The Unforgettable Echoes Of Love

Chapter 40

"Baby, you're hallucinating. Zyran isn't real."

The sensation that enveloped me was indescribable.

It felt as though an arrow had pierced my heart, leaving a searing ache in its wake. The air around me seemed to evaporate, leaving me gasping for breath. It was as if the entire world had come crashing down on me.

In that moment, it was as if I existed in a surreal nightmare, a dream from which I couldn't wake up from. My mind reeled with disbelief, unable to comprehend the reality I was forced to accept.

My breath caught in my throat, my heart pounding so fiercely that its rhythm echoed loudly in my ears, drowning out all other sound. It was the only sound I could hear.

Turning to Zyran, I felt a desperate plea escape my lips in a barely audible whisper. "Please, do something," I implored, my voice trembling with fear and uncertainty. His gaze met mine, his expression soft yet burdened with its own weight of emotions, as he released a heavy sigh.

"I'm sorry. I'm not real."

A single tear came falling from my eyes.

The turmoil in my mind threatened to consume me entirely. Had I imagined him all along? I could still feel the ghost of his touch lingering on my skin, as if he were there beside me, wiping away my tears, even though I knew deep down that he wasn't.

A heavy sigh escaped my lips as I reached out to touch his face, only to be met with emptiness. He was there, yet not quite there, a ghostly presence from someone who had never existed.

Unable to contain the flood of emotions that threatened to overwhelm me, I collapsed into tears. "How could you do this to me, Zyran?" I whispered, my voice breaking with pain, but there was no answer, only silence.

With a heavy heart, I turned away, each step feeling like a painful reminder of the distance that had grown between us. As I made my way to the beach, tears streaming down my face, I couldn't bear to accept the harsh reality that laid before me.

I collided with a solid figure, and as I looked up, I found Levi standing before me. He enveloped me in a comforting embrace, but in that moment, I felt paralyzed, unable to move, my gaze locked with Zyran's as his eyes bored into mine, never wavering, never leaving me.

I felt lost in a whirlwind of confusion. Normally, I could tell what was real and what wasn't, but with Zyran, everything felt uncertain.

Part of me desperately wanted him to be real, to believe in the love we shared. But as reality sunk in and I couldn't feel him anymore, I had to face the painful truth: Zyran was just a hallucination, a dream that I had to let go of.

~ 2 weeks later ~

I had no desire to be here.

Life, in general, and this doctor's office specifically.

It was a sterile environment, with white walls devoid of any personality, save for a few toothpaste advertisements that seemed out of place.

The air was thick with tension as I waited for my mom and Dr. Harpaz to enter.

"Good afternoon, Raya," Dr. Harpaz greeted me with a sympathetic smile, one I couldn't bring myself to return.

"After reviewing your test results, it appears you may be dealing with paranoid schizophrenia," he explained, his words hanging heavily in the air.

I wasn't shocked. It seemed like just another burden to add to my already heavy load.

"Your condition may require medication and therapy. Have you had any experience with therapy in the past?" he inquired, his smile almost mocking my situation. I responded with a curt nod, my boredom palpable, and my desire for interaction nonexistent.