Marked in the Middle
And at the center of the field stood a version of herself, younger, cleaner, unscarred.
The other Nora turned toward her, eyes glowing faintly. “You shouldn’t be here.”
Nora’s throat tightened. “Neither should you.”
“You made a promise,” the other said. “You said you’d never come back.”
The pendant on Nora’s chest pulsed violently. “This isn’t real,” she whispered.
The younger version smiled, sad, knowing. “It’s as real as what you remember. The Rift is made of that.”
Nora reached out, but the moment her fingers brushed the air, the vision shattered like glass.
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