Rudy set his glass down. The playful smirk vanished, replaced by a look of intense, ancient affection.
"I reset the world," Rudy said simply. "I turned back the clock to save everyone. But the price was your memories. You forgot the Casino. You forgot the 'Wedding' we had. You forgot that you belong to me."
He stepped forward. Lilim instinctively stepped back, but Maria didn't move. She felt a magnetic pull, a resonance in her soul that she couldn't explain.
"I can't explain it with words," Rudy said. "So I'll just show you."
He raised both hands. "Come here."
Drawn by a command that bypassed their logic, they stepped forward. Rudy placed his right hand on Maria's forehead and his left on Lilim's.
"Close your eyes," he whispered. "And remember."
FLASH.
