Blinded by the light, I opened my eyes. I was in my old bed in Boston, in the apartment where I lived with my aunt. Through the half-open window, the reddish sunlight of the morning streamed into my eyes, showing me that I had slept enough.

  Breathing out in relief, I realized that the entire adventure so far had been nothing but a nightmare. Now that I was fully awake, I almost felt like laughing at the situations I had experienced so intensely, believing they were real. It had been a strange dream, with a magical academy, a talking sphinx, unpaid tuition fees, prizes in sesterces, and other absurdities that only a nightmare could produce. I could still feel the taste of the bad food from the Wyrmlithus Academy and the hard bed on which I had slept.

  I thought that I could have published an entire fantasy book inspired by the twisted dream I had had. Would I have had any readers? Probably no more than a dozen. The public surely preferred themes other than those from my imagination. But the best part was that I had escaped the worry of unpaid fees and failed magic.

  I got out of bed and washed with hot water. Then I went into the main room, where my aunt was waiting for me with breakfast. It was a Sunday, and I wanted to enjoy the peace of a May morning to the fullest.

  The doorbell made me rise from my chair. I opened the door, and there was Elesya on the threshold, dressed in shorts and a yellow T-shirt with a panther drawn on it. As far as I could remember, it was the sports emblem of the university she belonged to. Smiling, Elesya pushed me into the room while dropping the backpack from her shoulder onto the floor.

  “We’re getting married!” she said, pressing herself against me in a tight embrace. “You have no idea how happy I am that we scheduled the wedding for a month from now. This afternoon you’re coming with me to try on my dress. I’m sure it will fit me perfectly! I’m already dying to see how it will look on me!”

  Her statement caught me a little by surprise. The nightmare from earlier had somewhat scrambled my memory. But now I was beginning to recall that we had indeed set a wedding date, although I had forgotten exactly when it was planned. It seemed my memory was having problems, since I had forgotten such an important event.

  “Sure… we’re getting married. But do you have the necessary visa?” I asked, half joking.

  After a second of hesitation, Elesya replied confidently:

  “Of course I do. If we’re able to get married, that means I have the necessary visa.”

  Her circular logic seemed a little suspicious to me, but I said nothing. I wondered to myself when she had had time to apply for such a visa.

  Elesya looked at me with a hint of suspicion.

  “I hope you’re not looking for an excuse to cancel the wedding. Visas are obtained extremely quickly these days. Everything for the wedding has already been arranged and paid for. I’ve sent all the invitations, including Thanida’s.”

  I remembered our mutual friend, Thanida.

  “How is Thanida doing?” I asked. “I haven’t seen her in quite a while.”

  “She’s training hard to compete in the Olympic Games. But she’ll come to our wedding as the maid of honor. Before I try on the dress, we’ll stop by to pick her up. I’m sure she wants to see us.”

  I invited Elesya to the table so we could have breakfast together. While we ate, I asked her how things were going with her studies. The university where she studied political science was not in Boston, but for us the distance wasn’t a problem. We made sure to visit each other every month, and no matter how difficult long-distance relationships might seem, everything worked perfectly for us.

  “I’m preparing to defend my bachelor’s thesis,” Elesya said with a note of triumph in her voice. “It’s called ‘The Influence of Magic on the Evolution of Political Decisions in Antiquity.’”

  The topic seemed a little extravagant to me, but I remembered that in American universities absolutely anything could become an object of study, including magic.

  I made an effort to recall which European country Elesya had come from to study. Although I couldn’t remember the exact name, I knew that in her homeland a variant of Latin was spoken.

  “I have some good news too,” I said. “Last week I went to the bank for a loan simulation.”

  “Did you manage to arrange anything?” Elesya asked eagerly.

  “Yes, it went better than I expected. The people at the bank were extremely helpful. Mr. Ribathrum, who handled my file, told me I could get a home loan that I could repay in only seven years. According to their calculations, my salary as a junior engineer is enough to cover both living expenses and the loan payments.”

  “That’s wonderful!” Elesya exclaimed enthusiastically. “That means we can move in together right after the wedding. Once I finish my degree, I’ll get a job and contribute to the household expenses too.”

  I smiled, pleased that Elesya already saw us as a family. Getting the loan was a mere formality, and the interest rates were extremely low. The hardest part was deciding where we would live, since the real-estate market had grown enormously in recent years. Elesya had already set her sights on a Roman-style villa, but we had decided to carefully examine several offers before choosing where we would settle after the wedding.

