The nights grew quieter.
But the connection grew louder.
Daniel felt it before he even reached the vineyard.
A pull.
Subtle.
But undeniable.
Something was different.
"I'm here," he said as he stepped closer to the entrance.
The response came instantly.
Brighter than before.
Stronger.
The light spread across the stone, no longer hesitant. It moved with purpose now—flowing like it understood exactly what it was trying to do.
Daniel's breath slowed.
"Elena…?"
The light gathered.
Not scattered strands this time.
Not fragile threads.
But something whole.
It rose from the ground—
Shaping itself.
A figure.
Clearer.
Closer.
Standing right in front of him.
Daniel didn't move.
Didn't even breathe.
Because this time—
It wasn't just a silhouette.
He could see her.
Not perfectly.
Not completely real.
But enough.
"Elena…" his voice broke.
The figure flickered.
But it didn't disappear.
Her eyes met his.
Soft.
Familiar.
And for a moment—
Everything felt normal again.
"I… can't stay long," her voice echoed faintly.
Daniel froze.
"You can talk…"
A faint smile.
Just like before.
"I'm trying."
He stepped closer instinctively.
The light around her shimmered.
Unstable.
"Don't," she said gently.
"If you get too close… it breaks."
He stopped immediately.
"Okay," he whispered. "Okay… I'm here."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Just looking at each other.
As if afraid the moment would vanish.
Then Daniel asked the question he'd been holding onto.
"Are you… okay?"
Elena hesitated.
"I'm… changing," she said softly.
The word wasn't comforting.
"What does that mean?" he asked.
Her expression shifted slightly.
Not fear.
But weight.
"The more I connect with this…" she glanced downward, toward the unseen depth beneath, "…the less I feel like I'm only me."
Daniel's chest tightened.
"I still remember everything," she continued. "You. Maria. The town."
A pause.
"But it's like… I'm becoming something bigger too."
The light around her flickered.
Unstable.
Daniel shook his head.
"No. You're still you."
A faint, sad smile.
"I want to be."
Silence.
Then she looked at him—more serious now.
"There's something else," she said.
His expression hardened slightly.
"What?"
"This connection… it's not free."
The air around them seemed to tighten.
"Every time I come here… every time I try to be like this…"
The light dimmed slightly.
"It weakens the balance."
Daniel's heart dropped.
"What does that mean?"
Elena met his eyes.
"If I stay too long… or try too hard to come back…"
The ground beneath them gave the faintest tremor.
"…it could undo everything."
Silence fell heavy between them.
"So you're saying…" Daniel's voice lowered, "every time I see you… it risks everything?"
She didn't answer.
Because she didn't have to.
The truth was already there.
Daniel looked away, jaw tight.
"That's not fair," he said quietly.
Elena stepped closer—
Just slightly.
"I know."
The light around her shimmered again.
Fading.
Time was running out.
Daniel looked back at her quickly.
"Then don't go," he said. "We'll figure something else out—like always."
Her eyes softened.
"We already did," she whispered.
The light began to break apart.
"Elena—"
"I'll find a way," she said quickly. "A better way. One that doesn't risk everything."
Her form flickered violently now.
"But until then…"
She held his gaze.
"…you have to let me go when I do this."
Daniel's hands clenched.
"I don't know if I can."
A soft, bittersweet smile.
"You can."
And then—
She was gone.
The light faded back into the stone.
The night fell silent again.
Daniel stood there—
Heart full.
Heart breaking.
Because now he knew the truth.
She wasn't lost.
But she wasn't fully his anymore either.