A little boy stood amidst a sunlit field, laughter spilling from his lips as he ran toward an older man with open arms. The warmth in the man's smile was rare, almost otherworldly, his deep voice calling the boy's name with a tenderness that sent a shiver through his small frame. There was something comforting in that presence, something he longed for but had never truly possessed. The moment their hands met, the boy woke up