"...Just like my mother."
I went silent.
A cold suspicion slithered into my gut as I studied Aeron's face—the way his voice dipped when he spoke of her, the way his fingers twitched as if reaching for a ghost.
...She might not be in this world anymore.
But I didn't say it. Didn't dare.
Aeron continued, his voice softening with memory.
"I couldn't tell when she appeared in front of me."
His fingers hovered in the air, mimicking a child's hesitant reach.
"One second, she was standing on the water. The next—" A breath. "—she was right there. Kneeling. Extending her hand."
His lips quirked, just slightly.
"Do you need my help?"
The imitation of her voice was feather-light.
"And I—" His throat bobbed. "—I didn't even think. Just... nodded. Reached out."
A beat.
"And just like that... it all began."
I nodded slowly, my mind painting the scene in sharp strokes—a small, bruised boy, a woman with silver robes, fingers brushing for the first time.
