It was a dark, moonless night. A boy went out to walk his dog. He came out onto a field, his dog busy reading the messages encrypted on every blade of grass. The air was still. The boy looked up to search for meaning in the flickering of the stars.

Suddenly, something burst from the quiet darkness and hit his shoulders with a thud. He twisted around and saw a ghostly shadow — a great white owl — gripping him as it began to lift him into the air. The boy screamed and fought to free himself. Below, his dog barked wildly as the boy was carried up into the night sky.

Terror surged through him, but soon it loosened its hold as his attention was drawn to the beauty spreading around him. They passed shimmering stars and faraway galaxies. He saw constellations: The Great Bear standing on his hind legs to have a better look, The Twins laughing and waving, and The Lion shaking his mane in disbelief as the boy drifted past.

Sparkles in the air tickled his skin as they seemed to cross an invisible veil. They entered a vast chamber with transparent walls, and the owl landed the boy on an unseen yet very firm floor.

About thirty feet away stood a tall figure cloaked in night-sky velvet dusted with stardust. Around his head rotated a crown made of seven rings. The owl flew to him and settled onto his outstretched arm. The man looked very old — deep lines carved his face, and his grey hair and long beard shimmered faintly. He seemed stern and cold, his eyes piercing the boy as he spoke in a deep, clear voice:

“Welcome, my child. I’m sorry if I gave you a fright, but I needed to speak with you.”

The boy stood speechless, unable even to mutter a greeting. He felt scared, yet beneath the fear something stirred — a strange sense of familiarity, as if he knew this ancient man.

“Yes, you do know me,” the old man replied, as though reading his thoughts. “And I’ve known you since the day you were born. Let me tell you, I recognize your efforts. I see your will and your commitment. It is very good. You already understand that discipline is a doorway to freedom. Structure doesn’t imprison — it liberates.”

The ancient master paced slowly as he continued, “I like how you honour Time. You know its value. Just never feel rushed, my child. Mastery and wisdom can only come from slow alchemy.”

He stopped and looked deeply into the boy’s eyes.

“There are some things I would like you to remember. I know you struggle with boundaries. What you must understand is that boundaries are sacred. They’re not walls — they’re contours. They reveal what is yours to carry, and what is not. Remember this. It matters.”

The man paused, thinking, then said, “Do not fear change or letting go. Endings are gateways, and space is a sacred resource. Your fears show you the places where you have not built enough structure. Build there.”

The old man studied the boy again. The boy stood frozen, eyes wide, realizing he hadn’t spoken a single word. He’d even stopped breathing for a moment, captivated by the man’s voice. He inhaled deeply.

“All right, all right, my child,” the man said with a faint hint of amusement under his sternness. “I know I seem harsh at times, but it is not because I enjoy it. It is because I know what you can become. Enough for today. Just remember what I’ve shared with you. Only the ones I favour get a chance to speak with me directly.”

Though his expression remained cold and resolute, the boy caught the smallest glimmer of a smile hidden in the thick beard.

The ancient master lifted his arm. The owl took off, grasped the boy once more, and swept him back through the magical veil. The boy, still speechless, managed a small wave as he was being carried away.

They descended toward the field. The owl set him down and disappeared into the dark. The boy ran back home, finding his dog waiting patiently at the doorstep. He had no idea how long he’d been gone. The moonless night was still dark and quiet.

He knew who he had met that night. The hint was in the man’s crown, in the weight of his voice, in the way Time itself had seemed to bow around him.
With a quiet smile, he carried his secret with him as he stepped inside his house.