Ink and paper : The fallen Hero.

**Eloise** 

It's... beyond anything I could have ever imagined. 

One moment, I'm standing in my cramped apartment, surrounded by the clutter of my chaotic life. The next, I'm in Aeloria. My creation. The world that had once existed only on paper now surrounds me in full, vivid color. 

I inhale deeply, and the air is so pure, so clean it feels like I've just breathed for the first time. There's a slight coolness to it, like early morning dew, mixed with the scent of earth and wildflowers. It's... intoxicating. A sharp contrast to the heavy, artificial air I'm used to back home. 

I step forward, my feet sinking slightly into the soft grass beneath me. The world stretches out before me, an endless expanse of rolling hills and valleys dotted with vibrant wildflowers—purple, yellow, and blue blooms that seem to glow under the sunlight. The sky above is a deep violet, with wisps of lavender clouds lazily drifting by. It's like a dream. A dream I crafted, but never truly *felt* until now. 

I feel like I'm floating. The weight of the world feels lighter here, as though I could take flight if I just tried hard enough. The breeze picks up, rustling through the long grass, and I close my eyes for a moment, letting the cool wind wash over me. My heart races, my skin tingles with the sensation of being so far removed from the mundane. 

I've created this. 

I've built this place. Every blade of grass, every flower, every whisper of wind—I'm the architect of all of it. I am part of this world. 

And it's *beautiful*. 

I open my eyes again, the tears blurring my vision as I take in the scenery. It's so incredible that it feels almost too much to bear. My breath hitches as I raise a hand to wipe away the single tear that drips down my cheek. It's a tear of wonder, of awe—of joy. 

"Is this real?" I whisper, more to myself than to anyone else. 

I glance over at Caius, and I'm surprised to find him watching me. He's silent, his face unreadable, but his eyes are sharp, following my every movement. He seems almost... detached from the beauty of it all. Like it's not enough for him. Like he's waiting for something more. 

But I can't tear my eyes away. 

I take another step, my heart swelling with emotion. It's overwhelming, this sense of accomplishment, this realization that I've breathed life into something that was once just ink and paper. 

A tear slips from my other eye, and I let it fall. 

I don't even care. 

For the first time, I'm not the lonely woman in front of a screen, writing words that feel empty. I'm standing in the world I built, and it feels like everything I've ever wanted is here, just within reach. 

It's incredible. 

"It's... beautiful," I say, my voice a little shaky. 

**Caius** 

I stand behind her, silent as she takes in the world I once thought only existed in the confines of my own mind. 

At first, I'm not sure what to make of it. She stands there, her arms outstretched as if to embrace the entirety of this world she has brought to life. Her face glows with an emotion I didn't expect—joy, wonder, something raw and unguarded. She's not the author now, not the woman who creates and controls everything. She's just... a person. A person experiencing something she never thought possible. 

Her eyes shine with tears, though she tries to wipe them away. There's something about the sight of it—the softness in her expression, the way her whole demeanor changes when faced with the world she made—that stirs something inside me. 

I've never seen anyone react to a world like this. I've never known what it feels like to *create* something, to build a world from nothing and watch it unfold. This is her magic, her gift, but it's a power I can never possess. 

I wonder... what is it like to see the world through her eyes? To witness your own creation with the same wonder she does? To be both the creator and the witness, the one who both shaped and now experiences the beauty of it. 

And yet, despite all of this, there's a part of me that feels... unsettled. 

I watch her carefully, my gaze following her every movement. There's a tenderness to her reaction, an almost childlike awe that reminds me of the innocence I lost long ago. For all her words about changing my fate, about rewriting my story, it's *her* I'm beginning to wonder about. 

She's here. She's part of this world now, but... how much of it does she really understand? 

I don't speak. I let her have this moment, but the questions linger in my mind. She may have created this world, but does she truly *know* what it is? 

Does she understand the weight of what she's just done? Does she understand the cost of it? 

Her eyes finally meet mine, and there's something fragile about her smile. A smile that says so much more than she realizes. 

I can't help it. I take a step forward. 

"This world... it's everything you imagined?" 

She nods without hesitation, her eyes still sparkling with tears. "More than I imagined," she whispers. 

For a moment, I simply stand there, watching her. This is her world. But even now, even in this moment of creation, I can see how much more it could be. 

Her gaze shifts to the horizon, the vast fields stretching out before us. And for a brief moment, I wonder if she'll ever see the world the way I see it. 

Will she ever understand how this beauty is not enough to fix what's broken inside me? 

But for now, I remain silent, allowing her to feel what she feels. The world is hers, after all. And maybe—just maybe—I'll find my place in it, too.