Chapter Four: A Name From the Past
Eli ran until his lungs burned, his pulse hammering in his ears. The city blurred past him in streaks of neon and rain, but no matter how fast he moved, the unease clung to him like a shadow.
He didn't stop until he reached the front steps of his apartment building. His hands trembled as he fumbled for his keys. Calm down, Eli. It's just a stranger. Just a look.
But that was a lie.
Because when he had met that man's gaze, something inside him had cracked—like a door unlocking to memories he shouldn't have. And the worst part?
For a fleeting moment, the sight of him had felt like coming home.
Finally, he shoved the key into the lock and pushed inside, slamming the door behind him. He braced himself against the wood, gasping for air.
It was then he realized something terrifying.
The name from his dreams—the one that haunted him night after night—
It was his name.
Rael.
Eli squeezed his eyes shut. No. It was a coincidence. A trick of his exhausted mind. Had to be.
But even as he told himself that, a whisper curled through the back of his mind, ancient and unyielding.
You have always known me.
---
Across the city, Rael stood in the shadows of a towering high-rise, his golden eyes fixed on the distant skyline. Rain dripped from his coat, but he paid it no mind.
He ran from me.
Not unexpected. The soul, even when reborn, carried echoes of its past. Fear. Longing. Confusion. Eli was caught between them all, his mortal mind struggling against truths buried in time.
Rael exhaled slowly. He had waited centuries. He could wait a little longer. But not too long.
The last time he had let Eli slip away, it had cost them both everything.
Lightning split the sky, and as the world flashed white, Rael vanished into the night.
This time, fate would not steal Eli from him again.