A forgotten past

Lena

My heart raced as I realized where I was. The planet around me was Kael's home, but somehow, it looked younger, more vibrant. The sky, so familiar yet strange, was an almost impossible shade of blue, and the air carried a pure freshness, as if the very atmosphere was filled with living energy. I was somewhere in the past—that much was certain. But how? And why?

I walked across the field, trying to orient myself. In the direction of the city, I saw aliens who resembled Kael’s people, walking calmly, laughing, their clothes displaying colors and patterns I'd never seen before. I watched everything cautiously, afraid of being noticed, but people seemed oblivious to my presence, as if I were invisible.

It was a strange feeling. On one hand, the joy of that place touched me deeply, like something I had never experienced. On the other, I felt a bitter pang of sadness, knowing what would happen to this planet, what fate awaited these people.

As I advanced, I saw a flower-covered square, where a large gathering of people was all looking toward the center of a ceremonial structure. I moved closer, my steps light, unable to believe what my eyes were seeing. In the middle of the square, Kael stood there, younger, with a serene smile that I rarely saw in the present. His face radiated a peace I almost didn’t recognize.

But he wasn’t alone. Beside him stood a tall, slender alien woman with bright, deep eyes, dressed in richly detailed ceremonial attire. She looked like an alien version of me—not a copy, but there were uncanny resemblances, a connection I couldn’t explain. They held hands, both gazing at each other with a tenderness that transcended time and space, leaving a heaviness in my chest.

“Kael…” I whispered to myself, unable to take my eyes off that vision. It was him, but in a time I’d never imagined. And, by all appearances, he was marrying this woman, this other version of me.

I watched every detail, trying to understand who she was and why she looked so much like me. The way her eyes sparkled as she looked at him was so familiar. It was the same look I saw reflected in him when he was with me in the present, a look that held as much warmth as mystery.

The ceremony continued, and Kael and the woman recited vows in an alien language I couldn’t fully understand, yet somehow, it resonated within me. Each word carried deep emotion, and the expression on his face told me it was sincere, real. It was love.

I stood there, frozen, as they exchanged rings. The crowd around erupted in applause and cheers, and I felt a sharp pain in my chest. I didn’t know Kael had someone like this in his life, someone he loved so intensely. And why did she look so much like me?

As the couple received congratulations from friends and family, an older figure with a commanding presence approached. He wore formal attire, indicating some position of authority. I saw Kael bow respectfully before him, and the man extended his hand, a gesture of welcome and approval. I was surprised to see Kael react with such reverence; he seemed to hold this man in high regard, likely a community leader or someone very important to him.

What intrigued me most, however, was the look in Kael’s eyes as he looked at the man and his wife. It was as if he was stepping into a new role, a responsibility that marked him deeply. Something I knew would transform him. And perhaps that was why he had become the reserved, hardened man I knew.

The ceremony continued with ancient dances and music, and I moved to the edge of the crowd, absorbing every moment with a mix of sadness and fascination. Part of me wanted to leave, but another part was captivated by the mystery of that woman, that ceremony.

Then, as if sensing something, Kael looked in my direction. I tensed, thinking he could see me, but his eyes passed over me as if I were only a shadow. It was as if he sensed my presence in a subtle way, like an echo in his mind. This made me question even more what I was seeing and how I had arrived here.

In the depths of my heart, I knew this experience was not by chance. There was a reason I was here, witnessing all of this. Perhaps it was to understand something about him, something about us, about the love we shared that now felt so complicated and confused.

The celebration continued, but the weight of that vision was already unbearable. I saw Kael laughing, dancing, kissing the woman who was now his wife. This was a side of Kael I had never known, a version of him that existed only in a time I wasn’t part of.

“Kael,” I whispered again, feeling tears burn in my eyes. I wanted to scream, to cross time and space, to tell him I was here, that I knew him and loved him, but I knew none of this would be possible. I was an observer, an intruder in his past.

As night began to fall and alien stars appeared in the sky, the celebration continued, but I moved away from the square, feeling strangely empty. The doubts and discomfort grew within me, and a haunting question arose in my mind: how had this woman, so much like me, influenced the Kael I knew now?

I knew I would have to find the answers, even if it led me to face more pain and mysteries.