If the Worlds Collide?

Bargaining with Fate

The line went dead, leaving Sid to face the thick silence of his empty apartment. He stood there, the phone slipping from his hand onto the cold, glassy floor. His father's voice echoed in his mind like a bell that refused to stop ringing, drowning everything else out. Fourteen days. That was all the time he had to decide between the life he had built so carefully, with all the prestige, promises, and responsibility—and Sona, the one person who had become as essential as the very air he breathed.

He pressed his hand to his chest, as though trying to contain the pain expanding there, filling every inch of him until he thought he might break apart. She was everything he'd ever wanted, everything he never thought he'd find. He closed his eyes, willing his heart to steady, knowing what he had to do. She deserves the truth.

Sid took the phone fallen on the floor, thank god no scratches, he scrolled down until her name appeared on the screen, his thumb lingering over the call button. A shiver of dread ran through him as he hesitated. What if she walked away after this? What if the truth was too much? He tried to steady himself, took a shaky breath, and pressed "Call."

The line rang once, twice, each chime tightening the anxiety coiled in his chest. Then she answered, her voice breaking through the quiet like light spilling through the dark.

"Hey, Sid," she greeted, a playful lilt in her voice. "Is everything alright? This is a bit of a surprise."

Sid forced himself to smile, hoping his voice didn't betray him. "Yeah, yeah...everything's fine. I just...wanted to hear your voice."

She chuckled softly, and the sound settled his heart, if only for a second. "I would have thought Mr. 'Nothing-Can-Rattle-Me' Sid doesn't call people randomly just to chat. What's going on?"

His fingers traced the edge of his desk as he gathered his words. "Well," he started, chuckling lightly to keep the mood easy, "maybe I just miss you?"

There was a pause, her gentle laugh carrying through the receiver, though he could sense the faintest trace of curiosity in her silence. "Alright, now you're making me suspicious. Sid, are you sure you're okay?"

Sid's voice softened, the effort of keeping his emotions in check pressing on him. "Yeah, I just... there's a lot going on. But listen," he took a breath, "I was wondering if we could meet up."

A pause stretched, long enough for him to hear his heart pounding in the silence, then her response came, laced with that same familiar warmth. "Of course. Where?"

He swallowed, gripping the phone as though it were a lifeline. "The hilltop." The words felt heavy, as if every unspoken emotion had slipped into that simple request. "If you have the time, I mean."

"I'll be there in an hour." She didn't hesitate, didn't question. Just like that, she agreed.

As Sid hung up, his apartment felt darker, emptier, the shadows stretching into corners he usually ignored. He pushed his hands through his hair, his mind racing with the words he needed to say, and the ones he feared she'd never understand. I took you to Nivara because I love you, not because you had to be there. The truth tasted bitter, edged with a guilt that twisted in his chest. He'd hidden so much, and now, if he wasn't careful, he could lose it all.

The weight of the world pressed on his shoulders as he headed out. His thoughts swirled with memories, his heart weighed down by the fear that tonight, everything might change.

In Nivara, the tension had reached a fever pitch. The AI-driven city hummed with a strange, jittery energy, its pulse disrupted by invisible tremors that no one could ignore. Ayra stood in her room, eyes blazing as she wrestled with a storm of emotions. She had always felt in control, a leader in every sense, but this—this was an intrusion into her world, a breach that tore at her pride and her sense of belonging.