Elara stared at him—his body sprawled across her bedroom floor like a fallen star.
Kael.
Bleeding.
Unconscious.
Real.
She knelt slowly, her trembling fingers brushing his cheek. His skin was cold, but not dead. Flickers of warmth pulsed beneath the surface, like fire trapped under ice.
> "This can't be real."
And yet, her shattered mirror glinted with silent proof.
The same boy from her dreams.
The same eyes from the alley shadows.
The same presence that made her heart ache in ways she couldn't explain.
---
She reached for her phone—but stopped.
Who would believe her? That a boy with silver blood fell from the sky into her room?
No. She had to keep him hidden. Just for now.
The pendant around her neck pulsed, as if agreeing.
"Kael," she whispered, voice shaking. "Please wake up..."
At the sound of his name, his eyelids fluttered.
And then—
He gasped. Eyes flying open. Not blue anymore—but burning gold.
Elara fell backward as his hand flew out, catching hers in a tight grip. "They followed me," he choked out. "You need to hide."
She stared at him, stunned. "Who—?"
His body convulsed. Sparks danced across his skin. His wounds weren't healing.
"What's happening to you?"
He looked at her then—fully, clearly—and the fear in his eyes wasn't for himself.
It was for her.
> "I broke the Veil to reach you. They'll come for both of us now."
> "You're not just dreaming anymore, Elara."
> "They've seen you."
---
Outside, the wind howled. A shadow passed over the window, blotting out the moon.
Elara's heart pounded.
"What do they want?"
Kael's answer was barely a whisper.
> "Your soul."
---
She stood up, fists clenched. "Then they can't have it."
For the first time, he smiled—weak, bloody, but full of something ancient and beautiful.
"You haven't changed," he murmured. "Even in this life…"
Her breath caught.
"What do you mean, 'this life'?"
Kael closed his eyes.
And this time, when he spoke, his voice was full of sorrow and longing.
> "Because before the curse… before the Veil… before everything…"
> "You loved me."