My head snap reaction brings my eyes to a set of wide-open, startled, and familiar dark browns, locked on me as though he's unable to blink. Set in a face that still haunts my dreams most nights for a million different reasons. I don't know which of us is in the worst state of disbelief because it feels close to both. My body turns to liquid at being three inches away from the man I never wanted to see again, and my hands start to tremble, swallowing hard as my insides crumble.

"It's...... it's really you?... Sohla...." He's breathy, obviously in a state of shock, and staring at me like...