I stood there, frozen, staring at the old man. "Have you gotten what you've longed for in the form of your friends?" he asked, his eyes locked on me. I nodded slowly, still in disbelief.
How could everything happen so fast? Just a moment ago, I was thinking of them, and now here they were. Louis and Hannah stood before me, smiling, but something felt off. I couldn't shake the unease creeping up my spine.
"Are you really here?" I whispered, reaching out to touch them. But as soon as my hand moved forward, they vanished into thin air, like smoke being blown away. I gasped, stumbling back in shock.
"They… they were just here!" My voice trembled as I looked around, hoping they'd return. But there was nothing. Just empty space where they had been.
The old man stood quietly, watching me with a knowing look. "What you saw were illusions," he said calmly.
