Aira took a deep, shaky breath, trying to steady her frantic heartbeat. Her small, delicate fingers trembled as they clutched the balcony railing, cold metal pressing into her palms. Her vision blurred, tears welling up as the full weight of the impossible truth sank in.
She was back—somehow thrown through time—inhabiting the body of her younger self.
She quickly wiped her tears away, determination filling her chest as she peered down once more at the familiar courtyard.
Elizabeth was guiding two small figures along the stone path. One of them, a boy, stood out clearly—thin, quiet, with piercing eyes that already carried a heaviness that didn't belong to his age.
"Cedric..." she whispered softly, her heart swelling with painful relief. "At least you're alive..."
Aira forced herself to pull away from the balcony and ran from her room, her footsteps quick and frantic. Her mind raced, and her heart thundered, a single thought driving her forward:
