."
He held up a finger.
"There are clues."
"You'll have to solve every one."
Elena quietly slipped away while Marcus distracted their daughter with exaggerated hints.
The first clue led beneath the old oak tree.
The second beside the flower garden.
The third near the vegetable patch where Marcus proudly claimed his tomatoes were the strongest soldiers in Spain.
"They protect the carrots," he declared proudly.
Layla couldn't stop laughing.
Finally...
The last clue brought her to a small wooden bench overlooking the sea.
There sat a neatly wrapped little box.
She carefully opened it.
Inside rested a small silver butterfly pendant attached to a simple ribbon.
"It looks just like the butterfly!"
Layla whispered.
Elena walked over before kneeling beside her.
"It does."
"Do you know why we chose a butterfly?"
Layla shook her head.
Elena gently brushed a strand of crimson hair behind her daughter's ear.
"Because butterflies always move forward."
"They may stop to rest."
"They may struggle against the wind."
"But they never forget to keep flying."
Marcus smiled warmly.
"And no matter where life carries you..."
"...You'll always have a home waiting for you."
The older Layla instinctively reached toward the memory.
Toward her parents.
Toward the little girl she used to be.
Her fingertips passed through them like mist.
"...Dad..."
"...Mom..."
The laughter continued.
For one beautiful moment...
It felt as though nothing bad could ever happen.
As though the Collapse would never come.
As though this peaceful little family, living under the warm Spanish sun...
Would stay together forever.
But somewhere deep within the dream...
The clear blue sky flickered.
Just for an instant.
A faint ripple of darkness spread across the heavens before disappearing again.
Layla didn't notice.
The child was too busy laughing.
The woman dreaming...
Felt her heart tighten.
She knew what came next.
Even if the little girl did not.
The dream drifted onward.
The bright afternoon slowly melted into the warm colors of evening.
Golden sunlight spilled across the Skywalker garden as Marcus finished watering the flowers while Elena carefully folded freshly washed clothes into a basket.
Young Layla sat beneath the old oak tree, humming happily as she braided flower crowns from daisies she had picked earlier.
The peaceful silence was broken only by birds singing overhead.
Marcus and Elena exchanged a quiet glance.
Neither spoke immediately.
Layla noticed.
"...Mom?"
"...Dad?"
"Is something wrong?"
Elena walked over and sat beside her daughter, gently brushing a strand of crimson hair away from her face.
"No, sweetheart."
"Nothing's wrong."
Marcus knelt in front of Layla with a reassuring smile.
"We just have something important to tell you."
Layla blinked curiously.
"...Important?"
Marcus nodded.
"Our family is moving."
The little flower crown slipped from Layla's hands.
"...Moving?"
"...Far away?"
Elena gently took both of Layla's tiny hands into hers.
"Yes."
"We're leaving Spain."
Layla's ruby eyes widened.
"But..."
"...What about my friends?"
"...What about my room?"
"...The butterfly garden?"
"...Grandpa's bakery?"
Question after question tumbled from her mouth.
Marcus waited patiently until she had finished.
Then he smiled.
"I know."
"It's a lot to think about."
"But sometimes..."
"...Life asks us to begin a new chapter."
Layla looked down sadly.
"...Where are we going?"
Marcus pointed toward the horizon.
"To a city called..."
"...Symbiosis."
Layla tilted her head.
"...That's a funny name."
Elena nodded.
"It is."
"But it has an important meaning."
She looked toward the setting sun before continuing.
"Long ago..."
"...before modern history..."
"A terrible war took place."
"A war unlike any the world has ever seen."
"It wasn't fought between kingdoms."
"It wasn't fought between nations."
"It was fought between..."
"...the gods..."
"...and the demons."
Young Layla's eyes grew wider.
"The city where that war ended eventually became known as Symbiosis."
"A reminder that even after endless conflict..."
"...life continues."
Marcus continued softly.
"It's one of the largest cities in India."
"A place where people from every culture and every corner of the world live together."
Layla remained quiet.
India.
She had heard stories about it.
Its festivals.
Its temples.
Its music.
Its colorful streets.
It sounded exciting.
But...
It wasn't home.
She quietly lowered her head.
"...Do we have to go?"
Marcus's expression softened.
"I'm afraid we do."
"There are opportunities there that simply don't exist here."
"And..."
He smiled gently.
"I have a feeling you'll meet people who'll change your life forever."
The older Layla, watching from within her dream, smiled sadly.
"You were right..."
Neither of her parents could possibly have known just how true those words would become.
...
The dream shifted once more.
Several weeks passed in only moments.
Suitcases stood near the front door.
Most of the family's belongings had already been packed.
The once lively home felt strangely empty.
Young Layla wandered from room to room, saying goodbye to every little corner she loved.
The kitchen.
The garden.
The old oak tree.
Even the butterfly bench.
When she finally stepped outside...
A black car waited at the front gate.
Marcus loaded the last suitcase into the trunk.
Elena looked toward the house one final time.
"...Ready?"
Layla nodded weakly.
"...I think so."
The car slowly pulled away from the Skywalker estate.
Spain gradually disappeared behind them.
The dream blurred again.
Airports.
Flights.
New languages.
New faces.
Everything passed in flashes.
Until finally...
A sign appeared before them.
WELCOME TO SYMBIOSIS
INDIA
The bustling city stretched as far as the eye could see.
