The moon was low in the midnight sky and shone pale over the silent gardens of the palace. Cedric stood on the edge of a pool of water, reflecting. It had been days he'd dreamed of her, haunted him, Leona-his love, his memory of her, vanished as if she had never existed to be part of his life.
But he knew she had been real. He could feel it in the marrow of his being. She wasn't just a dream that passed or a piece of his imagination. There was something about her presence that anchored him in a way nothing else did.
"I can't let this go," he muttered, hardly louder than the soft rustle of leaves in the breeze.
They had transformed from dreams to something far more clear, vivid, laced with whispers he could hardly make out. This wasn't a memory but a call, an invitation toward something much greater.
Cedric was not the only one to note that his restlessness continued to grow. Vivienne found him in the gardens later that night, her soft footfalls barely audible until she spoke.
"You've been restless," she said, folding her arms as she approached. Her expression was a mixture of concern and curiosity. "It's about her, isn't it? Leona."
Cedric turned to face her, his jaw tightening. "I can't ignore it, Vivienne. She's out there somewhere, I know it."
Vivienne's brow furrowed. "But she's. gone. Isn't she?"
He shook his head. "No. She's more than what we thought. I don't know how to explain it, but I feel her presence in everything-in the cracks of this world, in the way the rifts move and shift. It's as if she's still connected to all of this."
Vivienne hesitated. She had her own suspicions about the strange occurrences lately, but she hadn't wanted to voice them. "What do you plan to do?"
Cedric's gaze hardened. "I'm going to find her."
The next morning, Cedric began his search in earnest. He combed through ancient texts in the royal library, looking for anything that might hint at realms beyond their own. He questioned travelers who claimed to have seen strange phenomena near the rifts.
As days turned into weeks, his obsession grew.
Vivienne had joined him eventually, unable to simply stand by and watch him spiral. Together, they followed leads to long-forgotten ruins and abandoned villages swallowed by the tears.
"I don't understand why this means so much to you," Vivienne said one evening as they sat by the campfire. "You barely knew her."
His voice was low but firm as he stared into the flames. "You're wrong. I knew her better than anyone. She was a part of me in a way I can't explain. And I think. I think she's the reason our world even exists."
Vivienne was silent, for the first time realizing just how deep this conviction ran with Cedric.
It was not long before Magnus heard rumors of Cedric's quest. The once-feared duke, now an ally, found Cedric and Vivienne deep in an overgrown forest.
"You're chasing shadows," Magnus said frankly as he stepped into their camp.
Cedric rose to his feet, his hand instinctively falling to the hilt of his sword. "What are you doing here?"
"Stopping you from making a mistake," Magnus replied. "I've heard the whispers too. The rifts, the dreams-they're all connected to something bigger. But you can't fight this, Cedric. It's beyond us."
Cedric's eyes blazed with defiance. "If it's beyond us, then what? Do we just sit back and let our world collapse?"
Magnus's face softened, a crack in his facade of calm-a rare vulnerability. "I've fought battles I thought I couldn't win. I've faced my own demons and come out alive. But this. this is different. You're dealing with forces that don't follow our rules."
"I don't care about the rules," Cedric shot back. "Leona is out there, and I'm going to find her."
That night, as Cedric lay wakeful in his bedroll, the dreams came back. But this time, they were sharper, more insistent.
The Whispering Shadow loomed over him, its form dancing, fluttering like smoke on a breeze.
"You defy the natural order," it hissed, its voice a chorus of voices layered upon one another. "She is gone, beyond your reach. Yet you persist."
Cedric clenched his fists, glaring at the figure. "Where is she?"
The Shadow chuckled, a sound that sent chills down his spine. "You seek what should remain lost. Every step you take brings ruin closer to your world."
"Then I'll rebuild it," Cedric snapped. "Tell me where she is!"
The Shadow's laughter slowly died away, to be replaced by an uncomfortable silence. "Very well," it said finally. "If you wish to find her, you must step beyond the rifts. But know this: once you cross, there is no guarantee you will return."
The voice of the Shadow echoed through his mind, and with a jolt, Cedric was awake. Step beyond the rifts. It was a gamble-a leap into the unknown-but what choice did he have?
The next morning, he told Vivienne and Magnus about his dream.
"You are insane," Magnus said matter-of-factually. "You have any idea what could happen to you when you step into a rift? You may never come out alive."
"And if I don't do this, our world might not survive," Cedric replied.
Vivienne laid a hand on his arm. "Cedric, are you sure about this? There's no turning back once you make this choice."
He looked at her, his eyes unflinching. "I've never been more certain of anything in my life."
They found the closest rift three days later—a churning whirlpool of darkness that seemed to vibrate with an energy not of this world.
Cedric stood at the edge, his heart racing. This was it. The point of no return.
"Are you really going to do this?" Magnus asked, his tone softer than usual.
Cedric nodded. "I have to."
Vivienne stepped forward, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "Be careful," she whispered.
Cedric smiled faintly. "I'll find her. And I'll come back."
With that, he stepped into the rift, the darkness swallowing him whole.