As I ran, tears welled up in my eyes and blurred my vision. My heart pounded violently in my chest. My hands trembled like leaves in a storm, and my legs were already weakening from exhaustion—but I didn't care. All I cared about was finding Lucien.
"Lucien! Lucien!" I screamed his name into every street, every alley, every corner of the city, hoping, praying he would answer. People gave me strange looks, but I didn't stop. I couldn't.
By the time nightfall came, I didn't even know where I was anymore. I had run through half the city with nothing but desperation to guide me. My heart felt like it was being ripped apart.
Why did no one remember him? Where was he? Why did he vanish from this world like he never existed?
"Lucien..." I tried to scream again, but my voice had gone hoarse, broken from shouting. My body buckled beneath me. My vision blurred from the fatigue. But even as the darkness closed in around me, one thought burned in my soul:
I won't stop until I find him. I won't give up.
Then—
Darkness swallowed my vision.
"Serena... you have to leave here now. It's going to collapse. Please... come with me."
It was him again. That beautiful man, the one from my dreams—pleading with me once more.
"Come home, Serena. Please, I beg you," his voice cracked with emotion. "I can't lose you again."
Tears welled up in his eyes as he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me. I didn't pull away. Instead, I melted into his embrace. There was something about his touch—so warm, so familiar—it made me feel safe in a way I couldn't explain.
"I love you, Serena. I miss you... please come back. And never leave me again," he whispered, his words like a prayer.
He looked into my eyes—deeply, desperately—and gently pressed a kiss on my lips.
"I'll be waiting for you, my love... come soon."
I awoke to the feeling of someone tapping my shoulder.
My vision adjusted, and I saw him: Jason.
"Oh, you're awake. For a minute there, I thought you died or something," he joked, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Jason..." I said, my voice hoarse and weak.
"Here," he said, handing me a steaming cup of tea. "Drink this. It should help with the sore throat."
I took it and slowly sipped. The warmth soothed my aching throat almost instantly.
It took a while before I could speak clearly again.
"Where... where did you find me?" I asked, my voice still sore.
Jason looked away for a moment before answering. "That doesn't matter. What matters is... you need to stop looking for Lucien. He's gone now."
I froze.
"What?" I whispered.
Then I looked at him, wide-eyed. "You remember Lucien?" I asked, hope flooding my chest.
"I knew it! I knew he was real!" Tears of relief welled in my eyes. I wasn't crazy. I wasn't imagining him.
But then... I paused. "What do you mean... he's gone?"
Jason sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "He was never supposed to be in this world, Clara. Now that he's gone, you should forget about him."
"What are you talking about? He's my brother!" I snapped, my voice breaking. "How can I forget about someone who means everything to me? What do you mean he wasn't supposed to be here?"
"I can't tell you," Jason said, eyes suddenly distant. "You wouldn't be able to handle the truth. Besides, he told me not to tell you anything."
I narrowed my eyes. "Who told you?" I asked.
Jason didn't answer.
"Who told you not to say anything? What truth?" I demanded, standing now, my energy slowly returning with frustration.
"Just... forget it," Jason said, turning away.
"No!" I grabbed his arm. "I won't forget it. Tell me the truth. Now."
"I can't tell you," Jason finally said. "All I can say is... now that Lucien's gone, all memories and evidence of him existing have been erased."
"What do you mean by that?" I asked, my voice rising. "What do you mean all evidence has been erased? What are you talking about?!"
Jason let out a tired sigh. "Just... go home, Clara. And enjoy your time here—while it lasts."
I grabbed his arm. "What do you mean 'while it lasts'? What's going on, Jason? Tell me! I'm not leaving until you do!"
"I told you," he said, this time with a strange smirk. "I can't say anything..."
Then he added, almost playfully, "But you don't have to leave. But—I can just make you."
"What do you mean—"
Before I could finish, he reached out and gently flicked my forehead.
The world spun.
And then everything went dark.
When I came to, I was lying in my room.
What? Wasn't I just with Jason?
My mind was still foggy. Had it been a dream? But... no. It felt real. Too real.
"Clara... sweetie," my mom's voice called as she came into my room.
