In the dream world:-
Elias stood there again.
Not marble, not chandeliers. Just old cracked tiles, peeling paint, and a rusted apartment door.
Number 3B.
He floated again behind that man, the one from his dreams, whose even name is not known.
Younger. Hollow-eyed.
Wrapped in a grey hoodie, eating cold rice from a steel bowl.
He looked beautiful in the way broken things are—quietly, hopelessly beautiful.
There was no light in his eyes. Only weight.
Then then man get up taking the trash from kitchen.
Elias moved, as if underwater, watching the dream unfold.
The man opened the door.
Rain fell beyond the hallway glass.
And there—
Two children. Shivering. Skin and bones. Sitting by the garbage den like stray cats.
He looked at both of the trembling kids, one boy and one girl just barely 6 year old.
He tried to reach out, the boy growled at him sitting in front of her sister like a shield, though he himself was tired and scared.
The girl just looked at the man and reached out to the sleeve of his brother to God.
" I....Can I....I mean..I can help you ...You wanna come..I stay there" the man said ponting at his apartment slowly, every single world and action with care to not scare them.
Both kids withdraw like they had no hope left, the man crouched beside them trying to hold.
Both flinched, the man took back his withdrawn hand and looked at them again.
" It's okay, I won't harm you....Here you can take this, the phone to dial the police if you felt something was wrong ....okay???" He asked them while giving them a phone from his pocket, his wanted to assure them and this was the only thing he could think off..
Kids looked towards each other and slowly with their trembling hands pick that phone and relaxing, like telling that they are fine with him carrying him.
The man got up, gently carrying them both.
Kids didn't protest this time.
"...Just for tonight," the man whispered. "I'll call someone tomorrow."
Tomorrow became next day, then next and so on.
He never called the orphanage.
The children get attached to the man and he to both kids, the man then officially adopted them both.
---
The dream shifted.
Faster now. Fragments.
A cracked mug with a cartoon sun.
Tiny slippers lined up beside boots.
Two toothbrushes. One red. One yellow.
A birthday card drawn in crayon: To the Best Papa.
Then—
Rain again.
Screams.
Twisted metal.
Blood.
He ran. He ran so fast.
But he couldn't reach them.
Couldn't scream. Couldn't breathe.
The world spun—
And then he was in the courtroom.
Watching. Powerless.
The guy who killed them… laughed.
Because his father was rich.
Because justice was bought in silence.
Because grief meant nothing to men with gold.
The man stopped speaking after that.
Didn't eat. Didn't cry. Just sat there, watching the wall.
For days.
Until one night—
He hacked into a private system.
Tracked the killer. Found all illegal activities done by that guy's father And one day he tracked him on a rooftop club and left.
He brought a knife.
He didn't scream when he stabbed him.
Didn't curse.
Didn't run.
By the time the police reached the rooftop—
He was already standing on the ledge.
Rain fell in silver blades.
And he let it take him.
This time the dream didn't end.
----
Then black.Void.
The whole world around him turned black, like a void.
Elias didn't get scared, instead, he tried to stay calm and find a way out.
Just as Elias tried to move or float in that dark space, a light came to him.
Too bright to see.
Then slowly after feeling the light dimming, Elias opened his eyes slowly.
Blink
Blink
Elias blinked his eyes to get a proper view.
He was in his dream, again, in the same room but, something was different. Not in view but feeling.
Something has awakened, he is closer now, just one step more and might right it.
He don't know what is waiting for him, but he knows one thing— his questions might finally be answered now, he is sure of it.
-----