The mist shimmered around him, curling like breath in the cold. Kenneth froze, staring at the man who had stepped from the glowing rift. His presence was quiet yet commanding, tall, steady, eyes holding the kind of calm that came from knowing far too much.
"Hi," the stranger said, voice smooth as water. "I'm Rowan."
Kenneth's pulse stumbled. That name "Elara's Rowan" the one she'd whispered once, filled with anger and ache. The air between them thickened. For a moment, Kenneth thought he should draw his blade, but something about Rowan's expression stopped him.
He didn't look like a threat. He looked… tired.
Rowan glanced at the fading light behind him, then back at Kenneth. "You're not from here either, are you?"
Kenneth hesitated, then shook his head. "No. I… came through the Tower. I was trying to find a way back to the real world."
Rowan's smile was faint, almost wistful. "Aren't we all?"
He stepped forward, and the mist parted, revealing a narrow trail of glass and stone stretching into the distance. The realm around them felt strange, a place caught between reflection and ruin. The ground glowed faintly beneath their feet, mirroring the stars above.
"Walk with me?" Rowan asked.
Kenneth blinked but nodded. Something about the man's voice, calm, weighted, drew him in. They began walking, their steps echoing softly in the endless quiet.
"Where exactly are we?" Kenneth asked after a while, scanning the horizon. "This place doesn't feel like the Tower."
"It's not," Rowan replied. "Not entirely. The Tower connects everything, but there are fragments… echoes of places that were once part of it. The Realm remembers what it destroys."
He spoke like someone who had been here far too long.
Kenneth glanced sideways. "You seem to know a lot about this world."
Rowan's lips curved into a faint smile. "I used to. Once."
They walked a few more steps in silence before Rowan asked quietly, "You've met her, haven't you? Elara."
Kenneth hesitated, unsure how much to say. "Yeah. We've been through a few trials together. She's… strong."
Rowan's smile deepened slightly, sad, not bitter. "That sounds like her."
His gaze softened as he looked ahead. The path beneath them shifted, glass rippling into stone, then into a bridge of light. The realm itself seemed to breathe with their words.
"I made a mistake," Rowan said suddenly, his voice breaking the stillness. "No, that's not enough. I destroyed what we had because I was selfish."
Kenneth stayed quiet, letting him speak.
"I loved her," Rowan continued, his voice trembling with memory. "More than I knew how to handle. And when she started seeing through me, seeing the fear, the weakness, I pushed her away before she could do it first. I told myself it was to protect her, but the truth is… I was afraid of being less than she believed I was."
He paused, watching the light shift beneath his feet. "And when she left, I thought I'd feel free. Instead, I realized I'd just cut out the only part of me that ever felt real."
Kenneth swallowed, the weight of Rowan's words settling heavily between them. He could almost see it, Elara's pain, the walls she built, the shadows that haunted her even in the Tower.
Rowan exhaled softly, running a hand through his hair. "When I saw her face again, even for an instant, even in this place, I knew I couldn't just let it end that way. I need to make it right. To fix what I broke."
His voice was steady now, not desperate, just filled with quiet resolve.
Kenneth glanced at him, unsure what to say. "And if she doesn't want that?"
Rowan smiled faintly. "Then I'll still try. She deserves to know that I'm sorry, even if she never forgives me."
The honesty in his tone disarmed Kenneth completely. There was no manipulation, no arrogance, only regret. The kind that lingers, heavy and human.
The two men continued walking, the realm's strange beauty unfolding around them, floating islands of shattered glass, rivers of light winding below. Above, the sky pulsed between dusk and dawn, as if caught between two moments in time.
For a long while, neither spoke.
Then Rowan said quietly, "You care about her too, don't you?"
Kenneth froze mid-step. "What makes you say that?"
Rowan's eyes held a glint of understanding. "The way you talk about her. I can hear it. It's okay," he added with a small, sad laugh. "She's easy to care for. That's part of who she is, she brings light to people who've forgotten what it feels like."
