We don’t have another choice

In the Palace of Leon…

Siara's breathing was slow and steady, but something felt off. Even in unconsciousness, her face was slightly tense, as if she were lost in a dream, or perhaps trapped in one.

Leon watched her for a moment before shifting his gaze to Lucien. The ever-present smirk on Lucien's face was gone, replaced by an expression difficult to decipher.

"You felt it too, didn't you?" Leon asked, his voice quiet but firm.

Lucien didn't respond immediately. He exhaled, running a hand through his dark hair before finally speaking.

"Eira… she's not an ordinary girl."

Leon's golden eyes narrowed. "And? What do you think she is?"

Lucien's gaze lingered on Siara before meeting Leon's once more. "I don't know exactly," he admitted, his voice low. "But I do know this—she's hiding something big. And it's all connected to Siara."

Leon clenched his jaw. He had sensed it too, the way Eira's presence shifted the very air around them. She wasn't normal.

And what she had said… "Try to remember."

Those words still echoed in his mind, like a puzzle waiting to be solved.

But now was not the time to dwell on it.

Leon stepped forward and lifted Siara into his arms. She felt lighter than she should have, almost weightless, as if she could disappear at any moment. Her breathing was steady, but her skin was unnaturally cold.

Lucien watched in silence before finally sighing. "So, you're taking her back to her apartment, just like Eira said?"

Leon didn't respond right away. His gaze lingered on Siara's face, unreadable. Then, at last, he said quietly— "We don't have another choice."

Siara was dreaming.

The sky above her shimmered with golden light, soft yet unnaturally radiant.

She stood in the middle of a vast field, where the grass gleamed like liquid gold.

There was something about the air—ancient, familiar, yet entirely unknown.

She turned, scanning her surroundings.

And then… she saw it.

In the distance stood a colossal structure. Its towering walls glowed faintly, as if they were alive. It was not just a palace—it was something more, something beyond human comprehension.

Her heartbeat quickened.

"I know this place…"

How?

Then, a voice—soft but unmistakable—whispered through the air.

"Come back… to us."

Siara's breath caught.

"Who's there?" she called, her voice trembling.

No answer. Only the wind, carrying faint murmurs—too quiet, too distant to understand.

And then, suddenly, the world began to change.

The golden sky darkened. Shadows stretched across the horizon, moving like living things.

The beauty that surrounded her only moments ago was now fading into something cold, something terrifying.

A chill ran through her.

"You must wake up."

The voice was urgent now. Desperate.

Siara's vision blurred, as if something unseen was pulling her away– And then, she opened her eyes.

Siara gasped, her breath shaky. Her entire body jerked as she woke, her heart pounding against her ribs.

For a moment, she didn't know where she was. The golden fields, the shadows, the voices, it all faded into a haze.

Then, she looked down.

Her own bed. The faint glow of streetlights filtering through the window.

She wasn't there anymore.

She was in her apartment.

Her head turned sharply—to where Leon was sitting. His golden eyes studied her carefully. He didn't look surprised that she had woken up.

He had been waiting.

Lucien wasn't here.

Only Leon. Siara took a deep breath, forcing down the panic rising in her chest.

"What… happened?" Her voice was hoarse, unsteady.

Leon didn't answer right away. He watched her for a moment, then finally said, "You tell me."

Siara frowned. "I… don't—" She stopped.

Fragments of the dream flashed in her mind. The golden sky. The voices. The palace.

And then, the darkness.

She looked back at Leon.

There was something in his eyes. He knew, more than he was letting on.

And suddenly, realization hit her.

Her expression hardened as she snapped, "What are you doing in my apartment? And how did I get here? I was at the café."

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