Roy couldn't hear Lola Yeke's apology.
It's even less likely for her to understand why he felt remorse.
As her fingertips touched the white light, her consciousness detached from her body and fell into a warm void. Ahead, a palm-sized hazy aura hovered in space. Roy tried to approach it, closer and closer, until she finally saw clearly what the aura encompassed.
It was a book.
A meticulously bound romance novel adorned with courtly-patterned corners. The cover features gilded text: "Beloved Vivian," subtitled "An Unyielding Adventure and Love Epic."
Roy stared at the corners for a few seconds, and seemingly responding to her intention, the book automatically opened, revealing an inner-page illustration. It depicted Vivian in a linen dress, braids tied up, with a village in the background.
She turned another page. Another illustration.