  While Elesya prepared some hibiscus tea, I turned on the television to catch the morning news. I wasn’t expecting anything sensational—the past few years had been extremely quiet, with no wars, protests, or other major incidents. The presenters were just broadcasting a fragment from a speech by the president:

  “…we have decided that next year we will make another reduction in the defense budget, of 15%. There are no threats to our country that would justify maintaining the current level of military spending. The money saved will be invested in developing infrastructure and creating new jobs. The latest figures show that the national economy has grown by…”

  I listened to the president’s speech with mild boredom. Similar reforms had taken place in previous years, and the results were visible in the form of unprecedented economic growth. Unemployment and inflation had dropped to historic lows, and well-paid jobs were fairly easy to find, especially if you had a college degree. I continued listening until he announced that he intended to restore the gold standard for the dollar. Bored, I switched the channel to a sports news station.

  “Have you thought about where we’ll spend our honeymoon?” Elesya asked.

  “I haven’t decided,” I replied hesitantly. “It’s extremely difficult to choose among so many good places. Do you have a suggestion?”

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “What would you say about Cuba?”

  I thought about it for a few moments. Cuba was not a bad idea at all. Over the past thirty years, American investments had transformed the island, and tourism had experienced unprecedented growth. Cubanese hotel chains were renowned for their excellent comfort and low prices. Every year, millions of Americans spent their vacations in the island’s cities, considering them a better tourist destination than Florida.

  Elesya took a tourist brochure out of her bag and came to sit beside me to show it. After a few minutes of discussion, we chose a hotel complex that offered substantial discounts for newly married couples. I hoped that the reality on the ground would live up to the advertisement.

  We didn’t have lunch at home but at an Italian restaurant in another neighborhood of the city. Elesya had made a long list of all the restaurants that interested her. Every time we met, we went out to see how good the food was. Rarely had we been disappointed by the menus offered.

  After lunch we left to meet Thanida. After a short bus ride, we arrived at the stadium where she trained every day and walked toward the running track. Dressed in a black tracksuit, Thanida was standing at the edge, doing a few stretching exercises. As soon as she noticed us, she stopped and came over to hug us. Since I couldn’t remember exactly, I asked her what events she was training for.

  “I’m competing in the running race, archery, and chariot combat.”

  “Chariot combat?” I asked, somewhat surprised.

  That same sensation of dizziness and hazy memory came over me again. After a moment of effort, my mind cleared. Yes, I had personally seen chariot races, including one in which the famous Olympic champion Ben-Hur had participated. I even remembered the moment when he had skillfully overturned a rival’s chariot near the finish line. Almost offended by my disbelief, Thanida answered in an irritated tone:

  “Yes, and I’m the best in my category. Come on, I’ll show you!”

  Thanida disappeared for a few minutes, and when she returned to the track she came toward me standing in a chariot pulled by four stallions as black as night. The horses looked difficult to control, but Thanida had experience. With a sharp shout, she jerked the reins and the four horses burst into a wild gallop. In less than two minutes they completed three laps of the stadium. Her run was truly impressive. I was convinced that at the next Olympic Games Thanida would earn an honorable place—perhaps even a medal.

  We left immediately for the bridal dress shop. Since it was only a fifteen-minute walk away, we didn’t use any means of transport. As soon as we entered the shop, an extremely polite saleswoman greeted us, eager to present their selection. It was unnecessary, since Elesya had chosen her favorite dress long ago, but she had never had the chance to try it on.

  Ten minutes later, Elesya came out of the fitting room wearing a wedding dress decorated with fabric roses that stood out in relief. Thanida looked at her with an expression that mixed envy and admiration. Even though she was an athlete who had little free time outside training, she probably didn’t dislike the idea that one day she too might wear such a dress.

  Elesya gazed at herself admiringly in a mirror as tall as a person. Holding the folds of the dress with one hand, she first took a few dancing steps. Then she slowly spun in place, studying herself carefully from several angles. Around her neck she had fastened a necklace with small blue stones, and on her feet she wore silver sandals.

  “I feel like a princess,” Elesya said, her eyes filled with emotional tears. “My childhood dream is coming true.”

  “You look wonderful,” I said encouragingly as I approached her. “You chose perfectly—the best dress for you. Your instinct didn’t fail you.”

  Of course, dozens of other wedding dresses would have suited her just as well, but I felt the need to praise her choice a little.

  “It matches your shoes,” Elesya said, smiling.

  I glanced down at my footwear, and a shiver of terror froze my body. It was the kind of paralyzing fear you feel when a chasm suddenly opens right in front of you.

  Impossible.

