I didn't know what to expect when Elliot came back. Matthias had warned me that the ritual would come with consequences, but I didn't fully understand it until I saw him. He wasn't the same.
His eyes, once bright and full of life, were now empty, distant. The person I brought back didn't recognize me. It hit me harder than I expected. This wasn't the Elliot I knew. He wasn't my Elliot anymore.
He had a new name. "Liam." The name sounded strange when I said it out loud. It was like he wasn't even the same person. The way he talked, the way he carried himself—it was as if he was starting a completely new life. He was a stranger in Elliot's body.
When I first approached him, my heart was pounding. I didn't know what to say.
"Liam," I said, my voice shaky. He looked up at me, his face blank.
"Do I know you?" he asked, polite but distant.
It was like a punch to the stomach. I wanted to say something, but I couldn't find the words. How could I tell him what had happened? How could I explain that I had brought him back from the dead, but in doing so, I had lost the person I loved?
"No," I finally said, barely able to speak. "I don't think so."
He nodded slowly, clearly not interested in anything more. Then, he turned back to the counter.
I stood there for a moment, feeling lost. He didn't know me. And I was starting to realize that maybe he never would again.
The days after Liam returned felt like they were passing in a blur. Every time I tried to talk to him, it was like speaking to a wall. He was distant, cold, and uninterested. I'd try to bring up memories—things only the two of us would remember—but he'd look at me like I was a stranger.
"I don't remember that," he'd say, his voice flat, like it didn't matter.
Every time he said that, it was like a sharp pain in my chest. It felt raw. How could I make him remember? How could I get him to see that he wasn't just Liam? He was Elliot.
But no matter what I tried, it didn't change anything. He wasn't the same person I had loved.
Still, I couldn't give up. I couldn't just walk away. I brought him back, and now, I had to try to rebuild whatever was left of him, even if it was hard.
There was something about him that kept pulling me in. He was a stranger, but I still felt this connection. Every time I saw him, my heart raced, but it was always followed by that pain. It felt like I was in a dream I couldn't wake up from.
Meanwhile, Caleb, Liam's brother, was starting to figure things out. He had always been suspicious about what happened to Liam before, and now that his brother was back, he was more determined than ever to uncover the truth.
I could feel his gaze on me whenever I glanced at him. His eyes were filled with suspicion, and I knew he was getting closer to the truth. That scared me. If he found out what I had done, everything would fall apart. He would never forgive me.
One afternoon, I saw Caleb sitting at a table in the tavern, staring at me with that same cold look. It was like he was waiting for something. I tried to ignore him, but I couldn't shake the feeling that he knew something was off.
Then something happened that I hadn't expected.
It was late one evening when I found Liam standing by the window, staring out into the night. He looked distant, lost in thought. I didn't know what to think as I walked past him, but something about his expression stopped me. It was like something shifted inside him, something subtle but real.
"Wait," he called out softly.
I turned, heart in my throat, not sure what to expect.
"What is it?" I asked, my voice shaky.
Liam didn't answer right away. He just looked at me, like he was trying to figure something out. I stood still, holding my breath. Was this the moment he remembered me? Could he finally see who I was?
He spoke slowly after a long pause.
"I don't know why," he said quietly, "but you feel familiar. The way you look at me... it's like... I should know you."
My heart stopped. For a moment, just a brief moment, it was like I had gotten through to him. Maybe, just maybe, he was starting to remember me. He was starting to remember us.
But then, just as quickly, the moment was gone. His face went blank, and he looked away. "I don't know. I'm sorry. I don't remember you."
I stood there, feeling the weight of those words sink in. It wasn't much, but it was something. A tiny spark of recognition, a thread I could hold onto. Maybe he wasn't completely lost to me.
But what now? I didn't know how to move forward. I couldn't rush him. He wasn't ready. Maybe he would never be.
That night, lying in bed, I couldn't stop thinking about what had happened. A small flicker of hope, but also fear. I didn't know what to do next. I had already given so much to bring him back. Now, I was wondering if I had given too much.
And then there was Caleb. Every time I saw him, it felt like my stomach was tied in knots. He was getting closer to the truth, I could feel it. The thought of him finding out what I had done made me want to panic. If he knew, everything I'd fought for would fall apart.
But right then, Caleb didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was Liam. The way he had looked at me. The way he had remembered me, even for just a moment.
There was still hope. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep me going. I had to find a way to reach him. To make him remember.
But at what cost? I'd already paid so much. I wasn't sure how much more of myself I could give.