"Maybe," she said quietly, "some part of me recognized you. From what your other self showed me… maybe my heart just… never forgot."
I felt my chest tighten, the weight of her words hitting deeper than I expected. The past, the fractured timelines, the pain—we both carried it. But here, in this moment, we were no longer just echoes of what could have been. We were real.
I gently brought her hand to my lips, pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles. "Then maybe fate brought us back for a reason."
Luviyah smiled, a touch of sadness behind it, but also peace.
As she turned to leave, her steps soft and graceful, I stood frozen for a moment, watching the way her hair shimmered under the light. My chest tightened again—not from pain, but from something far more difficult to contain.
"Goodnight, Craig," she said once more, her voice gentle.
"Goodnight, Luviyah…" I echoed, but the words barely made it out. My heart was racing, louder than my thoughts, louder than reason.
