Illes & Orin - Chapter 1: Wheel of Fortune

Hello, my name is Orin.

I’m 38 years old, and I’ve been having strange dreams at night for as long as I can remember.

At first, I tried to get used to them.

But the older I get, the stranger these dreams become—vivid, emotional, sometimes even prophetic.

This is a human–alien romance novel.

There are no creepy soundtracks, no outdated alien invasion clichés, and definitely no green tentacles.

Please shelve this book in the Romance section of your bookstore—not Sci-fi.

Thank you.

Dream Journal — January 9, 2023

“Hello. Today, I have three things to tell you.”

I opened my eyes in a half-sleep, still dazed, and saw a strikingly handsome man—Nordic-looking, pale skin, golden hair—standing beside the bed, gazing down at me.

“Your work right now is fine. Neat and appropriate. But I must warn you about water activities. Avoid them completely—flooding, diving, even boating. It could lead to… penalty.”

Penalty?

Why was he speaking in Thai, but with a few odd English words? Why did he look like a foreigner but speak fluent Thai—without a trace of an accent?

“As for your health,” he continued, “your period now comes regularly each month. That’s good. There’s nothing to worry about.”

How does he know that?

Only my husband and close family know about my period issues. I hadn’t had a regular cycle in nearly five years—ever since the brain tumor compressed my pituitary gland, wreaking havoc on my hormones.

(So handsome…)

I must’ve thought it out loud, because he blushed.

“I’ll go now,” he said with a shy smile, his eyes impossibly kind and radiant.

And then—awkwardly—he climbed out through the bedroom window. Slightly clumsy, like he wasn't used to his own weight.

That smile stayed with me—so warm, so full of benevolent energy.

Still, I couldn’t help but wonder… Why the window?

If he were an angel, shouldn’t he vanish in a beam of light or dissolve into the air? Maybe he didn’t want to scare me. Whatever he was, I felt overwhelmingly grateful.

I sat up on the bed, hands folded, and bowed low.

“Thank you for coming. Thank you so much.”

All of a sudden—

I woke up.

Sat bolt upright in bed.

The dream burned into my memory like a brand.

Still dazed but compelled, I grabbed my phone and messaged my husband:

[Are we planning any water activities soon?]

[Why? Just that Japan trip next month. The tour includes a dolphin-watching boat ride.]

[Wait… seriously?]

My heart skipped.

Beat.

Something strange and undeniable stirred inside me.

Who… who was that man?

And how did he know such intimate details?

From that day forward, I began to search—tracing back through the mysteries that had whispered to me since childhood.