Kenneth didn't answer. The truth lingered unspoken between them.
Finally, Rowan stopped walking. In the distance, faint shadows of the Tower loomed like ghosts.
"I don't expect her to love me again," Rowan said quietly. "I just want the chance to stand in front of her and say it, that I was wrong. That she was right to leave. And that I'll spend whatever time this Realm gives me trying to be someone better than the man she remembers."
He looked at Kenneth then, eyes clear. "If you see her before I do, tell her I'm looking for her, not to win her back, but to apologize."
Kenneth nodded slowly, sincerity flickering in his chest. "I'll tell her."
Rowan smiled, a genuine, grateful smile. "Thank you."
The mist began to shift around them again, faint lights forming new paths. The Realm seemed to hum, as if acknowledging the truth that had just been spoken.
The two men kept walking, their silhouettes fading into the silver horizon, two lives connected by the same woman, and by the same world that refused to let go of what was lost.
The path beneath their feet stretched endlessly, glittering with fragments of light that pulsed with each step they took. It was quiet, not empty, but peaceful, like the world itself was listening.
Kenneth walked beside Rowan, still processing everything the man had confessed.He wasn't sure what surprised him more, Rowan's honesty, or the ache in his own chest hearing it.
For a while, they didn't speak. The Realm around them shimmered in shifting hues, indigo melting into silver, stars bending closer, as though the sky itself wanted to hear their thoughts.
Finally, Kenneth broke the silence.
"You know," he began softly, "not everyone gets the chance to say sorry. The fact that you still want to means something. Elara might not forgive you, but she'll hear you. I know her enough to say that."
Rowan nodded, his gaze distant. "Do you think she'll even want to see me?"
"She will," Kenneth said after a pause. "Even if she pretends she doesn't. Closure is something everyone craves, especially when the wound runs deep."
They walked a little farther.Rowan looked at him curiously. "You're different, Kenneth. You don't talk like someone just trying to survive this place."
Kenneth smiled faintly. "Maybe because I've been watching people fight for reasons that don't last. I've seen how pain twists choices, how love, when misunderstood, becomes its own cage."
He glanced at Rowan. "And honestly? You're not the only one who's been trying to fix something here. Ethan is too."
Rowan's brow furrowed. "Ethan?"
"Elara's… friend," Kenneth said carefully. "He's the one she met here after you. He's a good man, but he's lost, torn between two worlds, two hearts. He doesn't even realize how much Elara still holds on to his presence."
Rowan's expression softened with interest, mixed with a flicker of sadness. "So she found someone."
Kenneth hesitated. "Maybe. Maybe not. They were close, but something broke between them, a misunderstanding, distance, pain. And now Ethan's doubting everything. He thinks coming back was a mistake."
Rowan exhaled slowly, the words weighing on him. "Then maybe he and I aren't that different."
Kenneth looked at him, surprised. "What do you mean?"
"We both ran from what we didn't understand," Rowan said quietly. "I ran from Elara because I was afraid of being seen. And he, it sounds like, is running because he's afraid of being hurt."
Kenneth nodded thoughtfully. "That's exactly it."
They stopped at the edge of a vast crystalline lake, the surface rippling like liquid glass. Their reflections shimmered, fractured, imperfect, but recognizable.
Rowan knelt, dipping his hand into the water. The ripples spread outward, each one glowing faintly before fading into the mist.
"This Realm," Rowan murmured, "it shows us what we carry. Maybe that's why I found you here. Maybe this place wants me to listen before I try to fix anything."
Kenneth crouched beside him, his own reflection flickering. "Then listen well, because when you do face Elara again, don't talk about what you lost. Talk about what you learned."
Rowan met his eyes, a slow, genuine smile forming. "You give good advice for someone so young."
Kenneth chuckled softly. "I had to grow up fast. This place doesn't let you stay soft for long."
