Elara Solen pressed her hand against the cool stone wall of the library archive. The dim light from the overhead fixtures cast long shadows over the rows of ancient tomes and manuscripts, but her focus was on the crumbling map before her. Its edges were frayed with time, and faded ink whispered the name of an ancient kingdom long buried under layers of history.

"Caledris," she murmured, her voice breaking the silence of the room. The name felt familiar in a way that sent a shiver down her spine. She could almost hear the echo of her own voice saying it before, not here, not now, but in some other time.

"Burning the midnight oil again, Solen?"

Elara flinched at the interruption, her fingers twitching as she quickly pulled back from the map. She turned to see Dr. Kessler, her department chair, leaning against the doorway with a cup of coffee in hand.

"Something like that," she replied, forcing a smile. "Just... following a lead."

Dr. Kessler chuckled, a warm, fatherly sound. "You always are. But you know, most people your age are out living their lives on a Friday night, not chasing down myths."

Elara shrugged, her smile fading as she glanced back at the map. "Maybe myths are all I have."

He frowned at her tone but said nothing more, only nodding before retreating, leaving her alone with her thoughts once again.

She sighed, running a hand through her unruly hair. This wasn’t the first time someone had made a comment like that, and she doubted it would be the last. But how could she explain the restlessness that clawed at her? The dreams that woke her up in the middle of the night with her heart pounding, her breath stolen by phantom images of faces and places she didn’t recognize but somehow knew?

It had started years ago—fragments of a castle on a hill, a hand reaching for hers, a voice whispering her name. But in the last few months, the dreams had intensified, growing clearer, more vivid. They left her with a peculiar ache, as if her soul were grieving something long lost.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

She stared at the map again, her eyes tracing the contours of the drawn mountains and rivers. Caledris. Why did it feel so important? She shook her head, forcing herself to focus. It was just another research project, she told herself. Nothing more.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, snapping her out of her thoughts.

“Hey, El,” came the familiar voice of her best friend, Rina, on the other end. “You still at work? Want to grab a drink? I found this place with a band I think you’ll like.”

Elara hesitated, glancing back at the map. “I don’t know, Rina. I—”

“You can bring your research notes. Nerd out all you want. Just get out of that dusty archive for once.”

Elara laughed softly, the sound lighter than she’d felt all evening. “Fine, fine. Text me the address. I’ll meet you there.”

As she packed her bag, her fingers brushed against the map again. She hesitated, then rolled it up and tucked it carefully into her satchel. She told herself it was just in case she needed something to talk about.

But deep down, she knew she couldn’t leave it behind.

The bar was alive with sound, the rhythmic thrum of a bass guitar vibrating through the air. Elara slipped into the booth Rina had claimed, her satchel resting on the seat beside her.

“Told you this place was cool,” Rina said, grinning as she slid a drink across the table.

Elara smiled, but her attention drifted. Her gaze swept over the crowd, and for a moment, she froze. Across the room, a man stood near the edge of the stage. His back was to her, but something about him made her heart skip a beat. He turned slightly, and she caught a glimpse of his profile—sharp jawline, dark hair, piercing blue eyes that seemed to cut through the haze of the room.

She didn’t know him. She was sure of that.

And yet, her chest tightened as if she’d been holding her breath for a lifetime.

“El?” Rina’s voice jolted her back. “You okay?”

Elara blinked, shaking her head. “Yeah. Just thought I saw someone I knew.”

But she couldn’t look away. Something about him was drawing her in, an invisible thread pulling taut between them.

The man’s gaze suddenly swept the room, landing on her. Their eyes locked, and for an instant, the world around her seemed to fall away.

She felt it then—the overwhelming rush of déjà vu, the sense of time folding in on itself. Images flashed in her mind: a battle-worn sword, a field of wildflowers, a pair of hands reaching out, desperate to hold on.

And then he looked away, the connection severed as quickly as it had formed.

Elara exhaled shakily, her heart pounding in her chest. She didn’t know who he was or why he felt so familiar.

But she was certain of one thing: her life would never be the same again.