Kael groaned as he forced his eyes open.
Sunlight spilled across the room, sharp enough to make him squint. A dull ache throbbed behind his eyes, slow but persistent, like something was drilling into his skull.
"I feel like shit…"
His voice came out dry.
He lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling before his gaze slowly drifted across the room. It wasn't anything special. Just a regular bedroom. A bed, a wardrobe tucked into the corner, and at the far end, a sleek gaming setup that looked far more expensive than everything else combined.
The rest of the room told a different story, though...
Clothes were flung across the floor. Snack wrappers littered the desk and corners. An old pizza box sat open near the wall, the smell faint but unpleasant enough to linger in the air.
Kael groaned again as a sharp pain shot through his head. He turned away from the light, dragging a hand through his messy brown hair and gripping it slightly.
"What happened last night…"
His memory felt off. Foggy. Like something was there, but just out of reach.
"And why does my body feel like I got beaten up…"
Every part of him ached. His muscles felt heavy, sore in a way that didn't match a normal night. It felt as if someone had used him as a punching bag for several hours and then tucked him back into bed.
He exhaled slowly. "I need water."
Pushing himself up took more effort than expected. His body felt sluggish as he swung his legs off the bed and stood. The moment his foot touched the floor, something shifted beneath it.
Slippery.
"Oh shi—"
His balance gave out instantly. His body tilted backward before he could react, his hand shooting out to grab onto something, anything.
There was nothing.
He fell hard, the back of his head slamming against something solid with a sharp crack.
For a brief moment, everything went quiet.
Then the pain hit.
Not the kind of pain from just hitting your head. This was something else entirely. It exploded inside his skull, violent and overwhelming.
Kael's mouth widened, but no sound came out.
It felt like something was tearing through his mind, like his skull had been split apart and something unseen was forcing information into it. Images, voices, emotions, all crashing into him at once.
Too much. Far too much.
He tried to scream, but his throat wouldn't work. He tried to move, to grab his head, but his body refused to respond. All he could do was endure it.
The pain stretched on, suffocating, endless.
Then, just as suddenly as it began, it stopped.
Kael lay on the floor, chest heaving, his body drenched in sweat. For a moment, he couldn't think straight. Couldn't even breathe properly.
Then his eyes snapped open.
"Lyra."
The name left his mouth before he even realized it.
He pushed himself up and rushed toward the door, ignoring the ache in his body. His hand was just about to reach the handle when it swung open.
Kael froze.
A girl stood there, around his age. Brown hair, green eyes. On closer look, their features were similar, almost like reflections, but where his were plain, hers stood out. She was beautiful.
"Lyra—"
He didn't hesitate.
The moment he saw her, something inside him broke loose. He stepped forward and pulled her into a tight hug.
She stiffened instantly. "Ew—what are you doing?" she said, trying to push him away. "Get off me, Kael. You stink."
He barely registered her words. His arms tightened without him realizing it.
"You're okay…" His voice cracked. "Thank God you're okay…"
Warm tears slid down his cheeks.
Lyra frowned at first, still resisting, but then she paused. Her expression shifted as she noticed his shoulders were shaking and something wet was soaking her back.
Is he... crying?
The irritation faded, replaced by concern. Slowly, she stopped pushing him away and instead placed a hand on his back, patting him gently.
"Hey… what's wrong?" her voice softened. "Did something happen?"
Kael tried to speak. "I… I…"
The words refused to come out properly. His chest felt tight, his thoughts tangled, yet he couldn't quite explain where those emotions were suddenly flooding in from, why his chest was tightening, or why he was even in tears and acting this way.
Lyra watched him for a moment before asking, "…Did you have a bad dream?"
Kael froze.
A bad dream.
He swallowed. "…Yeah. A bad dream… yeah."
They stayed like that for a while before he slowly pulled away, putting some distance between them. Silence settled in, thick and awkward.
Both of them avoided eye contact.
Kael scratched the back of his head, his thoughts racing. Why did I just do that…
He opened his mouth to say something, but at the same time, Lyra also spoke.
"Um—"
They both stopped.
Silence again.
Kael cleared his throat. "You go ahead."
Lyra hesitated slightly before speaking. "I just came to tell you… food is ready."
"Oh." Kael nodded quickly. "Okay. I'll be there soon."
"Alright."
She turned and left almost immediately, the door shutting behind her.
Kael stood there, staring at it. The tension slowly faded, but confusion took its place.
"What… was that?"
He ran a hand through his hair, pacing slightly.
Moments ago, something had forced its way into his head. Not just information. Memories.
Along with them came emotions. Heavy ones. Pain. Loss. Loneliness. Misery. They hit him before the memories even made sense.
And somehow, he knew exactly who they were about.
Lyra.
His chest suddenly started to tighten as he felt a sudden sense of urgency. Like something terrible had happened to her. Like he had lost her.
And when she walked in just now, he didn't think. He just moved.
Kael clenched his fist. "What the hell is going on…"
As if responding to his thoughts, something surfaced from deep within his mind, clearer this time.
Not fragments.
A memory.
His memory.
But it didn't belong to now.
It felt distant. Far away.
Years ahead.
Twenty years, to be precise.
Kael's breath caught. His face turned pale as sweat gathered on his skin, his pupils trembling.
"…What…"
His voice came out hollow.
"What the hell is this…?"