Markets overflowed with people.
Temples stood proudly beside modern buildings.
The aroma of spices drifted through the air.
Everything felt alive.
Layla stared out of the car window in complete amazement.
"It's..."
"...Beautiful."
Elena smiled.
"I think you'll like it here."
Marcus chuckled.
"I know you will."
...
Several days later...
Another piece of news arrived.
Elena carefully folded a black dress before placing it inside a suitcase.
Layla looked up from the floor.
"Are we going somewhere again?"
Elena nodded softly.
"We are."
"Your great-grandmother..."
"...passed away peacefully a few days before we arrived."
Layla's smile disappeared.
"Oh..."
Elena knelt beside her daughter.
"She lived a very long life."
"She wasn't in pain."
"She simply grew old."
Marcus joined them.
"Your great-grandmother was born here, in India."
"Although she spent most of her life elsewhere..."
"...her final wish was to rest in the country she loved most."
Elena smiled through misty eyes.
"She adored Indian culture."
"The people."
"The traditions."
"The festivals."
"The food."
"She always said a part of her heart never left this country."
"So..."
"We're going to fulfill that wish."
Young Layla quietly nodded.
"I want to come too."
Elena gently hugged her.
"I know."
"And after that..."
Marcus smiled warmly.
"...You'll be starting at your new school."
Neither parent realized that somewhere in that very same city...
A boy from Africa would soon walk through those school gates.
A boy with raven-black hair and emerald-green eyes.
A boy who wasn't born in India...
Yet whose life would become forever intertwined with Layla Skywalker's.
The dream continued to unfold.
Their first meeting...
Was drawing near.
The dream carried Layla a little further.
Several days had passed since the Skywalker family arrived in Symbiosis.
Their new house stood in a quiet neighborhood on the outskirts of the city.
It was smaller than their home in Spain.
The garden wasn't nearly as large.
There was no old oak tree.
No butterfly bench.
Yet the house felt welcoming.
Sunlight poured through the windows every morning, while flowering plants lined the front entrance.
"It'll take some getting used to," Marcus said as he carried another box inside.
Elena smiled softly.
"A home isn't measured by its walls."
"It's measured by the people living in it."
Young Layla grinned.
"Then it'll feel like home soon."
Marcus laughed.
"Exactly."
Over the next few days, the three of them unpacked together.
Layla insisted on helping, even though many of the boxes were almost as large as she was.
She proudly arranged books onto shelves.
Hung family photographs along the hallway.
Placed flowerpots near every window she could find.
By the end of the week...
The empty house had begun to feel alive.
That evening, however, the cheerful atmosphere faded.
The dining table was unusually quiet.
Resting at its center was a framed photograph of Layla's great-grandmother.
An elderly woman with gentle eyes and a warm smile.
Marcus folded his hands together.
"We should discuss the funeral."
Elena nodded.
"She always said she wanted to be remembered with peace, not sorrow."
Young Layla looked between her parents.
"...Can I say something?"
"Of course," Elena replied.
Layla thought carefully before speaking.
"Great-Grandma loved India more than anywhere else."
"She always told me stories about the festivals..."
"...the music..."
"...the temples..."
"...and how kind everyone was."
She hesitated.
"So..."
"...could we have an Indian funeral?"
Marcus and Elena exchanged surprised glances.
Neither had expected that suggestion.
After a long moment, Marcus smiled.
"I think..."
"...she would've liked that."
The following day, the family visited a respected local elder from the community to ask how they could best honor her final wish.
The elder welcomed them warmly.
After listening to their story, he spoke with gentle kindness.
"In many Hindu traditions," he explained, "death is not seen as the end of existence."
"It is a passage."
"A soul continues its journey."
"For this reason, funerals are often conducted with dignity, prayer, gratitude, and the hope that the departed finds peace."
He continued.
"The family gathers to offer flowers and prayers."
"The body is treated with great respect."
"Many families choose cremation, with ashes later scattered in a sacred river or another meaningful place, though customs can differ depending on the family's beliefs."
"What matters most..."
"...is honoring the wishes of the one who has passed."
Elena's eyes became misty.
"That sounds exactly like something she would've wanted."
Marcus nodded.
"She always believed life should be celebrated, even at its end."
The elder smiled.
"Then celebrate the love she gave."
"Remember her stories."
"Pray for her peaceful journey."
"That is one of the greatest gifts a family can offer."
A few days later...
Friends, neighbors, and members of the local community gathered together.
White flowers decorated the ceremony.
Soft prayers filled the quiet air.
Layla carefully stepped forward, carrying a single white lily.
She placed it beside her great-grandmother's photograph.
"...Thank you..."
"...for teaching me to love the world."
A warm breeze drifted through the ceremony, gently rustling the flowers.
For just a brief moment...
Layla could have sworn she felt someone softly pat her head.
She looked around.
There was no one there.
Yet somehow...
She smiled.
Deep within her heart, she believed her great-grandmother had heard every word.
As the ceremony came to an end, Marcus rested a hand on Layla's shoulder.
"Tomorrow..."
He smiled gently.
"...you'll begin your first day at your new school."
Layla looked toward the bright city of Symbiosis in the distance.
She didn't know it yet.
But somewhere in that very city...
Another teenager was preparing for his own first day.
A boy from Africa.
A boy with a troubled past , a depressed present and an unknown future .
Their lives were only one sunrise away from changing forever.