04:06 a.m. – Rossi Mansion

  It was just a breath.

  A blink.

  And the world folded in on itself.

  Suddenly, Kali and Dahlia were back in the mansion, in the eastern wing hallway, right in front of their rooms. The lights were off, but the air was warm. Familiar. Safe.

  Skyler —as she had introduced herself— was no longer with them. Only a subtle breeze remained, as if the universe had quietly closed a door behind her departure.

  Kali didn't wait a second. Something inside her lit up. It wasn't just instinct. It was memory. It was certainty.

  "Nicco..." she whispered, and without thinking, ran.

  Her bare feet made no sound on the wooden floor, but her heart thundered like an ancient drum. Her soul called for him. Recognized him.

  It had always been him.

  In every life. In every battle.

  In every death.

  He had always been there.

  She opened the door without thinking. And there he was, sitting on the bed, already awake, his body tense, his eyes alert.

  "Kali...?" he said, still half-asleep but fully aware. "Where...?"

  She threw herself into his arms, wordless. She hugged him tightly. As if she had crossed centuries just to return to him.

  "I found you again," she whispered against his chest. "I always come back to you."

  Nicco didn't understand. But something inside him also vibrated with that reunion. As if his soul knew what his mind had yet to grasp.

  Meanwhile, in the hallway...

  Dahlia stood still.

  She didn't go in yet.

  Her gaze dropped to the floor, but her mind... traveled.

  The memories didn't stop after awakening. They kept emerging. Images. Voices. Battles. Bodies. Pain. Love. Promises. Betrayals. And one face.

  Always the same face.

  Her companion in every life. Her other half. Her axis.

  But this time... she didn't recognize him.

  The face was clear, yes. The eyes, even the voice's tone. But she didn't know who he was now. Only one thing was clear:

  He was part of Nicco's family.

  That detail struck her like a distant echo. It confused her. Stirred her.

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  "I'll find you," she whispered to herself, touching her chest. "Even if I don't know your name this time."

  She took a breath and entered the room where Nicco was already holding Kali, confused but attentive. She watched them in silence for a second. Then, with firm steps, she sat on the edge of the bed.

  "We need to talk."

  04:14 a.m. – Nicco's Room

  "You left?" Nicco asked in a low voice, as if fearing the answer.

  "It wasn't voluntary," said Kali. "It was like... waking up inside another reality. We were very far. Over six hours from here."

  "How did you come back?"

  "A girl," answered Dahlia. "Redhead. Her name is Skyler. She says she's our ally. And that she's known us for many lifetimes."

  Nicco frowned.

  "Past lives?"

  "We recovered all the memories," said Kali softly. "Not just fragments. Everything. The battles, the power, our deaths... all of it."

  "And what did you... see?"

  They both fell silent.

  Until Dahlia finally spoke, firmly:

  "We devastated. Kali and I. Together. Our powers joined and... we destroyed everything in our path."

  "What does that mean?"

  "It means something is awakening," said Kali. "That we're not new to this. And that we're not alone."

  Nicco looked down. He was processing. But when he looked back up, there was no fear in his eyes. Only resolve.

  "Then you'll have to teach me how to rise to your level."

  Kali smiled. Dahlia did too.

  Because even though the past was heavy...

  the present still belonged to them.

  And the future... would come with fire.

  04:26 a.m. – Nicco's Room, Rossi Mansion

  The silence that followed Kali's story weighed more than any scream.

  She had told him everything.

  Everything.

  From the visions of past lives to their eternal bond. The battles. The love. The death. The cyclical resurrection. He, Nicco, in all his forms, in all eras, had been with her. Always.

  Nicco didn't speak. He just looked at her. And although his mouth said nothing, his eyes said everything: he felt it too.

  "It's like everything makes sense now," he finally whispered, brushing Kali's cheek. "As if there was never a 'before' without you."

  Kali rested her forehead against his, and for a few seconds, the world disappeared. Everything was simple, clear. Like the echo of something that had always been.

  But not every heart in that room beat for the same reason.

  Dahlia watched them with tenderness... and a certain distance. Until she finally broke the silence.

  "I saw him too."

  Nicco and Kali turned toward her. Her expression was serene, but her eyes were filled with something new. Certainty.

  "What did you see?" Kali asked gently.

  Dahlia looked down for a moment, then raised her gaze with determination.

  "Him. My soulmate. I don't know his name now, but I saw him clearly. Dark brown eyes, almost black. Short, tousled hair. A mole near his lip. Tall, broad shoulders. I haven't seen him much in this life... but now I know it's him."

  Nicco froze.

  "What...?" he started, then, as if a puzzle piece clicked into place— "You're talking about my cousin."

  "Cousin?" Dahlia asked, brow slightly furrowed.

  "Tom," said Nicco. "Tom Williams. He's living in Italy, in Florence. He left a few years ago. But... yeah, everything you described... that's him."

  Dahlia didn't reply immediately. She closed her eyes. Repeating the name in her mind. Tom. Tom. Tom.

  And though she didn't remember ever saying it before... her soul recognized it.

  Kali, from the bed, held her gaze with a mix of emotion and understanding.

  "You're not alone," she said. "You never were."

  No one knew exactly how much time passed after that. The three of them stayed there, sharing silences, glances, thoughts. Everything was too much... but also, everything was perfect.

  Because for the first time since all of this began, they had a name. A destiny. And the beginning of a purpose.

  The memories changed them.

  The truths united them.

  And the bond between the three... was stronger than ever.

  04:58 a.m. – Rossi Mansion

  The room remained in a warm calm, bathed in the dim light of a single lamp. The air smelled of freshly washed sheets, forgotten coffee on the tray, and Kali's soft perfume still lingering.

  Dahlia rose carefully from the armchair, not disturbing the quiet intimacy woven between her two friends.

  "I'm going for a walk," she said softly. "I'm not sleepy, and this house... well, it always seems to be hiding something."

  Kali gave her a soft smile. Nicco nodded without asking. It was one of those decisions that didn't need explanation.

  Dahlia walked down the hall, her figure gliding between tall shadows and ancient shelves. She knew what she was looking for.

  She wanted to find Tom.

  Or at least, the traces of his existence in that house.