I held the pendant tightly in my hand.
It was still warm.
Like it had its own heartbeat.
The old man slowly walked away.
Leaving me alone near the lake.
The sky had turned dark.
Stars faintly visible.
I sat there for a long time.
Staring at the water.
Thinking.
Remembering.
Or at least trying to.
Finally, I stood up.
The pendant resting safely in my palm.
As I walked back home—
I felt lighter.
But also nervous.
Because something inside me knew—
Tonight…
Something would happen.
That night, I didn't even try to avoid sleep.
I wanted the dream to come back.
I lay down.
Holding the pendant close to my chest.
My eyes slowly closed.
And then—
Darkness.
But not empty this time.
The road appeared again.
My heart started racing.
"I'm back…" I whispered.
The same long road.
The same quiet wind.
The same strange feeling.
But something was different.
There was light ahead.
A soft glow.
I walked toward it.
Step by step.
And then—
I saw him.
Aarav.
Standing there.
Closer than ever before.
My breath caught.
"You came back…" I said softly.
He smiled.
But his eyes looked tired.
"You found it," he said, looking at the pendant in my hand.
"You remember now?" I asked.
"Not everything," he replied.
"But enough."
I stepped closer.
"I saw the lake… the carving… the pendant…" I said.
He nodded.
"You're getting closer," he whispered.
"To what?" I asked.
His expression turned serious.
"To the truth."
A chill ran through me.
"What truth?" I whispered.
He looked behind me.
"The one we didn't finish."
Suddenly—
The wind grew stronger.
The road began to shake.
Something dark moved at the edge of the dream.
My heart started pounding.
"It's back…" I whispered.
Aarav grabbed my hand.
"Listen to me," he said urgently.
"You don't have much time."
"Time for what?" I asked.
"To remember the last thing you said to me."
My mind went blank.
"I… I can't," I said.
"You can," he insisted.
The darkness moved closer.
Faster.
"You said something that night," he continued.
"Something important."
My head started hurting.
Flashes appeared.
Rain.
Road.
Headlights.
"I… I said…" I whispered.
The darkness rushed toward us.
"Don't leave me…" I said suddenly.
Everything froze.
Aarav's eyes widened.
"You remember," he said softly.
The darkness stopped.
Then slowly—
It faded.
The road became calm again.
"What does it mean?" I asked.
Aarav looked relieved.
"It means you're breaking it," he said.
"Breaking what?"
"The thing that kept us trapped."
Before I could ask more—
The dream began to fade.
"No— wait!" I said.
Aarav smiled gently.
"You're closer now."
"And next time…"
"I'll tell you everything."
The light disappeared.
I woke up suddenly.
Breathing fast.
The pendant in my hand—
Was glowing faintly.
For the first time—
I wasn't afraid anymore.
Because I knew—
The dreams weren't haunting me.
They were guiding me.