"Rio..." she drifted out in a mumble, her voice cracking even in her sleep. "Don't... don't go..."
She was sleep-talking, her breath hitching as if she were still reliving those moments in the garden. The paths where her tears had dried were still visible on her cheeks, shimmering faintly under the soft light of the magic lamps.
I didn't know what had come over me. For a second, the cold, calculating part of my mind—the part that only saw her as a source of resonance—stilled. I was just relieved she had stayed. Without even realizing it, I raised my free hand and softly caressed her head, smoothing back a stray lock of her messy hair.
"It's okay," I whispered. "I am not going anywhere."
As I spoke, something shifted. A sudden, sharp clarity pierced through my vision, and I saw something truly odd. The world didn't just look clear; it looked transparent.
