The garden by the lake glowed under the soft evening light, the street lamps casting warm pools of gold across the grass. The gentle lapping of waves against the shore mixed with the steady chirp of crickets, creating a calm, almost dreamlike atmosphere.
"I—" I started, my voice catching in my throat. I wanted to say something, anything, to make sense of the strange familiarity of this place, to bridge the gap between us, but the words wouldn't come.
Aeri stopped abruptly, turning to face me, her brow furrowed with concern.
"Ezra!?" she said, her voice sharp but worried as she closed the distance between us. Her dark eyes scanned my face, searching for answers. "Are you okay? Did something happen? Did someone hurt you?" She reached out, cupping my cheeks with both hands, her palms warm and soft against my skin. Her touch was so familiar, so grounding, it made my heart ache even more.
I froze, my words locked in my throat.
