Arin couldn't forget her.
Even after returning to his world, everything felt… empty.
The streets were the same. People were the same. But something was missing.
Lyra.
Every night, he stared at the sky.
Hoping.
Waiting.
But nothing happened.
No flicker. No sign. No door.
Days turned into weeks.
People started calling him strange.
"You think too much," they said.
"Grow up."
But Arin couldn't.
Because he knew—
That world was real.
She was real.
One night, something changed.
The sky flickered again.
Just for a second.
But this time—
Arin didn't hesitate.
He ran.
To the same empty field.
His heart was racing.
"Please… be there," he whispered.
And then—
It appeared.
The blue door.
Standing silently… as if it had always been there.
Arin slowly walked toward it.
His hand trembled as he reached out.
"Lyra…" he whispered.
The moment he touched the door—
It opened.
The Uncommon World… was different.
The sky wasn't bright anymore.
The glowing colors had faded.
The air felt… heavier.
"Lyra?" Arin called out.
No answer.
He ran through the floating paths.
Through the glowing trees.
Through the silent valleys.
"Lyra!" he shouted again.
Still nothing.
Then—
He saw her.
Standing alone on the same floating island where they once sat together.
But something was wrong.
She didn't move.
She didn't smile.
She didn't even turn.
"Lyra…" Arin said softly.
She slowly looked at him.
But her eyes—
They were empty.
"Who are you?" she asked.
Arin felt his world collapse.
"What…?" his voice shook. "It's me… Arin."
Lyra stared at him.
Confused.
Cold.
"I don't know you."
The words hit harder than anything.
"No… that's not possible," Arin said. "You remember… the sunset… the promise…"
Lyra stepped back.
"Please leave," she said quietly. "You don't belong here."
Arin's chest tightened.
This wasn't just forgetting.
This was worse.
It was like—
He never existed.
But then he noticed something.
A crack.
Not in the sky.
In Lyra.
A faint golden glow flickered in her eyes.
For a second.
Just a second.
Arin stepped forward.
"You do remember," he said. "Somewhere… inside you… you remember me."
Lyra froze.
Her expression changed… just slightly.
"Stop," she whispered. "You're… making it worse."
Arin didn't stop.
He grabbed her hand.
The same way he did before.
"Listen to me," he said softly. "You told me… everyone leaves."
Lyra's hand trembled.
"And I said… I won't."
The world around them began to shake.
The cracks in the sky spread faster.
The air trembled.
Lyra suddenly screamed—
And collapsed.
"Lyra!" Arin shouted.
He held her close.
Her body was fading.
Breaking… like glass.
"You shouldn't have come back…" she whispered weakly.
"I had to," Arin said. "I'm not leaving you again."
Lyra looked at him.
And for a moment—
Her eyes returned.
Warm.
Alive.
"Arin…" she whispered.
Then everything went dark.