This world glowed.
The sky shimmered violet and gold, and the ground beneath my feet pulsed softly—like it was alive.
That's where I met Eryx.
He was sitting beside a river that flowed upward, staring at his reflection like it might disappear.
"You fell from the sky," he said calmly.
"I tripped," I replied.
He smiled. A real one. The kind that made you forget fear existed.
Eryx was cursed. His world was dying slowly, magic fading like a breath held too long. He believed he was the reason.
I helped him anyway.
I showed him hope. Changed small things. The river flowed stronger. The sky healed a little.
And one night, under floating stars, he held my hand.
"If you stay," he whispered, "this world lives."
I didn't tell him the truth.
That staying would cost me everything.