In Cafè Everdawn’s usual sounds of clicking and clunking and smells of sweet baked goods and coffee, Harris and Laila are sitting across from each other with the tingling feeling in their hand still lingering from when they touched. 

They sat in silence, eyes avoiding each other.

After awkwardly shifting around not knowing what to say or do, Laila gives in and started to ask,

“Do… you think… that our dreams are real?” 

Harris locked eyes with Laila, and the feeling of longing started to rise again.

“Hmm, I would need more solid evidence of it being real, before I can believe it.”

Laila's eyes locked with Harris, and the feeling of want started to rise.

“I guess you’re right… but I just can’t shake the feeling that it’s like past memories rather than a silly dream.”

Harris’ and Laila’s hands started to reach for each other’s.

“I know, but we need to think logically about why that is.” Harris says while holding Laila’s hands.

Before either of them said anything else, they both looked down and noticed that they were holding each other’s hands. 

“Ah.” They both say softly but shockingly as they reluctantly let each other go.

Harris took the initiative and apologized, “I’m sorry, I guess I did it subconsciously, hehe.”

“No, no… I… truly don’t mind, heh.” As Laila blushes.

“Oh?” Harris took her hands and laid them on his face. “How about this?”

Laila blushed so hard that she turned into a tomato.

“Who knew he was this forward!” She thought excitedly.

Harris chuckles as he slowly removes her hands from his face, but refuses to let go of her hands.

“Let’s continue our discussion.” As he slightly blushes.

“Alrighty, let’s do it.”

But, just as they were about to continue their discussion, something caught their attention. Across the cafe, at the entrance… Jessica, Priscilla, and Eric, who bumped into each other at the cafe’s entrance, were waiting in line.

“Huh! Aren’t those…!” Laila too shocked to continue, her eyes so big in surprise.

Harris' eyes narrowed, “Yes, it’s them…”

Harris and Laila then looked at each other, sharing the same thought.

“We have to meet them!”

Laila and Harris, hand in hand, got up and walked towards Jessica, Priscilla, and Eric.

Jessica notices the two walking towards them and gives a curious yet familiar look.

“They look… familiar… like I know them already…” Jessica softly mumbles.

Eric and Priscilla notice Jessica looking at Harris and Laila walking towards them, and they thought the same thing.

“They look familiar.”

“Excuse me.” Harris says politely. “We would like to speak with you guys.”

“After! You order of course.” Laila says reassuringly, “We’re going to be sitting at booth 2, so we can all fit.”

“Huh… sure, but I can’t speak for the ladies.” Eric politely answered. “I need to figure out why they’re so familiar to me…” Eric thought seriously.

Jessica looked at Priscilla and Priscilla looked at Jessica, and they both nodded their heads. Thinking the same thing, “Why are they so familiar?”.

“We would like to join too.”

After Jessica, Priscilla, and Eric finished their orders. All of them were sitting in the booth, sitting in awkward silence.

Eric took the initiative and spoke softly, “So… Ummm… I feel like we all know each other…”

Laila continued, “We know each other from the dream!”

Priscilla suddenly stands up, “Wait… Don’t tell me we all had the same or similar dreams of each other!”

Harris cleared his throat, “it would seem so… Me and Laila were just theorizing about our shared dreams.”

“No way! We were just talking about that too, when we bumped into each other!” Priscilla, still standing, says in surprise.

Jessica tugs on Priscilla’s jacket, urging her to sit back down. As she was causing a bit of a scene.

“Ah… Sorry, hehe…” Priscilla awkwardly sits back down.

“It’s true… we were just at the beginning of our discussion.” Jessica says. “It’s almost… magical how we all had the same dream.” Jessica smiled as she thought.

“But, It’s quite strange to me, I just can’t help but think there’s a logical explanation for this…” Eric narrowed his eyes.

“Oh!, before anything else… Let’s formally introduce ourselves.” Says Eric. “I’m Eric and I work as a Historian at the Museum of Runes and Arcane History.” Eric smiled a business smile.

Jessica looked at Eric with eyes filled with love and felt proud of him.

Harris went next “I’m Harris and I’m a Detective at the Metropolitan Police Station.”

“You’re a Detective!?” Says Laila shockingly. “I thought you were in a band or an artist!”

“Yea, like not to be rude, but I agree with Laila.” Priscilla says curiously.

Harris chuckles, “I can see that. Now why don’t you introduce yourself.”

“Righto! I’m Priscilla and this is Jessica…”

“Hello.” Jessica smiles and slightly bows her head.

“And we are Top Nurses at Metropolitan Hospital of Eternis.”

“Wow…” Laila says, “We got some impressive people here… A historian, detective, and top nurses…” Laila looks down despairingly.

Harris worryingly looks at her, “What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing…” Laila shook her head to snap out of her despairing thoughts and cleared her throat. “I am Laila, and I work as a Self-Defense Coach at Ultanium Gym!”

Laila then claps her hand before anyone gets to say anything about her job, “Let’s start theorizing!”

Harris still has his worry of Laila in the back of his mind, “Me and Laila were just discussing how the dreams might be real, but I think it needs more logical or harder evidence to be sure of it.”

“How can you still say that when we have the two people we were protecting in that “dream” right here!” Laila says in disbelief.

“Speaking on that note.” Eric interjected. “How is it even possible that we share, what I think, different perspectives of the same dream?” Eric narrowed his eyes.

“That’s what I’m saying, it’s not logically possible.” Harris says.

“Well, I believe that we are connected somehow.” Jessica softly says. “I mean… Laila might be onto something.”

“Hmmm… it’s not logically possible, but we might be connected…” Priscilla closed her eyes and tapped her finger to think. “I believe we need to run some kind of test to see it to make all this make sense.”

“I agree… but what kind of test?” Eric curiously asks.

They all, in a moment of silence, thought of what kind of test to do.

Laila quickly opens her eyes, “Aha! I thought of something!”

“What is it?” Priscilla curiously asks as she tilts her head.

“What if we all hold hands!” Laila excitedly proclaims.

“Huh?” Jessica, Priscilla, and Eric say in confusion.

“I see, I think that’ll work.” Harris nods his head.

“Can one of you explain?” Jessica says politely.

“Well, when me and Harris held hands, more clear images of our dream ran through our minds. It was like we were really there in the dream.” Laila explains while moving her hands.

Harris continues, “And we could have more logical evidence of the dreams being real if the test does work.”

“Oh! I understand now, we could also know if we’re really connected.” Eric clarifies.

“Yes, exactly!” Laila snaps her fingers.

“Alright! Let’s start!” Priscilla says excitedly.

They all took a deep breath, and as soon as all of their hands touched… Their minds felt like they were transported to another time.