Chapter 22: Fragments of Truth

Elias sat upright, his breath still unsteady, his mind tangled between the echoes of his dream and the cold reality of his waking world. The dim light of the room barely reached the corners, leaving shadows that seemed to whisper secrets he had yet to uncover.

Lyra.

The name pulsed through him like an ancient melody, a song he had forgotten but never truly lost.

"Find me."

Her final words before the darkness took him echoed in his mind, sending a shiver down his spine.

He needed answers.

Without wasting another second, Elias threw off the sheets and rose to his feet. His legs trembled beneath him, but he forced himself forward. The walls of the room seemed to close in, as if they, too, were questioning his sanity.

Was this real?

Had he truly seen Lyra?

Or was he simply falling deeper into the madness of his own mind?

He grabbed his coat and stepped outside, the cool night air biting at his skin. The city before him was quiet, yet something in its silence felt different. The dream had left an imprint, a crack in the veil between illusion and truth.

He glanced up at the sky. The stars above shimmered strangely, as if watching him.

For the first time, he wondered—was this world as real as he had always believed?

A flicker of movement caught his eye. In the distance, a figure stood beneath a flickering streetlamp. A woman, her silhouette familiar, her presence undeniable.

Elias's heart pounded.

Could it be…?

"Lyra?"

The figure turned, and in the dim glow of the streetlamp, silver eyes met his.

She was here.

And this time, he wouldn't let her slip away.