  I was wearing elegant white leather shoes, made by a well-known luxury company from France. My mind refused to accept what it saw. I would never wear such shoes—not even in a dream. I was a practical person and always preferred durability over elegance. Never—not even at my wedding—would I have parted with my sturdy boots, ready even for rough terrain. If I was wearing something else, it meant either that I was dreaming or that I was in the world of the dead.

  I looked around again carefully as a nervous trembling took hold of me.

  “Did something happen?” Elesya asked. “You seem uneasy.”

  “Where are my boots?” I shouted at the top of my lungs, ignoring the saleswoman’s stares. I knew she wasn’t real, so I had no reason to worry.

  Thanida came closer.

  “Why are you shouting? What do you mean?”

  “Don’t you realize we’re inside an illusion? We’re in a false world created by the Stone of Sacrifice. You remember it, don’t you? Right now we’re its prisoners.”

  Both girls stared at me in shock for a few moments, but their memories began to surface.

  “Yes… I had a dream last night,” Thanida admitted. “I was in a weapons hall, looking for a magical artifact called the Dagger of Chaos. Then we fought the man who owned the collection of weapons. Chareleos… yes, that was his name. He used a stone that emitted a strong red light.”

  “The Stone of Sacrifice,” Elesya whispered, shocked. “I thought it was just a dream.”

  The two girls exchanged glances without saying anything more, but the pallor on their faces told me they were frightened.

  Suddenly it began to rain. To my great amazement, the raindrops were falling inside the shop, as if a water pipe had burst in the ceiling. I looked outside and shuddered: the streets were still dry. Now that I had uncovered its secret, the Stone was beginning to fail in maintaining the illusion around us.

  “And what about my wedding dress?” Elesya asked angrily, as the tears on her cheeks mixed with the rain. “Was everything just a beautiful dream? Absolutely everything?”

  “Yes, Elesya,” I answered flatly. “A beautiful dream that has turned into our greatest nightmare. We are trapped in a spell that keeps us prisoners of illusions.”

  Resigned, Elesya lowered her gaze, nervously twisting one of the roses on her dress between her fingers.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I really wanted us to have the wedding. I would have been so happy…”

  Thanida looked at us, and a trace of regret appeared on her face.

  “So everything around us is false… even the fact that I’ll compete in the Olympic Games.”

  A deep silence fell over us. None of us dared to take the reasoning any further.

  “But how did the Stone of Sacrifice manage to change our memories?” Thanida asked.

  “It’s simple,” I replied. “When you dream, you often have memories different from the real ones. You can talk with people who died long ago or visit places you’ve never been—and nothing seems wrong. Only when you wake up do you realize you were mistaken.”

  I paused briefly and continued.

  “The Stone of Sacrifice works the same way. It created a shared illusion for the three of us and made us believe it was reality. Our earlier memories still exist, but the Stone made us believe they were only a dream.”

  “But what is the point of all this?” Thanida asked. “What use is a stone that creates illusions?”

  “Don’t you understand what the Stone of Sacrifice does? It immerses people in a beautiful dream so that they offer no resistance. That’s probably what happened to those who were meant to be sacrificed to the gods. I’m almost certain that in the real world our bodies are lying motionless in Chareleos’s cellar. If it weren’t for my magical shield, the old man would have killed us long ago. For now, he’ll have to wait until my energy runs out. We must wake up as soon as possible—otherwise we’ll soon be killed.”

  “Maybe… we’re already dead?” Elesya asked hesitantly.

  “Impossible. I think, therefore I am,” I answered firmly. “As long as we can see the illusion around us, it means we’re still alive. Only when we’re no longer conscious will it mean that everything is over.”

  “And how do we get out of here?”

  It was the hardest question so far—and yet the most important. Realizing we were trapped in an illusion was useless if we didn’t know how to escape it.

  “I’m going to place two mirrors facing each other,” I said. “You see, simulating the reflection of a single mirror isn’t that hard, and the illusion spell can do it easily. But two mirrors facing each other will reflect one another infinitely. I’m sure the Stone of Sacrifice won’t be able to simulate such a complex illusion, and its spell will collapse.”

  I tore a mirror from one of the fitting rooms and walked back to the center of the shop, where the mirror Elesya had used earlier to admire her wedding dress was standing. Carefully, I placed the two mirrors so they faced one another.

  “Now come stand beside me, girls. We’ll stay right here next to the mirrors and see what happens.”

  I stared at the surface of one of the mirrors. Everything was reflected perfectly—except the image of the other mirror. In its place yawned a dark, impenetrable abyss.

  Suddenly the image in the mirror began to tremble, and the abyss surged toward us, swallowing us whole.