"Mom..." I started, sitting up in the bed, still disoriented. Maybe she remembered what happened yesterday.
"I just came to wake you up. You'll be late for college if you don't hurry," she said, smiling warmly.
I stared at her for a moment.
Wasn't she going to say anything about last night? About Lucien? About my screaming and running away?
"Mom... about yesterday," I began. "I'm sorry for yelling."
She looked at me, puzzled. "Yelling? What do you mean, sweetheart? You didn't yell at me."
I swallowed hard. "I meant about... Lucien."
Her face remained blank. "Who?"
There it was again. Even the memories of what happened yesterday... gone. Just like Jason said. All traces of Lucien... erased.
"It's... nothing," I muttered.
"Okay," she said, turning towards the door. "Well, hurry up. You don't want to be late."
She left the room.
I sat on my bed.
Even the events of Lucien were erased from everyone's mind.
But why? Why was Lucien erased from the world? What was the truth Jason refused to tell me?
I got out of bed and got dressed quickly, barely able to focus. I rushed out of the house, determined to find Jason. I had to get answers. I had to know what was going on.
When I got to campus, I searched everywhere—the halls, the cafeteria, even the back of the school. But he was nowhere to be found.
As I turned to leave the secluded part of the building, a sharp pain suddenly pierced my head.
But this time... it was worse. A thousand times worse.
It hit me like a lightning bolt, and I screamed in agony. It felt like my head was being split open. The earth beneath me trembled violently, like a massive earthquake, and the sky overhead turned unnaturally dark.
I collapsed to the ground, clutching my head as my vision blurred. The last thing I saw before passing out was... Jason, running towards me.
I woke up on the grass. Jason hovered over me.
"Are you okay?" Jason asked urgently.
"What happened?" I asked.
"You have to come with me, Clara. We need to leave now."
"Leave? Go where? Jason, what are you talking about?"
He looked hesitant. "I wasn't supposed to tell you. You were supposed to come willingly, but now... I don't have a choice."
He sighed deeply, eyes locking with mine.
"Clara, promise me you can handle the truth."
I hesitated, but I nodded. "I promise."
"And promise me... that once I tell you, you'll come with me."
That part, I couldn't promise. But I needed to know.
"I promise," I lied.
Jason took a deep breath.
"This life you're living—it's not real. It's an illusion. Everything—your friends, your family, your school—none of it exists. This world was created for you, and also to protect you and hide you. But now it's breaking apart. The pain you've been feeling? It's your mind collapsing."
I stared at him, frozen.
"If you don't leave the illusion soon," he continued, "your mind will shatter... and you'll die. That's why I was sent—to bring you out before it's too late."
I blinked, stunned, and then I laughed.
"You've got to be kidding me. An illusion? Jason, this is my life!"
"No, Clara," he said firmly. "You're wrong."
"Stop lying to me!" I yelled.
"I'm not lying. I'm trying to save you."
"No, you're trying to scare me! This is real—my life is real!"
The ground trembled again, and Jason looked around nervously.
"Clara, please, you're destabilizing the illusion. You're making it worse."
"Shut up!" I screamed. "It's not an illusion! You're lying!"
The ground shook harder, and Jason began to flick like static.
"Clara, stop," he said. "You're pushing me out. I'm being forced to leave."
"Then go!" I yelled. "Get out of here! Leave me alone!"
Jason's figure started to fade, his voice weakening.
"If you do this... I might not be able to return in time," he said.
"I don't care!" I screamed. "Just go!"
And with that... he vanished.
I stood there, trembling alone.
I looked around for Jason and called his name—but he wasn't there anymore. He had vanished.
Panic surged through me as I ran home, my heart pounding and my hands trembling. I couldn't believe what I had just seen. How could he disappear like that?
When I got home, I saw my mom sitting on the couch, watching TV. Without saying a word, I just ran to her and laid my head on her lap, still shaking.
She looked at me, concern in her eyes. "Honey, what's wrong?"
"I'm just tired," I whispered. That was all I could say.
I closed my eyes, fighting back the tears, and repeated the only thing I could hold onto:
It was real. Everything was real.
Over and over again, like a prayer.
Because I refused to believe it was all a lie.