Sebastian did not know how long he lay there.
Time had returned.
Gravity had returned.
Pain had returned.
But meaning had not.
Cold ground pressed against his back. His lungs struggled to pull in air, each breath shallow and uneven, as if breathing itself had become a choice he was no longer sure how to make.
"…Vivian…"
Her name broke apart in his mouth.
No answer came.
Not empty silence.
Not peaceful silence.
This silence felt full.
Present.
Aware.
Watching.
Sebastian forced his eyes open. Gray light filled his vision. The world around him looked unfinished, like reality had been rebuilt too quickly and left incomplete.
Broken pillars stood in uneven rows around him. Some leaned. Some had collapsed entirely. The ground was smooth but cracked, stretching endlessly in every direction.
Above him, there was no sun.
No stars.
No sky.
Only pale distance.
