It was a beautiful day when she set out on her journey. The sun shone brightly, and the birds sang in the trees as her open carriage made its way down the mountain path. As it turned around the bend in the road, the horses neighed, and she saw a sight that took her breath away. There, atop a hill in the distance, was a castle, presenting the most magnificent view she had ever seen.

Nur didn't remember it there before, but she knew she had to see it up close and explore all the secrets of the place. As her carriage drew nearer, she could see it was even more beautiful than she thought. Her excitement grew with the anticipation of discovering something new and unexpected.

Then, out of the blue, everything changed. The day wasn't pleasant, nor the sun shone brightly. Instead, the night approached, and the mountain path became treacherous. The chirps of crickets soon replaced the songs of birds. And her excitement turned into dread.

The castle was still there. Before she had felt as if it was brought to life from the pages of fairytales. But now, it seemed to have manifested from between the pages of history books--more real, somehow. The eeriness of it all caused a chill to run down her spine.

She knew she should turn back, but it called to her. As if under a spell, she was drawn to it. Unable to resist the pull, she stayed on the path to it. Her curiosity won, and she ignored the danger.

As she reached the castle, she realized it was more imposing up close, dark and foreboding. She felt as if she knew the place. As if she had been there before, but she couldn't remember when.

The carriage entered the open castle gates, and she felt like she had been transported to another world. Just as before, when the day had turned into night instantly. Now, the night transformed into twilight—casting a dark and musty hue over the place.

She stopped her horses right in front of a fountain in the courtyard and stepped down. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she began to regret her decision to enter this place.

No one was around, and she was hyper-aware of her loneliness. Being alone in a strange place wasn't something a woman would find comfortable. She should turn back. It was obvious the castle had been abandoned long ago and was in ruins. She wouldn't find anything here. Not in the darkness that now enveloped the place.

The lights flickered in the castle windows, and she felt as if it had come alive. Though she still saw no one, she felt a sinister presence around her. As if someone else was there and watching her every move. She could feel the eyes at the back of her neck.

Filled with terror, she entered through a tall wooden door. She could feel the eyes of unseen creatures upon her, but she bravely pressed on until she came to a large hall. Then, a sound boomed all around her. High-pitched and angry. "It's all your fault!" It accused and condemned her, "You're to be blamed for this. It's all your fault!"

#

"Nur, you need to take it more seriously," her grandmother admonished, "Dreams are the windows into the future. But they are of no help to you unless you know how to interpret them."

Of course, what she said made sense, but Nur wasn't in the mood to take anything seriously. "Mother thinks it's superstition."

"Your mother knows nothing." There was a hint of barely concealed anger beneath her words. "Besides, you're the one here to learn from me not her. I could never teach her anything."

She said the last part under her breath, but Nur heard it. "Why does she hate it so much?" Nur gestured with her hands, trying to encompass unseen everything, and shrugged. Hoping her grandmother would know what she meant.

"She spent too much time in the West and has forgotten her roots. She might have given up on the ways of our ancestors, but the fact that she sent you here to learn shows she doesn't hate it." This time her voice was gentle and soft. But Nur felt there was regret too.

Sometimes, mothers and daughters had complicated relationships. Now that Nur considered it, she had to agree with her grandmother. Though her mother never returned to Pakistan, she sent her to stay with her grandmother. That meant something. Didn't it?

The sixteen-year-old Nur Bakht had come to the country of her birth for the first time after her parents left when she was still a child. In some ways, the place was exactly as she imagined, yet in others, it was surprising. That wasn't the most important thing, though. The real issue was the nightmares she had been having since the day she arrived here.

Her grandmother lived in Baltistan. A place as beautiful as it was shouldn't incite nightmares. Yet it did, and to make matters worse, her grandmother was taking it very seriously.

"Dreams are not just dreams, Nur," she said. "They mean something, and you won't know what unless you learn to read between the lines, so to speak. For example, in this dream of yours, you saw a castle that appeared inviting at first and then foreboding. Correct?"

Nur nodded, and her grandmother continued, "The castle can be a real place or something else. However, I clearly see a choice here. Destiny is a forked road, and whatever happens, will depend on the one you pick. It may lead you to something good, or it might cause you irrevocable pain. The decision will be yours, though. A day turning into night, and then twilight may hint at different timelines. Ah, fate is a tricky mistress. She doesn't like to make things easy or simple." She sighed and stroked Nur's hair lovingly.

#
Back to the Present

Nur hadn't thought about it after that. Her grandmother had helped her block the nightmares, and that was that. She was never the one to dwell on things of the distant future or forgotten past, anyway. She hadn't even connected the dots when she saw the castle of Huangtong for the first time. The place had called to her, but she hadn't understood why.

Now, sitting in a hospital bed and recalling the past, she wondered if it was the same place she saw in her nightmares all those years ago. Whatever the case, she understood it was time to remember her grandmother's teachings and leave her mother's doubts behind. She would have to become the seer she was always meant to become, or she would never solve the mystery of king Gesar's death.