Two Scenes & The Contract That Never Was

I'm back. The life I built, the connections I cherished, the happiness I tasted-they're all gone. Once again, I'm back to square one, forced to face this world alone, to breathe, to survive in its cold, unwelcoming embrace.

I wish I could return... to somehow be transported back to that world. But when you realize it was nothing more than a cruel trick of your mind, how can you even claim the year you lived was real? All that remains are the haunted memories of that sweet dream, making me confused all over again.

Still, I chose to sleep within those memories, the ones that felt more real to me than this so-called reality. To survive, I decided to begin there. To mend my broken life, not all at once, but gently. First, by choosing to live, even when every part of me wanted to give up. Then, slowly, learning to face each wound, each shadow of trauma, daring to confront what once shattered me. Piece by piece, I would rebuild myself, stronger this time.

And maybe, just maybe, that choice lead me somewhere unexpected.
To the quiet start of my love story-again-with the same person.
_

Can be read as a standalone spinoff, but best enjoyed after Book 1.