Siya looked up as Aki stopped, frozen halfway down the stairs. Her eyes, dark and knowing, met his. A small, sad smile touched her lips.
'I am here to keep my promise, Aki,' Siya greeted him with those words, words he hadn't consciously remembered, but which resonated deep in his bones with a terrifying familiarity. Aki forgot how to breathe. The world tilted. The solid ground beneath his feet dissolved. The years of certainty evaporated in an instant, replaced by the chilling, undeniable truth reflected in her dry form amidst the rain. Rain was not touching her.
'So…' Aki's voice was a broken whisper, barely audible over the drumming rain. He forgot to hold onto the umbrella. '...it was not a dream?' The umbrella slipped from his numb fingers, clattering down the stone steps, bouncing twice before landing with a splash in a puddle at the bottom, just a few feet from where Siya stood, patiently waiting. .
