Echoes of you

A World Between Worlds

The following days passed in a blur of quiet moments and cautious steps. Sophie was relieved that Aiden had accepted Riven, but she knew that understanding the truth didn't erase the strangeness of it all. Aiden was trying his best—he had even come over again, asking Riven questions that were both practical and surreal, like, "What do you eat here?" and "Do you even need sleep?"

Each visit with Aiden reassured Sophie, but it also left her feeling unsettled. Every time she saw her world and Riven's collide, it reminded her that no matter how comfortable things had become, they still hadn't figured out what their future held.

And the questions continued to pile up.

Sophie tried to focus on work, on her art, but more often than not, her mind drifted to the one thing she had been avoiding—what it meant for Riven to be here. They had stabilized the connection between their worlds, but what if that balance was only temporary? What if the bond between them was more fragile than it seemed?

One afternoon, as Sophie sat at her easel in the corner of the apartment, trying to focus on a half-finished painting, she could feel Riven's presence before she even heard him move. He had a way of quietly slipping into the room without making a sound, but Sophie could always sense when he was near.

"You're thinking again," Riven said softly from behind her, his voice low and warm.

Sophie didn't turn around right away. Her hand hovered over the canvas, but the colors in front of her blurred, her mind elsewhere. "I'm always thinking," she replied with a small smile, though the worry she felt wasn't hidden in her tone.

Riven moved closer, his presence filling the space beside her. She felt his hand gently brush against her shoulder, a comforting gesture that brought her back into the moment.

"What's bothering you?" he asked, his voice soft but firm. Riven had learned to read her mood quickly, and he knew when she was holding something back.

Sophie sighed, setting her brush down and finally turning to face him. "It's nothing," she started, but when she saw the knowing look in his eyes, she relented. "Okay, it's something."

Riven waited, his gaze steady and patient.

Sophie hesitated for a moment, then spoke. "I keep thinking about... everything. About us, about the connection we've created between our worlds. I know we've stabilized it, but... what if something goes wrong? What if the bond breaks and you—"

"It won't break." Riven cut her off gently but with certainty. His voice was calm, but there was an edge of determination to it. "Sophie, we fought too hard for this. The connection we have—it's not just something fragile. It's real. It's solid."

Sophie's chest tightened at his words, but the worry in her heart didn't completely fade. "I want to believe that. But what if it's not enough?"

Riven moved closer, kneeling beside her chair so that his face was level with hers. His eyes, dark and intense, searched her face with such tenderness that it made Sophie's breath catch.

"I'm here," Riven said softly, his hand reaching up to cup her cheek. "And I'm staying. We'll figure this out together, no matter what happens."

Sophie swallowed hard, her hand covering his, her fingers trembling slightly as she leaned into his touch. His presence, as always, grounded her. But the doubt lingered.

"What if we're stuck between two worlds?" she whispered. "I feel like we're living in this bubble, separate from everything else. You're part of my world now, but it's like we're caught in this space that doesn't quite fit. What if we never fully belong?"