That night, while the crickets sang outside and the wind whispered through Halewood's sleeping streets…
Lysia dreamed.
But it was not a child's dream.
Not the usual floating castles or candy gardens or kittens wearing hats.
This dream was different.
The Dream
She stood barefoot in a world of twilight.
The ground beneath her was cracked and glowing, like the veins of a sleeping star.Above her, the sky had been torn open.
Not by clouds.
But by something greater.
Flashes of war.Weapons made of light and metal.Thousands of voices screaming.A sea of swords—some broken, some still burning.
She turned.
In the distance stood a boy.Alone.Small.Covered in blood and light.
He was crying.But there were no tears on his face.
Only in his eyes.
The world behind him burned, and yet he stood—
Still.
As if he was used to holding it all alone.
Her Voice in the Dream
"Who are you?" she whispered.
The boy turned.
But the dream blurred.
She couldn't see his face.
Only the glint of something silver at his collar.
A star-shaped pin.
She gasped.
"I know you," she said, voice shaking.
The boy didn't speak.
But slowly—trembling—he raised his hand to her.
Palm open. Reaching.
She wanted to run to him.
She wanted to shout—
"Caelum!"
But the world shattered.
The sky exploded into white.
Waking
She woke with a jolt.
Sweating.
Panting.
Her fingers still reaching toward the ceiling.
And in the quiet glow of dawn, she sat up in bed and whispered:
"Caelum…"
A pause.
Then—
"…Where are you?"
And from the corner of the room, his soft voice answered:
"Right here."
He Hadn't Slept
He sat curled in the corner chair, arms folded, eyes half-lidded from staying up all night.
But when she said his name—
He looked wide awake.
She blinked.
"You didn't go home?"
He shook his head.
"You looked scared in your sleep."
She hesitated.
Then whispered, "I… saw you."
"In a dream."
His fingers tightened slightly.
"What was I doing?"
"You were… crying. But not like normal crying. Like… your whole heart was crying. And the world was falling down around you."
She hugged her knees.
"I don't understand it. But I felt like I had to reach you before you disappeared."
Caelum didn't move for a long time.
Then—
He crossed the room.
And sat beside her bed.
Words Unspoken
For a long time, they sat in silence.
Then Lysia reached out and took his hand.
It was warm.
Comforting.
Anchoring.
"…Have we met before?" she asked quietly.
His heart twisted.
"Yes," he said softly.
But before she could speak again, he added:
"But it's okay if you don't remember yet."
"I'll remember enough for both of us."
She stared at him for a long moment.
Then leaned forward—
And pressed her forehead to his.
Just like he had done once, in another world.
"Then let's stay together," she whispered.
"Even if I forget… don't leave me, okay?"
"Not even once."
He closed his eyes.
And smiled through the pain.
"Never."
System Log – Memory Fragment Integration: 11%
[GENESIS CORE SYSTEM – OBSERVER MODE]— Dream Memory Trigger: [Post-War Caelum Image]— Conscious Recall Level: 11.2%— Soul Synchronization: 9.8%— Risk Level: Low— Timeline: Stable— Memory Awakening Estimated: 3-5 Events Remaining
"She remembers your grief. Her heart saw your pain."