**Lyara.**
The moment her name solidified in his thoughts, her form sharpened. The flickering stopped, the instability ceased, and she became **real.** Not fully flesh, not yet, but more than a ghost, more than an echo. She was **present.** Her golden eyes widened as realization dawned on her face.
"You came back."
Her voice was raw, hoarse, like someone waking from a sleep that had lasted longer than time itself.
Jude's throat tightened. "I didn't know," he admitted. "I didn't remember until now."
Lyara's gaze flickered over him, her expression unreadable. Then, without warning, she **collapsed.**
Jude lunged forward, catching her before she hit the ground. She was weightless, insubstantial, but she was **there.** He could feel the faint warmth of her form, the way the golden energy in her body pulsed weakly.