They sat there in silence for a moment, the stillness wrapping around them like a quiet truce. Then Kenneth leaned back on his hands and said, "When I meet Ethan again, I'll talk to him. I'll try to make him understand that running won't fix anything. Maybe if he sees that you're trying to make amends… he'll realize he still can, too."
Rowan turned to him, surprise flickering in his gaze. "You'd do that?"
Kenneth nodded. "Elara deserves peace, even if it comes in a way none of us expect. If you want a chance to make things right, then you should have it. And maybe Ethan needs to hear that not every man who hurt her stayed that way."
Rowan's throat tightened. "Thank you. Truly."
Kenneth smiled faintly. "Don't thank me yet. You'll have to face Ethan first, and he's not exactly in the mood for second chances."
Rowan let out a soft laugh. "Then I'll earn it."
They began walking again, the realm slowly darkening as the stars drew closer to the horizon. Strange lights flickered through the fog, echoes of places and people long gone.
As they passed through a corridor of floating stones, Rowan asked, "What about you, Kenneth? Why help us? What are you really looking for in this world?"
Kenneth's gaze drifted upward. "A way home, I guess. But also… a reason why we were chosen. Why people like us were pulled here at all."
Rowan tilted his head. "Maybe the Realm chooses those who still have something unfinished."
"Then it chose right," Kenneth said quietly. "Because none of us are done yet."
They reached a fork in the path, one way leading into the soft glow of dawn, the other into a valley wrapped in violet mist.
"This is where our paths split," Rowan said, looking ahead. "I can feel it, my way leads closer to Elara."
Kenneth nodded. "And mine leads to Ethan."
They stood there for a moment, facing each other, two men bound by chance, by regret, and by the same woman whose heart they both wanted to protect in their own way.
Kenneth extended his hand. "We'll find them both. And when we do, we'll end this the right way."
Rowan clasped his hand firmly. "Agreed."
As they let go, the mist rose higher, swirling between them like silver curtains. Rowan's voice echoed faintly as he turned toward his path. "Tell Ethan this, 'The past doesn't forgive itself, but it waits for courage.' Maybe he'll understand."
Kenneth nodded, watching as Rowan disappeared into the light.
The silence that followed was vast, a silence that held promise.
Kenneth took a deep breath, his reflection glimmering faintly in the air. Then he turned toward his own path, ready to find Ethan, ready to bridge the worlds of pain, forgiveness, and what was still to come.
The Realm had quieted. The storm that once howled through its mirrored skies was now only a soft whisper, like the world itself was holding its breath.
Elara sat near the edge of a glowing meadow, the strange light brushing her skin with warmth. For the first time in what felt like forever, she wasn't running or fighting, she was waiting.
And then… she heard it. Footsteps. Familiar ones.
She turned. Ethan stood there, dusty, tired, and wearing the same hesitant smile that had always undone her.
"Ethan…"Her voice trembled.
He didn't say a word. He just crossed the space between them and pulled her into his arms. For a moment, the world stilled, no tower, no trials, no Realm, only the ache of finding what was lost.
"I'm sorry," he murmured against her hair. "For everything. For not trusting you. For thinking I lost you when I never even gave you a chance to explain."
Tears welled in Elara's eyes. "You didn't lose me, Ethan. You just… stopped reaching for me."
He smiled faintly. "Then I'm reaching now."
Elara's laugh broke through her tears, soft and trembling. She buried her face in his chest, the weight of loneliness melting away. For a while, they just stood there, no words, just the slow rhythm of their breathing in sync again.
The Realm seemed to hum with them. Flowers glowed brighter, the air shimmered gently, and above, the faint hum of the Tower echoed, like it too remembered.
As hours passed, the two wandered together through the glowing plains, talking, laughing, rediscovering what they almost lost. They found a quiet stream that ran with liquid light, and Elara leaned into Ethan's shoulder as they watched the stars ripple across its surface.
"Do you think this place ever lets us go?" Elara asked quietly.
