Sunlight streamed through the window, painting golden streaks across Lisa's face. She stirred, the remnants of a dream clinging to the edges of her mind. A smile played on her lips as she recalled the warmth of Luka's embrace, the whispered promises exchanged in the quiet of the night.

Suddenly, a sharp rapping on the door shattered the peaceful morning. Lisa bolted upright, the remnants of sleep dissolving into grogginess. She glanced at the empty space beside her, a pang of loneliness replacing the warmth of her dream. Luka was gone.

"Coming!" she called out, scrambling out of bed and rushing towards the door. She fumbled with the lock, flinging the door open to reveal Selene and Mia standing on the doorstep.

"Hi Selene, Mia! What are you doing here so early?" Lisa exclaimed, surprise coloring her voice.

Selene's usually bright eyes held a flicker of concern. "This morning, Mia contacted me and told me something you absolutely need to hear," she explained. "She also said she tried calling you, but your phone was switched off."

Lisa's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Oh, right," she mumbled, sheepishly reaching for her pocket. "Looks like I forgot to charge my phone last night. So, what's this urgent news?"

"Come inside, it's better to discuss it in private," Selene suggested, ushering them both into the living room.

Lisa's apartment, usually a haven of tidy organization, was slightly disheveled – a testament to the events of the previous night. Selene's gaze darted around the room, taking in the scattered cushions and the empty beer bottle on the coffee table.

"Lisa, what were you doing here yesterday?" she inquired, her voice laced with curiosity.

"Didn't I tell you?" Lisa replied, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "I spent the night with Luka. He mentioned he had to leave for another country soon, so we..." her voice trailed off, unsure how to explain the whirlwind of emotions that had unfolded.

Selene raised an eyebrow. "Another country, huh? Interesting. And how are you feeling about your medication, Lisa? Are you taking it regularly?"

Lisa hesitated, a flicker of doubt clouding her eyes. "To tell you the truth, I haven't been as strict with it lately," she admitted sheepishly. "Everything just feels...different now, Selene. Like a weight has been lifted."

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Selene exchanged a worried glance with Mia. There was something about Lisa's carefree demeanor, the abandoned medication, and the presence of Luka that sent shivers down Selene's spine. It all felt...off.

Taking a deep breath, Selene turned to Mia. "Mia," she began, "tell Lisa what you wanted to say."

Mia stepped forward, her expression solemn. "Lisa," she began, her voice filled with a seriousness that cut through the lighthearted mood of the morning. "Do you remember when you asked me to find someone named Luka? Well, I found him."

A flicker of surprise crossed Lisa's face. "Really, Mia? That's fantastic! But I already met him, and..." she paused, searching for the right words. "How do I say this? We're...well, we're kind of in a relationship now."

Mia's bombshell announcement shattered the fragile reality Lisa had constructed. "Lisa, that's impossible," Mia declared, her voice firm.

Lisa's smile faltered, replaced by a frown of confusion. "Impossible how?" she stammered, her heart thudding against her ribs. "

"The Luka you asked about," Mia clarified, her gaze filled with concern, "has been dead for a month."

The air seemed to suck out of the room. Lisa felt a cold dread creep into her bones. "Dead?" she echoed, her voice barely a whisper.

"Yes," Mia confirmed. "He died in a tragic accident. A heavy storm hit the very hiking trail you described as your first meeting spot. The records show his body was found two days later near the cave, about three hundred meters away. Apparently, he was struck by a rock and died on the spot, likely from suffocation."

Lisa's mind reeled. The warmth of Luka's embrace, the whispered promises, the shared laughter – it all felt like a cruel trick, a figment of her imagination. But then, a flicker of defiance sparked in her eyes. "No, this can't be true!" she exclaimed, her voice rising. "Are you joking? Some kind of prank? I know you love pranks, Selene!"

Selene's expression remained grave. "Lisa, this is serious," she said gently, her voice laced with concern. "There's no prank here."

Reaching into her purse, Mia pulled out a folder. "Here," she said, handing it to Lisa. "This is Luka's death certificate. His body is still in the morgue. I only just received this case as I was recently appointed to the station overseeing that area."

With trembling hands, Lisa opened the folder. Her eyes fell upon the stark black and white picture of a young man, a man who bore an uncanny resemblance to the Luka she thought she knew. But there was a stillness in his eyes, a lifelessness that sent shivers down her spine.

A wave of nausea washed over her. Denial warred with a terrifying sense of truth. The image in the photo, the details of the accident, all lined up perfectly with the story they were telling. Yet, a part of her clung to the memories, the shared moments that felt so real.

Tears welled up in Lisa's eyes, blurring her vision. She looked at Selene, a desperate plea hanging in the air. "But...Kiera," she stammered, her voice cracking. "The innkeeper, Kiera! She saw Luka, and she talked to her. She remembered him, the room…everything."

Selene shook her head sadly. "Lisa, Kiera doesn't remember any conversation with any Luka," she explained. "I spoke with her myself. She did confirm a couple's reservation, but you arrived alone. Here, look at the CCTV footage." She pulled out her phone and showed Lisa a short clip – the grainy footage clearly showing Lisa movement in the inn alone, with no sign of Luka.

The final piece of her constructed reality crumbled. Lisa sank back onto the couch, overwhelmed by a crushing wave of emotions. The world spun around her, a chaotic mix of grief, fear, and confusion. Everything she thought she knew, everything she had felt with such intensity, was a lie.

"Lisa," Selene said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Remember, you're a patient. You suffer from schizophrenia. We need to get you back into treatment. My car is downstairs. We can take you right now."

Lisa recoiled from the word "patient." A surge of denial rose within her. "No!" she cried, pushing Selene's hand away. "This is real! Luka is real! You're all wrong!"