Sometimes, it's not the fall that hurts the most. It's the moment you open your eyes… and something is missing.
A harsh breath tore out of her.
Aria's eyes snapped open, her body rigid, unable to pull in a proper breath for a full second.
The ceiling above her was white. Too white. Cold light buzzed faintly—aggressive. The sharp smell of disinfectant hit her nose.
A steady beep cut through the silence.
She didn't move. Something was wrong.
Then the pain hit.
"AHHHHH—my arms."
A dull pressure surged… then spiked hard.
She inhaled too fast. Mistake!
A jolt shot through her shoulders, her elbows, her wrists. Both arms were wrapped, restrained almost foreign, like they didn't belong to her body.
She tried to move anyway. Another mistake!
Pain exploded and slammed her back into the mattress, gasping.
Where am I…?
Her thoughts were blurry. Unstable.
Why does it hurt? Why… can't I remember?
Not a simple gap. A total void, like something had been ripped out.
The beep. The silence. Her breathing.
Then a fragment—something jerking, a massive impact.
And then something else…
Huge antlers. A figure with its gaze locked on her.
Aria blinked and it vanished.
"Ah! You're awake?"
A real voice.
She turned her head slightly. A woman in a white coat had just walked in, a professional smile on her lips.
"Hey! Your arm must be hurting, huh?"
Aria stared at her for a long moment. She didn't know her.
"…Who are you?"
The doctor paused, surprised, then softened her tone.
"I'm your doctor. You're in the hospital."
Hospital. The word echoed… without sticking.
"You were attacked. Fractures in your arms. But you're going to be okay."
Attacked.
This time something reacted, not a memory, but a cold sensation.
"We found you unconscious, your bag in your lap right here in the waiting room. Your phone let us contact your loved ones."
Her loved ones? Aria felt her fingers tighten slightly under the bandages.
"…I don't remember."
The doctor nodded.
"That's normal. Your brain took a hit. Memories will come back… in fragments. It's temporary amnesia."
A thought, an image, like earlier—those antlers and that gaze?
Aria looked away.
"How long will it take?"
"Usually within 24 hours, it starts coming back."
The doctor stepped closer to check her reflexes, her pupils, her blood pressure. Precise, controlled, reassuring.
And yet Aria thought, staring at the ceiling—
Why doesn't this reassure me?
The door opened again.
"Aria!"
Another voice—sharper, heavier with emotion.
Aria turned her head. A girl burst in, breathless, hair a mess, eyes full of panic.
She rushed closer.
"You're awake… holy shit… you scared me."
Aria looked at her. Something vibrated inside her, faintly—but nothing came back.
She didn't speak right away. She just kept staring a second too long.
Something flickered in her eyes—a brief recognition. Then… almost imperceptibly, the corner of her mouth shifted, like she was holding something back.
She let the silence stretch, just long enough to get weird.
Then, softly, she said:
"…Who are you?"
Sophie frowned slightly—not because of the words.
Because of the way Aria said them. There was… something off. Like Aria was playing.
Sophie stayed sharp, eyes bright with worry. Her sweatshirt was half-zipped, her hair everywhere, her phone still in her hand.
"You're alive—thank God! You scared me so bad. But… what happened?"
Aria looked at her, then said:
"Hey… I don't really know. Since yesterday morning, I've got memory gaps. It's blurry, and honestly it's stressing me out BAD."
The doctor warned them to be careful: Aria absolutely could not overwork her brain. She wished them well, then slipped out, saying she'd be back a little later.
The door closed. A more intimate silence settled.
As soon as they were alone, Sophie leaned in slightly. The worry in her eyes hadn't faded, but her gaze was steadier now—more present.
Aria stared at her a little too long, like she was searching for something.
Or like… she was waiting.
"You want some water? Or do you want me to help you sit up a little?" Sophie asked, gentler.
Aria hesitated for a split second, then took the cup… without looking away.
Just one second too long.
Then she drank, like everything was normal.
"Thanks… That helps."
She lifted her eyes to Sophie, squinting slightly.
"Evin told me you went back to the digital dump…"
Her tone was almost neutral. A spark snapped through Aria's mind.
She blinked.
"Oh—yeah… yeah, that's true. I was there to grab a part for Numa's phone… and for Jazz too."
She paused, like she was searching her head.
"But… where's Jazz?"
Sophie sighed lightly.
"Animals aren't allowed here. Even robots. You know—too much risk, sensors, interference…"
Aria frowned.
"And you… how did you get here?"
Her voice wavered just enough to sound believable.
"I don't know. Even your name… it only just came back to me. I'm trying to remember, but it's all blurry. Like a dream fading the second you wake up."
Sophie took her hand gently.
"We're not going to force it, okay? Rest. Jazz and I need you in one piece. We can't do this without you."
Aria lowered her eyes slightly. Her fingers closed around Sophie's—not fully, just enough to answer.
A beat. Then she closed her eyes.
And this time, the memory hit.
Brutal, a fist, a shock. Air ripped out of her lungs. Glass. Then pain.
She jerked upright, gasping.
