Liora Aisthra woke up choking.
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Air wouldn't come.
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Her lungs seized, dragging in nothing but heat—thick, suffocating, impossible heat that clawed down her throat and settled deep in her chest.
She bolted upright, coughing violently as her hands clawed at her neck.
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Smoke.
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Her room spun.
The ceiling above her wavered, bending and warping as if it couldn't decide what it was supposed to be.
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For a moment—
She wasn't there.
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She was somewhere else.
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Flames crawled up the walls, hungry and alive. The air roared with heat, devouring everything it touched. Wood cracked. Glass shattered. The world folded inward under the weight of something unstoppable.
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She couldn't move.
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Her legs refused.
Her body wouldn't listen.
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"I can't—"
The words died in her throat as smoke filled her lungs, stealing what little air she had left.
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The ceiling groaned above her.
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It was going to collapse.
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She knew it.
She remembered it.
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And then—
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Arms wrapped around her.
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Strong.
Desperate.
Unyielding.
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Pulling her close.
Holding her like letting go would mean losing everything.
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"…No."
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The voice was right beside her ear.
Low.
Breaking.
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"…not again."
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Liora froze.
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That wasn't part of a dream.
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That wasn't her voice.
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And yet—
It felt familiar.
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Pain flared across her skin.
Heat surged.
The world shattered—
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And she woke.
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Her room snapped back into place.
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No fire.
No smoke.
No heat.
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Just silence.
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Liora dragged in a sharp breath, her chest heaving as she stared at the walls around her.
Unburned.
Untouched.
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Her hands trembled as she looked down at them.
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No burns.
No scars.
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"…That happened," she whispered.
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Not imagined.
Not constructed.
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Remembered.
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A knock came at her door.
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"Liora?"
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Her mother's voice.
Soft.
Concerned.
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"You okay?"
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Liora swallowed hard, forcing her breathing to steady.
"I'm fine!" she called out.
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Too fast.
Too practiced.
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There was a pause on the other side.
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"…Are you sure?"
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"Yeah," she said, quieter this time. "Just a bad dream."
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The words felt wrong the moment they left her mouth.
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"…Alright," her mother replied after a moment. "Breakfast is ready."
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Footsteps retreated.
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Silence returned.
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Liora stared at the space in front of her.
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"…That wasn't a dream."
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The world outside felt… controlled.
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That was the only word she could find for it.
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Not calm.
Not peaceful.
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Controlled.
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The sky was too clear.
The air too still.
Even the sounds of the street seemed to fall into place with unnatural precision.
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Everything moved the way it was supposed to.
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Exactly the way it was supposed to.
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Liora slowed her steps.
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"…Why does that bother me?"
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She couldn't explain it.
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But something inside her—
Something quiet and persistent—
Kept whispering the same thought.
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> This isn't right.
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She reached the crosswalk.
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The signal turned green.
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Her body tensed.
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Not consciously.
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Instinctively.
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Like something inside her remembered what came next.
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She didn't move.
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"…Why am I hesitating?"
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The road was empty.
No cars.
No danger.
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And yet—
Her heart pounded.
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Because for a split second—
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She saw it.
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Headlights.
Speed.
Impact—
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"Careful."
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The voice cut through the moment like it had been placed there deliberately.
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Liora turned.
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He was there again.
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Adrian Vale.
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Standing just behind her.
Exactly where he had been yesterday.
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Like nothing had changed.
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Like nothing ever changed.
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"Morning," he said, his tone easy, natural.
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Liora stared at him.
"…You were here yesterday."
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A small smile touched his lips.
"So were you."
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"That's different," she said. "I live here."
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"And I don't?" he replied.
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She hesitated.
"…Do you?"
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A brief pause.
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"…Close enough."
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The answer didn't sit right.
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But before she could question it—
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The memory surged again.
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Fire.
Heat.
Smoke—
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Her vision blurred.
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"…Liora."
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His voice anchored her.
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Closer now.
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"Look at me."
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She did.
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His eyes were steady.
Focused.
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Too steady.
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"You're okay," he said.
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The words settled over her like something physical.
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And just like that—
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The fire was gone.
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Liora inhaled sharply.
"…I don't understand what's happening."
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Adrian didn't respond immediately.
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That bothered her.
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"…Does this happen to you?" she asked.
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His gaze lingered on her for a fraction too long.
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"…What?"
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"Seeing things," she said. "Things that feel real."
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A pause.
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"…Sometimes," he said.
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It wasn't convincing.
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Not because it sounded false.
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But because it sounded… incomplete.
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"…It feels like I've already lived it," she admitted quietly.
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His expression shifted.
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Subtle.
But there.
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"…Then maybe you shouldn't try to remember," he said.
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Liora frowned.
"…Why not?"
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Another pause.
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"…Because not everything that's real is meant to be remembered."
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The answer sent a chill down her spine.
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Before she could respond—
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A car shot through the intersection.
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Fast.
Too fast.
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Liora flinched.
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For a split second—
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She saw it.
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The car didn't stop.
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It hit her—
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Pain—
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Darkness—
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And then—
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Nothing.
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The world snapped back.
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The car was gone.
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The road was empty.
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Everything was exactly as it should be.
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Liora's breath caught.
"…Did you—"
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She stopped.
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Adrian was watching the road.
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Not surprised.
Not alarmed.
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Just… still.
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"…Did you see that?" she asked.
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He nodded once.
"…Yeah."
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But his voice—
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Was tired.
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Not confused.
Not shocked.
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Tired.
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"…We should go," he said gently.
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Liora hesitated.
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Then nodded.
"…Okay."
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They started walking.
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Side by side.
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Close.
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Safe.
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And yet—
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The feeling didn't go away.
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It grew.
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Because the more she thought about it—
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The more one question refused to leave her mind.
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> Why does it feel like he's always there… right before something happens?
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She glanced at him.
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Adrian Vale.
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Smiling.
Calm.
Normal.
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But something about him—
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Didn't feel like coincidence.
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That night—
She dreamed again.
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But this time—
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The fire didn't end.
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And the voice—
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Was clearer.
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"…I won't lose you."
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Liora woke with tears on her face.
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And one terrifying realization settling deep in her chest—
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She wasn't just remembering how she died.
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She was remembering—
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Who was there when it happened.
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