“But I’m certain that it was my life I saw.”

Lucas’ curiosity was completely piqued. “And then? What happened after that?”

“After that, everything unfolded just as I told you. I relived my entire life – from birth up to now. I even learned why my mother never seemed to like me.

“Of course, I don’t know if everything I saw was real, but I also remembered that the boy who was trapped with me under the rubble in high school was you.”

At that, Lucas’ whole body trembled. His eyes glistened with tears he couldn’t hold back. He never imagined Aurora would actually remember it all, and in such an unbelievable way.

“So… you really remember? You remember it was me?”

His voice shook slightly, and Aurora could hear it right away.

“Of course I do,” she said softly, her gaze filled with both warmth and guilt.

“I didn’t see your face clearly back then, and everyone kept telling me that the one who saved me was Joseph, so I misunderstood. If I’d realized it was you, we wouldn’t have been apart for so many years.”

Before she could finish, Lucas suddenly leaned in, cutting her off with a kiss.

Aurora’s eyes widened in surprise, but he gently placed his hand over them.

“Darling, focus when you’re kissing.”

Aurora obediently closed her eyes. She could feel his body trembling slightly, his kiss soft and trembling with emotion. It was gentler than any kiss they’d ever shared. In that moment, both of them could feel each other’s heartbeat – fast, raw, and real. Lucas knew then, without a doubt, that she was closer to him than ever before.

When he finally let her go, Aurora whispered, “I also remember… you gave me a piece of chocolate back then. You didn’t even have much for yourself, did you?”

His eyes widened in astonishment. “How… how do you even know that?”

Aurora let out a soft laugh. “That’s because, even though it was a dream, I was seeing everything from a third-person view. So, I was both living it and watching it happen. After that, a lot of things became clear to me.”

Lucas listened, finding it all a little surreal, but if this dream had helped her remember, then maybe it didn’t matter how impossible it sounded. Everything she described had truly happened; there was no reason to doubt her.

Aurora continued seriously, “Seeing your reaction only proves what I said is real. And because of that, I don’t need to keep searching for answers anymore. I finally understand why my mother resented me.”

“What are you going to do about it?”

Lucas’ heart ached as he looked at her, noticing the quiet fragility in her eyes. He couldn’t help pulling her into his arms. Aurora rested her head on his shoulder, her expression calm. She had already come to terms with it long ago.

“My thoughts are simple now. I don’t plan to do anything about it. How my mother feels about me doesn’t matter anymore because I already have someone who loves me more.”

Lucas tightened his hold on her, his voice trembling slightly. “I’ll always be by your side.”

“Me too.”

In that moment, their hearts drew even closer, beating in quiet harmony.