"I remember! The hit… the impact… Blade punched me. I flew backward. I felt my arms crack. I was terrified… I couldn't do anything, even with the few Jiu-jitsu's moves I know…"
"Oh shit…" Sophie whispered.
"And then… I was on the ground, couldn't move. And that's when… I saw something really weird."
Her gaze locked somewhere else.
"Maybe a nature spirit?" Sophie tried, with a small smile.
Aria shook her head.
"No… I don't think so. It was… like someone half-deer, half-man. HUGE. I thought I was hallucinating."
Sophie set a hand on her shoulder.
"A deer? You're seeing weird stuff now too? I dreamed I was talking to nature spirits. Are we BOTH losing it or what?"
"I don't think it was a spirit. He was… real. I felt his hand on me. And I heard his voice."
Sophie hesitated.
"That's weird you're saying that… My mom watched the news yesterday. They were talking about shady people near the Wall…"
"The Wall? Where it's cracking?"
"Exactly."
She pointed at the screen.
"There's a screen in here. Wanna check?"
"Yeah… sure," Aria said, grabbing the remote.
She paused, then—almost naturally—asked:
"Your mom okay? What channel was she watching?"
Sophie shrugged lightly.
"Overall, yeah… She barely avoided being committed last week. It shook her up. Since then, she's doing a little better. She was watching MTC channel."
Aria searched for the remote while Sophie kept talking about her mom.
"It's hard… but she's made it through before. Maybe she'll stabilize," Aria said, a little uncertain.
The screen turned on.
A news anchor with a grave expression appeared—fast delivery, controlled tone.
"For MTC, we're here in the Tares district, in Groundward sector. A worrying crack continues to expand along the Grand Wall."
Sophie frowned.
"Huh? I thought Kaissa's engineers made it indestructible!"
"Apparently… not so much."
"Accident? Attack? The mystery remains," the anchor continued.
A helicopter filled the screen. The image shook slightly.
"This is Paul, special correspondent for MTC, live from the sky. The crack is growing. The Wall seems to be splitting… on its own."
"Whoa… it's HUGE," Sophie murmured. "It's like… the Wall is really opening?"
"Authorities are calling it a potentially dangerous situation. Citizens are worried by this abnormal event."
Aria couldn't take her eyes off the screen.
"It's like the earth itself is opening…"
"This was Paul for MTC. Back to you."
Back to the studio.
"Thank you, Paul. And now… especially for you… Detective Trials".
Sophie let out an annoyed breath.
"Oh come ON. They're sending people to play hero… with no safety net. And everyone just watches?"
On-screen, Lila appeared—perfect smile, total control.
"Tonight, Detective Trials is taking action! The public voted… and it's time to choose our first explorer of the breach."
Aria sank deeper into the sheets. Her arms still throbbed under the splints, but it was nothing compared to what she was feeling.
"Jules, Kael, Rémy… you came with your doubts… and your courage."
The envelope arrived. Lila took it with almost unreal ease.
A real show-woman, Aria thought.
She could sell the end of the world like a gala night…
Lights swirled. Tension rose.
"So… who will be our eyes… our legs… our witness in the red zone?"
A beat. Then:
"And the grand winner is… Kael."
A young man stepped forward, hair messy, smile confident.
"You had good instincts. Relax… I've got this. Like a pro."
"He's a total hottie," Sophie muttered under her breath.
Aria didn't answer. She stared at him.
Something… felt wrong.
"Good luck, Kael. We'll see you very soon on location."
"Nature spirits better watch out!"
Everywhere in the city, screens replayed the scene—in streets, subways, universities.
"That Kael… he's kinda fine."
"Yeah, but his ego takes up two seats."
"I'm Team Kael. He's got guts."
A graphic popped up: 38.7% viewership.
"Thanks for watching. See you tomorrow at 6 p.m., live at the foot of the breach. You won't want to miss this."
"Don't worry, Lila. I've got this. You'll see what REAL talent looks like."
The screen went dark, and silence returned to the room.
Sophie crossed her arms.
"Honestly… they're sick."
Aria didn't answer.
She kept staring at the black screen. Something… was still vibrating inside her.
The memory surged again. A brutal flash—then the antlers closer, sharper. And that sensation: a presence just behind her, almost… comforting.
Aria froze. Her breathing slowed until it nearly stopped.
She turned her head slightly toward the window.
The glass reflection trembled. And for a fraction of a second, she thought she saw a motionless figure watching her.
Her fingers clenched in the sheets.
"…Sophie?"
Her voice was low, almost not her own.
"Do you… see something?"
The Guardian Angel: And what if what they saw was only one version among others… an illusion. And what if the real danger… wasn't the crack in the Wall… but the one beginning to open inside them?
To be continued… 🔥🔥
Thank you for reading. What do you think matters to me and your comments mean a lot to me 😍.
✨ New chapter every Sunday
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I revised the first three chapters! I thought webnovels needed a lot of "over-description," but that's not really my thing. So I tightened, clarified, and kept what matters most to me: rhythm, emotion, and images that hit hard.
This is a real-time writing lab — thanks for coming along on the journey with me. 😉 Elea 🤩
Further echoes of this universe can be found here:
https://linktr.ee/worldsreconciled