The man stopped a few feet away from Lukas and looked up with that same smirk he used to wear all the time.
"You did alright, but there's more to life than money," the boy said, voice soft but proud.
Lukas couldn't speak. He just stared.
Then the boy raised his hand, waving gently.
"Keep going."
Lukas reached out instinctively, but before he could say anything, everything faded.
He woke up.
It was still dark outside. Sweat clung to his forehead and neck, his breathing uneven. He sat up on the bed, looking around, heart pounding.
For a moment, he just sat there, rubbing his face.
"What was that..."
Then, he looked at the time. It was 4:47 AM. Too early to get up, too late to go back into deep sleep. But that dream lingered in his chest like an echo.
He knew what it meant.
It meant he hadn't forgotten.
And maybe he never would.
