A Forgotten Name
The wind's ghost still clung to his skin.
Ethan didn't know when he slipped back into the dream. One second he was in bed, heart punching his ribs. The next—
The world shifted.
But this time, not the rooftop.
He opened his eyes to a long, silent hallway. Flickering orange light. Floor reflecting his silhouette. Doors lining both sides—all identical.
The school.
Or some hellscape version of it.
Ethan scanned the emptiness. Something's wrong.
Lights buzzed and died. No voices. No footsteps. Just his own breath echoing too loud.
"Why here?"
He sucked in static-charged air and walked. This time, he wouldn't let the dream steer.
He'd come to find her.
Didn't have to walk far.
There she was.
Iria stood at the hallway's end, straight hair spilling over her shoulders. Same calm stare.
But this time—just seeing her there… it hit like a shot of whiskey—hot, sudden, grounding.
Like for one fractured second, the world made sense.
She smiled. "You remembered the name."
Ethan froze.
Name?
Then—the gut-punch.
Iria.
Her name sat on his tongue—familiar, but tasting like rust.
How? When?
She looked at him and smiled faintly.
"Took you longer than I expected."
Ethan froze. His mind still reeling from reality's chaos—the altered photos, his dad's words, the nameless text.
But here, facing her, only one question mattered:
"Before anything else… tell me your name."
Iria blinked, thrown by his sharp tone.
"My name?"
"Yes."
He held her gaze, pulse roaring.
She tilted her head, like the question was absurd, but answered anyway:
"Iria."
The way she said it—casual, effortless—hit him like a thunderclap.
"Iria…"
The second the name left her lips, something inside him snapped.
His mind blurred. Heat flooded his chest.
Vision warped—
Memory struck like lightning.
A park.
Sun blazing. Laughter ringing.
Running. Feet barely touching grass.
Not alone.
A small hand gripped his. Iria.
Couldn't see her clearly, but felt her—laughter, warmth, alive.
The air crackled, like they were running from something. Like this moment was the only thing that mattered.
"Ethan, faster!" Iria's voice sliced through his skull.
Ethan gasped. The memory was real. So vivid his bones ached.
"Why… why did I forget?"
He snapped his eyes open, heart slamming. Back in the hallway, Iria standing inches away.
She watched him silently, like she'd felt his panic.
"Ethan?"
Her voice yanked him back. He pressed a hand to his temple, breath ragged.
"We've…" He swallowed. "We've known each other before, haven't we?"
Iria didn't answer. That same calm stare, but now—something darker beneath it.
"You always find me," she said, smile thin.
A chill spider-walked down his spine.
Always? How many times has this happened?
He opened his mouth—
Then the hallway shuddered.
A low hum vibrated through the air.
Iria frowned. Confused. First time he'd seen her rattled.
Ethan felt it too—
The world warping. Lights flickering madly. Air thickening like syrup.
His gut screamed don't look back.
Something was there.
Couldn't see it. Could feel it—a primal itch between his shoulders.
He turned to Iria, desperate for answers.
But she was staring at the floor, lost. Hand pressed to her head.
"Strange… I feel… wrong," she whispered.
Ethan's stomach dropped.
"Iria—" He stepped toward her.
Then—
The world shattered.
Lights exploded into white noise. The hum became a roar.
And Ethan—
Swallowed by black.