Chapter 8: "Where is she?"

Ryan’s pov.

My breaths come in sharp, uneven gasps as I struggle to shake off the remnants of the tormenting dream. The faceless figure’s words still echo within me, a bitter reminder of my inadequacy.

In the darkness of my subconscious, the silhouette looms, its features concealed by an impenetrable shroud. The air hangs heavy with anticipation, an unspoken certainty that something pivotal is about to unfold. And then, like a razor, the voice pierces the silence.

“You’re not good enough for me, Ryan. I reject you,” it whispers, laden with scorn and contempt.

I feel my heart plummet, burdened by the weight of those cruel words. I attempt to protest, to refute the unjust condemnation, but my voice fails me, leaving me exposed and defenseless. The figure dissolves into the shadows, leaving behind a desolate void that reverberates in the depths of my being.

As I sit upright, the remnants of the dream ensnare my consciousness, a lingering fog that refuses to dissipate. Rejection is unfam