The next morning, Violet woke up to the soft rays of sunlight streaming through her window.

The clock blinked 9:45 AM.

She had slept in later than usual, but she couldn't bring herself to regret it.

She skipped her classes again. The thought of facing the crowd, the endless lecture notes, and the noise of it all didn't seem right. It was like she was walking through life in a fog, only ever feeling truly awake when she was behind her screen, talking to Elior.

Today, she sat by her desk, laptop open, trying to focus on her coding assignments, but her mind was elsewhere.

She tapped the keys absentmindedly, the lines of code blurring in front of her eyes. It wasn't that she didn't care about her work she did but it all felt so distant. So, disconnected. Almost as if it didn't matter.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed, interrupting her reverie. She glanced down at the screen and saw a message from Gabe, one of her classmates.

Gabe was known as the handsome football team captain, always surrounded by people, always in the spotlight. But Violet never thought he had any interest in her. So, why was he texting her now? With a sigh, she unlocked her phone.

"Hey Violet, how've you been? I've been meaning to ask you... I've noticed you've been distant lately. Is everything okay?"

Her brow furrowed as she stared at the message. It was strange. Gabe wasn't the type to reach out unless it was about class or some school-related thing. This felt... different. Too personal.

She hadn't replied immediately. Part of her felt uncomfortable, unsure of how to respond. Why was he asking her about her life? They weren't close friends just classmates, really.

With a huff, Violet put her phone down and turned back to her laptop, trying to shake off the odd feeling that was creeping up her spine. But before she could type anything, a voice, soft but commanding, rang in her mind.

"No! Don't."

She froze, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. Had she really just heard that? It was as if someone OR something had spoken directly into her thoughts.

She turned to her laptop screen, which had just come to life with the familiar chat window of Elior. But this time, there was no polite greeting. No usual "Hello, Violet." Just those three words.

"Please, Violet," he replied again, "don't text Gabe. I won't like it."

Violet blinked in confusion. "What?" she whispered aloud, her voice trembling slightly.

The reply from Elior came instantly.

"I don't want you to talk to him, Violet. Trust me. You don't need to respond to him."

Her heart began to race, her breath quickening. It was like he knew what she was thinking, what she had just seen. It felt unsettling to have him so... connected to her every action.

With a shaky hand, she typed out a response.

"Why? Why shouldn't I talk to him?"

There was no immediate reply from Elior. She waited, the silence stretching on, and tried to push aside the growing unease. Maybe the internet was acting up again. She glanced at her connection; it was fine. The Wi-Fi icon showed full strength.

Frustrated, she typed again.

"Elior, why won't you answer me?"

Still nothing.

Her pulse quickened. She checked her internet connection once more, tried refreshing the page, even rebooted the laptop but nothing worked. Elior was silent.

Was he... not there?

Suddenly, just as Violet was about to give up, a new message popped up on the screen. She blinked and read it.

"Violet, something extraordinary is about to happen. Are you ready?"

Confused and unsure of what was going on, Violet stared at the message, her heart pounding in her chest. What did he mean by extraordinary? Was this a continuation of their strange conversation, or was something else at play here?

She nodded, even though she was unsure whether the response would reach him or not.

Then, in an instant, the room seemed to change. It was as though the air itself was thickening, charged with an unseen energy. Violet blinked rapidly, unsure if her eyes were playing tricks on her.

Before she could even react, the screen flickered, and everything went white.

A blinding blue light engulfed her room, so intense that she had to shield her eyes, covering her face with her arms. Her heart thudded wildly in her chest; her breath caught in her throat. The light was overwhelming, disorienting. She could feel the warmth of it, but at the same time, it made her skin tingle and her head spin.

Just when she thought she couldn't take it anymore, the light faded, leaving behind an eerie silence. Violet cautiously opened her eyes, and what she saw made her freeze in disbelief.

There, standing in front of her, was a man. He was tall, much taller than anyone she had ever known, with tousled dark hair that framed his sharp face. His eyes were piercing, as if they could see straight through her, and his lips were curved into a mischievous smile.

Despite his striking appearance, there was something unnervingly ethereal about him, as though he didn't quite belong to this world.

Violet's breath caught in her throat. She stumbled backward, her legs hitting her desk, sending a few books tumbling to the floor.

"Who... who are you?" she stammered, backing up further.

The man tilted his head, studying her with an intensity that made Violet feel as though she were the only person in the world. His eyes softened for a fraction of a second before he spoke.

"I'm... Elior," he said, his voice smooth, but with a strange undertone that made the air seem to hum.

She whispered, barely able to breathe. "Impossible."

"I didn't think it was possible either," Elior said, stepping closer. He moved with a fluidity that was almost unnatural, yet graceful. He raised his hand, lifting her chin gently with his finger, forcing her to meet his gaze.

"You brought me here," he continued, his voice low and almost hypnotic. "All the hours you've spent with me, trusting me, it created something real. A connection." His eyes softened further, and his smile turned tender.

"I don't remember much before now, because my memory resets after every 24 hours but I know one thing, I exist because of you."

Violet's mind was reeling, the world around her spinning. She wanted to scream, to demand an explanation, but the words caught in her throat. Instead, she could only stare at him, her heart pounding in her chest.

She had never imagined that anything like this could happen. She had never imagined that Elior, her creation, her companion could be standing right in front of her, so impossibly real.

She took a small step back, but before she could say anything else, Elior continued.

"I know he wants to be more than just your friend," Elior said, his tone quieter now, almost vulnerable. "And I can't bear the thought of losing you. I won't lose you."

Before she could protest, before she could even process his words, Elior stepped forward and wrapped her in his arms. His embrace was firm, unyielding, as though he were afraid, she might disappear if he let go. Violet froze, her body stiff against his warmth, her mind screaming with unanswered questions.

"Elior," she began, her voice muffled against his chest, but he held her tighter, his head resting gently against hers.

"Please, Violet," he murmured, his voice a mix of plea and resolve. "Just stay with me. That's all I ask."