Ethan looked at her, his expression thoughtful. "Maybe not. Maybe it just gives us reasons to hold on."
Not far away, hidden behind the veil of light, Kenneth stood at the tree line.He watched the two of them, a bittersweet calm spreading through his chest.
They looked happy, whole again. For a moment, he thought about walking away. But Rowan's words still echoed in his mind.
"The past doesn't forgive itself, but it waits for courage."
Kenneth exhaled and stepped back into the shadows, watching carefully. He wasn't sure if he was doing the right thing, but maybe sometimes, helping others find peace meant carrying the weight of it yourself.
Ethan glanced up suddenly, his instincts sharp. His eyes met the darkness, and there he saw him. Kenneth.
Their gazes locked.
Kenneth raised a hand, a quiet gesture, a beckoning one, Come here.
Ethan hesitated, then looked at Elara, who was tracing her fingers through the shimmering grass, lost in thought. He gave a small, reassuring smile. "I'll be right back."
She looked up, curious but trusting. "Okay. Don't take long."
He nodded and turned, making his way into the fog. The air grew cooler, denser, until Kenneth's silhouette appeared clearer.
"What are you doing here?" Ethan asked, voice low but calm.
Kenneth didn't answer immediately. He just looked at him, like he was measuring the right way to say what he needed to. Then finally, he spoke.
"I found someone," Kenneth said quietly. "Someone from Elara's past."
Ethan frowned. "Who?"
"Rowan."
The name hit like a pulse. Ethan stiffened, his expression hardening. "Her ex?"
Kenneth nodded slowly. "Yes. But he's… different now, Ethan. I talked to him. He knows he hurt her, and he regrets it. Every part of him does. He's not here to ruin anything. He's here to fix what he broke."
Ethan's jaw tightened. "And what do you want from me?"
Kenneth took a step closer, voice calm but earnest. "I want you to let him talk to her. Just once. He said he'll do anything to make things right. He doesn't even expect forgiveness, he just needs to tell her what he never could."
Ethan laughed bitterly. "You think I can just step aside? After everything? After how hard it was for her to trust again?"
Kenneth met his gaze firmly. "I know it's not fair. I know it hurts. But sometimes doing the right thing means letting someone else finish their story, even when it's not the ending you want."
Ethan looked away, fists clenching. He felt the ache bloom in his chest, that cruel twist of love and pride and doubt. He remembered Elara's smile just moments ago. The warmth of her hand in his. The peace he thought he'd finally found.
And now this.
He exhaled shakily. "She's happy now. Why bring him back into it?"
"Because," Kenneth said softly, "some ghosts don't disappear until they're heard. And maybe that's what's keeping her here, keeping all of us here."
Ethan looked up sharply. Kenneth's expression was open, pleading. And somehow, Ethan understood.
He closed his eyes for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Fine. I'll give him a chance. But if he hurts her again."
Kenneth cut in gently. "He won't."
Ethan's voice dropped to a whisper. "You don't know that."
Kenneth sighed. "No, I don't. But I believe people can change when they finally realize what they've lost."
Ethan didn't answer. He just turned slightly, staring into the glowing horizon. From where they stood, Elara's figure was faintly visible, sitting by the river, her hair gleaming like molten gold under the fading light.
"She deserves peace," Ethan said finally.
"She does," Kenneth agreed. "And maybe this is how she'll find it."
The silence that followed was heavy, but not bitter, it was the kind that came after a decision that couldn't be undone. Kenneth looked at Ethan, almost regretful. "Thank you."
Ethan gave a hollow laugh. "Don't thank me. I'm not sure if I did the right thing."
Kenneth smiled faintly. "Maybe none of us know what 'right' means anymore."
They stood there until the mist began to rise, swallowing the horizon. Ethan turned back toward the meadow, the ache in his chest sharp and raw, but beneath it, a quiet resolve.
He would face what came next, no matter how much it hurt.