Aria couldn't stop saying his name.
Not out loud—at least, not where anyone could hear her. But in her head, it echoed constantly, like a word her mind had been waiting to learn.
Ethan.
It felt right.
Too right.
She lay in bed that morning, staring at the ceiling, her fingers tracing invisible patterns against her blanket.
"He's real," she whispered softly.
Not just the dreams.
Him.
Because names made things real.
And now she had his.
---
The day dragged in the worst way possible.
Everything felt slower. Louder. Less important.
Aria sat in class, her pen resting untouched against her notebook as her thoughts drifted far from anything being taught.
Ethan.
The way he said her name.
The way everything stopped when she held his hand.
That part hadn't left her.
It was different from the other nights.
Before, the dream would break no matter what.
But last night—
For a second—
It didn't.
Her chest tightened slightly at the memory.
Stay.
She had said it like she believed it.
Like she could make it happen.
"Aria."
She blinked, snapping back to reality.
"Yeah?" she said quickly.
"You've been staring at the same page for ten minutes," the girl beside her muttered under her breath.
Aria glanced down at her notebook.
Blank.
"…Oh."
A small laugh escaped the girl. "You okay?"
"Yeah," Aria said, a little too quickly. "Just tired."
It wasn't a lie.
But it wasn't the truth either.
---
By the time school ended, Aria felt restless.
Not tired.
Not calm.
Just… unsettled.
Like something was about to happen.
She pushed through the front doors, the late afternoon air hitting her face as students moved around her in clusters—talking, laughing, living in a world that suddenly felt a little distant.
Normal.
Everything was normal.
Too normal.
Aria adjusted her bag on her shoulder, stepping down the stairs as her gaze drifted absentmindedly across the street.
And then—
She froze.
There.
Across the road.
Standing near the edge of the sidewalk—
A boy.
Her breath caught.
Dark hair.
Familiar posture.
Looking slightly to the side, like he was waiting for something.
Her heart slammed against her chest.
"No way…" she whispered.
It was him.
It had to be.
The distance, the lighting—none of it mattered. Something in her recognized him instantly, the same way she had in the dream.
Ethan.
Her feet moved before she could think.
"Wait—!"
She stepped off the curb, her voice catching slightly as she tried again.
"Ethan!"
The name felt louder this time.
Real.
The boy turned.
Just slightly.
And for a split second—
She saw his face.
Clear.
Real.
Her heart stopped.
It was him.
There was no doubt.
"Ethan!" she called again, moving faster now, weaving between people.
A car passed between them.
Just for a moment—
A blur of motion, sound, distraction—
And then—
He was gone.
Aria stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, her breath uneven as she looked around quickly.
Left.
Right.
Behind.
Nothing.
The spot where he had been standing was empty.
Completely empty.
"No," she said under her breath, turning in a slow circle. "No, no—he was right here—"
"Hey, watch it!"
Someone bumped into her shoulder, pulling her fully back into reality.
"I'm sorry," she said automatically, barely registering the person as they walked past.
Her chest tightened painfully.
He had been there.
She knew it.
That hadn't been her imagination.
It couldn't have been.
Her fingers curled slightly at her side.
"Ethan…" she whispered again.
But this time—
There was no answer.
---
That night, she didn't hesitate.
Didn't overthink.
Didn't question.
Aria lay down, closed her eyes, and let sleep take her.
---
The cold felt sharper this time.
Stronger.
Like the space between worlds was thinning.
Aria's eyes opened quickly, her breath uneven as she steadied herself.
The park.
But she didn't look around.
She already knew where he'd be.
"Ethan."
Her voice was immediate.
Certain.
And this time—
He wasn't on the bench.
He was standing.
Right in front of her.
Closer than ever before.
"You saw me."
Her breath caught.
"You—" she stepped forward, her eyes searching his face. "That was you, wasn't it? Earlier—by the street—"
Ethan nodded once.
Slowly.
"I didn't think you'd notice," he said.
Aria let out a breath that sounded almost like a laugh. "Notice? I ran after you."
"I know."
"Then why didn't you stay?"
The question came out sharper than she intended.
But she didn't take it back.
Ethan's expression softened slightly.
"Because you're not supposed to see me like that," he said.
Her chest tightened. "But I did."
"And that's the problem."
Aria shook her head, stepping closer. "No—this is the problem," she said, gesturing between them. "You keep saying things like that without explaining anything."
"I'm trying to protect you."
"From what?"
A pause.
Then—
"From me."
The words hit harder than expected.
Aria went still.
"That doesn't make any sense," she said quietly.
"I know."
"Then stop saying it like it does."
Ethan let out a small breath, like he didn't have the energy to argue.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
But the silence didn't feel distant.
It felt… close.
Aria took another step forward.
Now they were barely a foot apart.
"You were real," she said softly. "Today. I saw you. Not here. Not in a dream."
His gaze dropped slightly, then returned to hers.
"I told you," he said. "You would."
Her heart pounded.
"Then this is real too," she said.
He didn't answer.
So she closed the distance.
Just enough that she could reach him.
Aria hesitated for only a second before lifting her hand—
And placing it against his.
Warm.
Solid.
Real.
Ethan inhaled slightly, like the contact surprised him every time.
"Aria…"
But she didn't pull away.
"Tell me I'm wrong," she said quietly.
He didn't.
Couldn't.
Because they both felt it.
The same thing.
That pull.
That connection.
Stronger now.
Harder to ignore.
"You shouldn't look at me like that," he said softly.
Her brows furrowed slightly. "Like what?"
"Like I'm… something you can keep."
Her chest tightened.
"I'm not trying to keep you," she said.
"Then what are you trying to do?"
Aria hesitated.
Because the answer—
Was simple.
But saying it made it real.
"I just don't want to lose you," she admitted.
Silence.
Deep.
Heavy.
Ethan's expression shifted again—softer than she had ever seen it.
"You don't even know me," he said.
"I know enough."
"That's not how this works."
"Then how does it work?" she asked.
He didn't answer.
So she squeezed his hand slightly.
And this time—
He didn't pull away.
The air around them felt still again.
Calmer.
Like the world was giving them a moment.
Just one.
"You remembered me in real life," he said quietly.
"Of course I did."
"That's not supposed to happen."
Aria tilted her head slightly. "You keep saying that."
"Because it matters."
"So do you."
The words slipped out easily now.
Naturally.
Ethan looked at her like he didn't know what to do with that.
And for the first time—
He looked… vulnerable.
"What if this disappears?" he asked.
Her heart tightened.
"Then we'll find another way," she said.
"You don't know that."
"No," she admitted. "But I know I'm not just going to pretend this isn't happening."
A pause.
Then—
"Neither am I."
Her breath caught.
That was the closest thing to an answer he had ever given.
And it was enough.
For now.
But just as quickly—
The streetlight flickered again.
Stronger.
Longer.
Aria sighed softly. "Of course."
Ethan's grip tightened slightly around her hand.
"Time's running out again," he said.
"Then don't let go first," she replied.
He almost smiled.
Almost.
And this time—
When the world began to shake—
They were still holding on.
---
Aria woke slowly, her hand still curled like it had been holding his.
Her chest felt tight.
But not in a bad way.
In a way that meant something had change