Chapter 2: The Moment Everything Changed
The world shifted.
The sound of rain faded, replaced by silence… then light.
They were no longer outside. Now they stood in a bright room high above the city, sunlight pouring through massive windows. Time had passed—but something else had changed, too.
Emily wasn’t sitting anymore.
She was standing.
Her legs trembled beneath her, fragile but real. Her hands gripped the boy’s tightly, fear and hope colliding in her chest.
“I can’t…” she said, her voice shaking.
“You can,” the boy replied softly. “Stand with me.”
Mr. Carter stood nearby, eyes wide, barely breathing. “Emily…”
A strange energy began to rise around them—subtle at first, then stronger. The air seemed to pulse, like the moment before lightning strikes.
“Here it goes!” Mr. Carter shouted instinctively.
Emily’s knees buckled—but the boy held firm.
“Don’t let go,” he told her, his voice steady, unwavering.
She closed her eyes… and pushed.
And then—
She stood.
Not for a second.
May you like
Not for a moment.
But truly stood.
