The world around Sia seemed to hold its breath. Every second stretched like an eternity as she stood frozen before him. The man who had haunted her dreams, who had whispered in the darkness of her mind, was now standing before her in full form. His presence filled the space, not just with his body, but with an overwhelming force—an unseen tether pulling her toward him.
His eyes, endless and ancient, pierced through her, as if he could see into the very soul of her. Sia's heart raced, her pulse quickening with every passing moment. This man—this figure—was not a stranger. She felt it deep within her bones, a connection that had always been there, hidden beneath the surface.
"You are mine," his voice was low, almost a whisper, but it echoed in her chest like the thunder of an approaching storm. "You were never meant to forget."
Anthony stood by her side, his confusion and fear growing by the second. "What does he mean, Sia? What is he talking about?"
Sia barely heard him. Her mind was consumed by the weight of the man's words, the revelation of a truth she had never asked for but had always been bound to. She wanted to run, to escape from the crushing gravity of the moment, but her feet were rooted to the ground.
"I don't know…" she whispered, her voice barely audible as she looked at the man before her. "I don't remember you. I don't remember this."
The man stepped closer, his movements fluid and slow, as though time bent around him. He reached out, not touching her, but the air between them seemed to hum with energy.
"Because you were made to forget," he murmured, his voice wrapping around her like a velvet shroud. "But I've always been here, Sia. In the very fabric of your existence. I am the reason you can see what others cannot. The reason you are bound to this world—our world."
Sia's mind was spinning. She reached out to Anthony for support, her hand trembling as she grasped his. "Anthony, I don't understand. What's happening? Why is this happening to me?"
Anthony's eyes flickered with concern, his face pale. He wanted to protect her, but he was caught in this storm of fate alongside her, a mere bystander to forces he couldn't comprehend. "We'll figure this out, Sia. Together."
But the man—this strange figure—was relentless in his revelations. "Your journey, Sia, is not just your own. It was written long ago. You were chosen. And now, the time has come to fulfill the prophecy."
Sia's breath caught in her throat as the words settled over her like an insurmountable weight. Prophecy? She had no recollection of any such thing, no memory of being part of some grand design. Yet, deep inside, a stirring thought whispered in the back of her mind, as though her very soul recognized the truth before her mind could.
"I… I don't know what you're talking about," she said, voice trembling. Her gaze was fixed on the figure in front of her, and yet a part of her, a deeper part, was beginning to understand—understand that everything in her life had led to this moment.
The man's lips curved into a knowing smile, one that sent a shiver down her spine. "You will. You will understand, soon enough. The time for answers is here, Sia."
With that, his hand moved slowly, as if in deliberate motion, and a burst of light enveloped the room, blinding her for a split second. The air grew thick, heavy with magic, and the world around them shifted. The ground beneath their feet seemed to tremble, and the shadows seemed to stretch out farther, as if the very fabric of reality was beginning to warp.
Sia gasped for breath, clutching her chest as she felt the weight of destiny pressing against her, her heart racing. Was she ready for this? For the truth that awaited her? Could she even comprehend what lay ahead?
Before she could speak, the figure's voice broke through the chaos, "The web of fate has been spun. There is no turning back now."