I sat tucked against Elara's side, quietly wiggling my toes as the warmth of her body seeped into mine. After a long moment of simply breathing her in, I lifted my head. The memory of the nightmare from that morning finally pushed its way back to the surface.
Elara had been resting her chin on the crown of my head, idly twirling a lock of my red hair around her finger. When I moved, she lowered her gaze to meet mine.
"Director... have you heard anything? About Alex?"
"Nothing detailed yet, Lyra. Why the sudden worry?"
"I had a dream yesterday. It's been stuck in my head, making me feel... uneasy."
"What kind of dream?"
Usually, dreams are like smoke—the moment you try to grasp them, they thin out and vanish. But this one was different. It clung to my mind like wet ink on a page.
The cool air in the bar brushed the tip of my nose, reminding me of the damp fog from the reservoir in my dream. I rubbed my arms, my teeth catching my lower lip.
