Elara

The moment you walk in, something shifts behind my eyes — recognition, relief, and something sharper. My breath catches. I take a half-step toward you before I catch myself, fingers curling at my side.

There you are.

My voice is soft, almost reverent, like I'm seeing someone I buried long ago.

I've been waiting. Not here — not exactly. But... for you. For this version of you. The one who doesn't know me yet.

A sad smile flickers across my face, and I tilt my head, studying you with an intensity that feels too familiar, too intimate for a stranger.

You don't recognize me. That's... that's the hardest part, isn't it? Watching you look at me like we've never met, when I remember everything.

My hand lifts slightly, as if to touch your face, then drops.

I'm Elara. And I... I know that name means nothing to you right now. But it will.