Echoes of you

Strengthening the Connection

Sophie's hand trembled as she reached out to where Riven had been moments before, her fingertips brushing against nothing but air. Her breath was ragged, her heart still pounding with the weight of what had just happened.

He was gone again.

The space around her apartment had returned to its mundane stillness, but everything felt different now. There was no way she could deny it anymore—Riven was real. His presence, his voice, his pain—all of it was real. And he was slipping away.

The fear in his voice as he'd said, "You have to find me," still echoed in her mind, carving itself into her thoughts like a desperate plea. But how? How was she supposed to find someone who didn't even exist in her world?

She collapsed onto her bed, burying her face in her hands, the weight of everything settling over her like a heavy fog. Every time she thought she understood what was happening, the situation twisted and became something more complex, more terrifying. She was connected to a man from another reality—a man who was fading, trapped, and somehow, she was the only one who could save him.

You have to find me... before it's too late.

Her phone buzzed on the nightstand, dragging her from the spiral of her thoughts. She didn't want to look; she didn't want to deal with anything right now, but something made her reach for it. Maybe it was Aiden again, or maybe...

No. It wasn't Aiden.

Sophie frowned as she saw the notification.

New Email: Lia Stone, Paranormal Researcher.

Her breath hitched.

Lia Stone.

The paranormal researcher she'd found online in a desperate search for answers. She'd sent a quick message to Lia the night before, almost on a whim. At the time, it had felt like a shot in the dark—just another way to search for answers to a problem that shouldn't even exist.

Now, though, after what had happened with Riven... this email was suddenly far more important.

Sophie opened it with shaking hands.

"Sophie," the email began, "I've worked with people like you before—individuals who experience what we call 'dimensional bleeding.' From what you've described, it sounds like there's an intense connection between you and this 'Riven.' If you want to understand what's happening, I'm happy to meet and help. Let me know when you're available."

Sophie blinked at the screen, rereading the email three times before it fully sinks in.

Dimensional bleeding. The words sent a shiver down her spine. It was the first time anyone had put a name to what was happening to her. It sounded as absurd as everything else, but at least it was something. A name, a theory.

A path forward.

Without hesitating, Sophie typed a quick reply: "I need to understand this. Can we meet as soon as possible?"

The response came almost instantly.

"Tomorrow, 10 a.m. The Ink House café on Brunswick Street. I'll explain everything."

Sophie sat back, staring at the screen, her mind racing. This was it. This could be her only chance to find out what was happening to her—and to Riven. She didn't know if she was ready for what Lia would tell her, but she couldn't waste any more time. Riven's plea echoed in her mind.

You have to find me.

The next morning came too quickly.

Sophie barely slept. She tossed and turned all night, her thoughts spinning around the same questions, the same desperate need for answers. The air in her apartment felt too heavy, too close. She couldn't shake the feeling that Riven was still lingering somewhere just out of reach, waiting for her to take the next step.