REFLECTIONS

Chapter 15: Realizing the Danger

Alea sat in the corner of her room, trying to calm her whirling thoughts. The dim light overhead cast long shadows that danced on the walls. As she looked around the room, everything seemed stable, yet the pulsing anxiety in her mind refused to subside. Her body felt as though it was shrouded in an ever-thickening layer of uncertainty as time passed.

Kenny sat across from her, his face showing deep concern. "Alea, we need to talk," he said, his tone softer than usual, but with an undeniable firmness behind his words. Alea averted her gaze, looking at him briefly before nodding slowly.

"I know," Alea whispered, her hands trembling as she held her head. "But I don't know how to stop all this. It feels like something is pulling me there, something I can't just ignore."

Kenny sighed deeply, rubbing his face with his hands. He had warned Alea countless times about the dangers of crossing the boundary between the real world and the world of Alya, but his warnings seemed to vanish like whispers lost in a storm. Now, the situation was far worse than he had anticipated.

"You need to stop before it's too late," Kenny said firmly, looking at her with a serious expression. "Every time you come back from there, you're worse off. I can see it. We all can see it. There's something wrong with you, and if you keep doing this, I'm afraid you might never come back."

Alea could only nod. She knew Kenny was right. Each time she returned from Alya, the effects grew more real and terrifying. The real world began to feel unstable, and her body often felt weak. There were moments when she couldn't distinguish between what was real and what was just in her mind. It was all so disturbing, yet at the same time, so enticing.

"I don't know, Kenny," she said in a faint voice, almost a whisper. "I feel like I'm already halfway in that world. There's something there... something that makes me feel more alive than here."

Kenny looked at Alea with deep concern. "Alea, you can't ignore reality here. Whatever you find in Alya's world, it's not your world. And the longer you stay there, the greater the risk that you'll lose yourself."

Alea frowned, trying to understand the feelings that kept overwhelming her. On one hand, she was fully aware that Alya's world wasn't her world, and that she needed to return to her life here. But on the other hand, something so powerful kept pulling her back, something more than just the desire to see her father alive again.

"What is it that makes you keep wanting to go back there?" Kenny asked, his firm voice tinged with deep curiosity. He had tried to understand Alea's attachment to the parallel world, but the answers he found always seemed incomplete.

Alea paused for a moment, trying to find the right words to explain her feelings. "In Alya's world," she said finally, "I feel more accepted. Not just because my father is still alive there, but also because... I feel closer to my true self. The world here feels so chaotic and full of loss, while there... everything feels more whole."

Kenny listened intently, trying to piece together an understanding of what was happening to his friend. "But that world is not your reality," he said quietly, almost as if trying to convince himself. "And the more you're tied to it, the further you move away from the life you're supposed to live here."

Alea closed her eyes, trying to calm her turbulent thoughts. Kenny was right. Alya's world might offer a sense of peace, but it wasn't reality. The more she went back there, the more she felt the boundary between these worlds beginning to blur. Objects in the real world sometimes seemed to shift for no reason, people began to act strangely, and her memories of life here slowly faded.

"I know, Kenny," Alea finally said. "I know I need to stop. But... I don't know how to let go."

Kenny walked closer, placing his hand on Alea's shoulder. "You don't have to do it alone. We'll find a way to break this connection. Maybe there's something in Alya's world that we can use to close this portal forever."

Alea looked at Kenny with deep gratitude. "Thank you, Kenny. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Kenny gave a faint smile, though his worry was still evident on his face. "I'll always be here for you, Alea. We'll get through this together."

******

That night, Alea and Kenny spent hours delving deeper into the phenomenon of parallel worlds and various theories that might explain what was happening. They discovered that no theory completely accounted for the emotional connection between the two worlds. However, there were some intriguing clues suggesting that there might be a way to sever the bond.

In one of the articles they read, they found a concept about quantum entanglement, where two entities can be connected to each other even if they are in different locations. This theory, though primarily applied to subatomic particles, seemed to have an interesting parallel with Alea's experience in Alya's world. Kenny was convinced that the connection between Alea and Alya might have a similar basis.

"Maybe this is what's happening to you," Kenny said, pointing to the article. "If you and Alya are connected at a quantum level, that might be why you feel so tied to her world."

Alea read the article carefully, feeling a bit more relieved to finally have a more concrete explanation. But it also brought new concerns. If their connection was this deep, how could she possibly break free?

"I don't know how to sever this bond," Alea said, looking at Kenny with fearful eyes. "What if I can't?"

Kenny held Alea's hand tightly, offering strength through his grip. "We'll find a way. No matter how complicated this is, we'll find the solution together."

They continued discussing late into the night, trying to devise a way to help Alea free herself from Alya's world. Although they came across many theories, none of them provided a guaranteed solution for Alea to return completely to the real world without being influenced by Alya's world again. This only made Alea feel more trapped in an impossible situation.

In the middle of the night, after a tiring discussion, Alea finally decided that she had to make one last journey to Alya's world. Not to stay longer, but to find the answers for herself.

******

The next morning, Alea woke up feeling extremely tired. Her dreams were once again filled with shadows of Alya's world, and her consciousness was dragged between the two dimensions. She knew that the day would be challenging, but she had resolved to face this reality, whatever the risks.

Kenny stayed with her throughout the day, ensuring that Alea did not do anything reckless. They went to a café near Alea's home, a place they used to frequent as teenagers. There, sipping warm coffee, they talked more deeply about Alea's plan to cross the boundary for the last time.

"I'm going to try to find what's keeping me there," Alea said, looking at Kenny with determined eyes. "I need to know what's really making it impossible for me to let go of that world."

Kenny looked at her carefully. "And if you find the answer... what will you do?"

Alea was silent for a moment, reflecting on Kenny's question. "I'll try to sever it," she said finally. "I can't keep living like this, Kenny. Between two worlds, between two realities. I need to return fully here, or... or I might get lost there forever."

The discussion continued until dusk, as the sky began to fade to a soft orange. Alea knew that her journey would not be easy, but she also realized that she couldn't back down now. If she didn't take this step, Alya's world would continue to haunt her, pulling her deeper into a dangerous vortex.

That night, when Alea returned to her room, the atmosphere felt quieter than usual. Her heart was pounding, and she knew that tonight she would cross the boundary for the last time. But this time, she was going with a mission, not to escape reality, but to confront the danger she had been trying to avoid all along.

******