The beginning

The sound of cutlery colliding with plates filled the uncomfortable silence during dinner, until a simple word broke that sound to generate a deeper silence... not a very comfortable one.

-June

Aideen's voice immediately caught the attention of the aforementioned and his grandfather

-Wh-what?

June tensed a little under the watchful, serious, and intense gaze of his opposite,

causing him to shiver slightly unconsciously.

-Could you hand me the sauce?

Hearing the request he relaxed a bit and disinterestedly took the sauce and spread it to him. Aideen upon receiving the bottle brushed June's hand subtly and discreetly with his thumb, immediately afterwards, the minor made eye contact and Aideen in turn gave him a wink that blushed slightly on the contrary. Nothing more happened and dinner went normally.

Finishing the food, Aideen went out for a walk and bought a few things. June helped Dylan to clear the table and wash the cutlery, he was somewhat uneasy about Aideen's curious attitude; as if they knew it from a time ago but how to approach the subject? Would Aideen believe him with everything that he had witnessed in advance? He had nothing to lose by trying.

It was a long time before Aideen returned to the house. He leaned back on the sofa sighing audibly.

-Can I ask you something, June?

The fact that he noticed his presence in the room gave him goosebumps. He was certainly hiding in the living room waiting for him, how the hell did he know?

-Is there any particular reason why you don't want to tell your grandfather about it?

With that he managed to get June out of his improvised hiding place.

-Do you have something to tell me, Aideen? How do you know so much about issues that are not your business? You do not even know me.

-You're wrong about that. You. Yourself have let me meet you, you know?

-What are you talking about? It's the first time we've met.

Aideen went up the stairs without answering.

-You can't just leave like that! Aideen!

He stopped before entering his room.

-Yes, you're quite right about that, it is the first time we have met.

He turned his face with a slight smirk towards his companion and continued

-At least on this side. Have a good night.

-Wait a minute… This side? Hey! Do you think I'm going to be able to sleep when you leave me without saying anything?

June was tossing and turning in his room, not knowing what to do to get even a little sleep. He sat on the edge of the bed, looking at the moon through the glass of the window as if he were going to find the answers there. It was a fact that his restlessness was not going to let him sleep.

After 3 in the morning they knocked on his door, he pretended to be asleep by not answering the call.

-June I know you're awake.

That voice, there was no doubt that it was Aideen. Even so, June was not in the mood to let him pass, he decided to keep absolute silence.

-Staying quietly you are not going to make me believe that you are asleep, I know that you have not been able to sleep. Come on open.

June had no intention of listening to Aideen at this time.

-Hmm! You respond faster when it comes to food, huh?

The door was flung open with a pained June raising his voice.

-If you want me to thank you for the meal, I already did it yesterday, what else do you want?

Aideen beamed with pride, arms folded, and a sly grin.

-Calm down, I know you did. Do you want to talk about it?

Reflexively June put his hand to his mouth. What had he just said? Aideen had just arrived that afternoon, why did it seem like he had more time?

-Don't worry, it's normal for you to be confused between your dreams and reality. Once you master them, it won't happen to you anymore.

-What do you mean? Master them?

-Calm down, one thing at a time. You have dreamed of strange events, haven't you? I mean that you anticipate future events, you know things about people close to you that they have never told you.

June's body language relaxed as he listened to each one of Aideen's statements, it was like when his parents made an accurate medical diagnosis. His eyes were shining and that was more than enough for Aideen to continue.

-You, we have the ability to access the background through dreams. No one should find out about it. That's why I forced your background a bit to find you in the real world, get it?

June shook slightly

-Sorry, I don't understand your concept of backgrounds.

-Let's say they are similar to an "alternate dimension".

It was confusing.

-Okay, let me see if I understand. I can be in the background of my dreams while sleeping and due my lack of knowledge about this ability I tend confuse them. Is that why they seem like premonitions?

Aiden nodded.

-And will you teach me to “separate” them?

-Just like that. It's not just ordinary people who dream about something and remember it the next day. We can make decisions within them, able to read things that we will not find in a bookstore no matter how old it may be, to control the time we spend inside the background and even modify what constitutes it, and change many things. Listen, I will teach you everything I know and what you decide to do with it is up to you, with one condition. No one who does not have this type of ability should find out. Otherwise you will be revoked of your gift. Have I been clear?

Although June thought keeping the secret was weird, especially that last part in which his ability could be suppressed, he did not object to it, maybe he was trying to scare him and nothing more.

-Well now that you have cleared up your doubts a little more and you have accepted the "terms and conditions", we should have some sleep. Tomorrow you will need all your energy.

Aideen was about to leave the room when June called out to him.

-Hey, Umm. Thanks.

The aforementioned turned his face.

-Why? I haven't taught you anything yet.

-That's enough for today, June. Come back slowly.

Aideen's soft voice broke that bubble, June was back to reality, everything was still dark and there was no feeling of discomfort or anxiety, it was still quite calm. Little by little he opened his eyes and the light that received him was soft.

-Just like that, don't get up right away, process what I've shown you, take a deep breath, your body may feel a little numb, it's a small side effect.

-Water.

June's voice was horrible, his throat was dry, a slight dizziness and not only his body but also his thoughts were numb, he could barely hear Aideen's instructions clearly, who brought a glass with little water to June's half-open mouth to carefully pour out the liquid.

-It seems that all this time your physical condition has diminished. It will be dangerous if we continue like this. June, you're going to need conditioning like…

-Shh shut up for a moment, please.

His voice sounded less raspy. He closed his eyes again, breathing slowly, the sensation was familiar without ceasing to be unpleasant. In addition to assimilating that still vague memory in his mind, he needed time to digest something else and it was those interactions with Aideen.

-I think it was too much. I'm not ready for this.

When he finally returned his body to normal he sat down in the chair, closed his eyes and rested on the backrest. By the time he opened his eyes Aideen was still silent.

-Maybe it would be easier if we just talked about it, those memories that become tangible if you say something that relates them are less problematic than if you reproduce them in my mind, the thing you did it’s like you were forcing them out and it's not comfortable. It even hurts, it's a difficult pain to explain.

At the last words his voice broke and tears flowed.

-Why? Why does it hurt? There wasn't even anything significant that made me feel this, it was just any given day, everything seemed fine. I didn't fight any emotions, I was just a spectator of my past.

His voice was barely audible, emotion consuming much of the confusion he carried, sighing and wiping his nose on the sleeve of his sweater. Aideen walked away a bit, went to the window watching how it got dark and the rain didn't stop, June was in a totally fucked up emotional state. He knew that he was bad but not that bad, he blamed himself internally for not digging deeper into June’s condition.

-My sincere apology, June.It was remiss of me not to assess the impact it would have on you. I understand if it is your decision not to continue with this.

Not continuing sounded like a sentence; closing cycles and continuing with his life and a mental blackout, that was worse. June wiped away his tears and more calmly he answered Aideen.

-No. It's not that, it's just that it was unexpected. I can't ignore something like this, it's about a part of me that I don't know at this moment. If I prioritize my comfort so as not to get hurt I will never feel like myself again. You understand that, don't you, Ai?

That nickname surprised them both, June for its suddenness and Aideen for its nostalgia.

-Amm, I'm sorry, I don't know what I said exactly, it's just… I wasn’t thinking.

Aideen shook his head dismissively, there was no need to rush things.

-It’s ok, June, you didn't say anything bad. It is your memory that is returning, do the same as in the projection. Flow with the memories, you will decide how to manage and use them in the present. It's time for me to retire.