Chapter 97 Between Yesterday and Tomorrow

Chapter 97 Between Yesterday and Tomorrow
Rowan wasn't sure what woke her. There was no sudden jolt of pain. No blinding flash of light. No memory crashing into her mind the way it had before. Consciousness returned slowly, like drifting toward the surface of deep water after being underwater for far too long. For several moments she simply lay still, breathing. The air smelled clean. Wildflowers. Fresh rain. Sun-warmed earth. None of it belonged beneath a mountain. She frowned and opened her eyes. Above her stretched an endless sky unlike any she had ever seen. It wasn't simply blue. Gold bled into lavender near the horizon, while ribbons of silver drifted lazily overhead like clouds that had forgotten where they were going. The light wasn't bright enough to make her squint, yet everything around her seemed to glow from within. She slowly pushed herself upright. The battle was gone. The sanctuary was gone.

Corvin...

His name struck her chest like a physical ache. She turned quickly, expecting to find him somewhere nearby, but there was no one. Only rolling fields blanketed in white flowers that moved gently with the breeze. An odd sense of familiarity settled over her. She had never seen this place before. She was certain of it.
So why did it feel like coming home? Her fingers brushed across the petals nearest her. They were soft, almost impossibly so, and for the briefest moment an image flashed through her mind—a little girl running through the same field, laughing as someone chased after her. The memory vanished before she could grasp it.

Rowan closed her eyes, pressing a hand against her forehead.

"What is happening to me?"

"You've stopped running."

The voice was gentle. Not startling. Not threatening. Simply...there. Rowan looked up. The silver-haired woman stood several yards away beside a narrow stream that wound through the field. She hadn't been there a moment earlier. Or perhaps she had. Perhaps Rowan simply hadn't noticed. The woman smiled, and something inside Rowan tightened painfully. She didn't recognize her face. But she recognized the feeling. It was the same feeling she'd had as a child waking from a nightmare and knowing someone would be there before she even opened her eyes. Safe. Loved.

The realization frightened her more than any monster ever had.

"I know you."

The words escaped before she could stop them. The woman's smile faltered.

"You do."

"I don't remember your name."

"I know."

There wasn't even a hint of disappointment in her voice. Instead, she sounded...grateful.

"As long as you remember your heart before your mind, there is still hope."

Rowan slowly stood.

"I don't understand any of this."

"You aren't supposed to."

The woman gestured toward the stream.

"Walk with me."

Normally Rowan would've refused. Normally she would've demanded answers before taking another step.
Instead she found herself following without question. The silence between them wasn't uncomfortable.
It reminded Rowan of long drives with Corvin, where neither of them felt the need to fill every quiet moment with conversation.

The thought of him brought another sharp ache.

"He's worried about me."

The woman looked sideways at her.

"He always will be."

Rowan stopped walking.

"You know Corvin?"

"I know what he means to you."

"And what do I mean to him?"

The woman smiled softly.

"Everything."

Tears stung Rowan's eyes before she understood why.

"He thinks he failed me."

"He believes that because he loves you."

The words settled deep inside her.

"He couldn't have followed you here if he'd wanted to," the woman continued. "Some journeys can only be walked alone."

They reached the stream. The woman knelt, letting her fingers trail through the water.

"Look."

Rowan hesitated before kneeling beside her. The surface reflected the sky perfectly. Then the reflection changed. Instead of seeing herself, Rowan saw Corvin. He was pacing inside the sanctuary, blood drying on his hands, his sword forgotten against the wall. Jess sat nearby, exhaustion written across her face while Malric remained close enough that their shoulders occasionally brushed without either of them noticing. Fenrir stood outside the shattered entrance, motionless as stone. Taryn spoke quietly with Lyra, directing wolves and guards alike as they reinforced what remained of the sanctuary. No one was resting.No one was celebrating. They were waiting. Waiting for her. Rowan reached instinctively toward the water.

The image rippled and disappeared.

"They're real."

"Yes."

"They can see me?"

"No."

She lowered her hand.

"But they haven't given up on me."

The silver-haired woman smiled.

"They never will."

Rowan stared at the stream for a long time before speaking again.

"Who am I?"

The woman didn't answer immediately. Instead she looked toward the horizon where the golden light met the endless field.

"I could tell you."

Rowan looked up hopefully.

"But if I do..."

The woman turned back toward her.

"...you'll believe my words."

She gently touched Rowan's chest.

"I need you to remember your own."

For the first time since arriving, Rowan understood. This wasn't a prison. It wasn't a dream. It wasn't even a place. It was a memory. And somewhere within it... The truth was waiting. Far above, on the mountain, Fenrir suddenly lifted his head. The wind had changed. A scent he hadn't encountered in thousands of years drifted through the broken sanctuary. His entire body went rigid.

Taryn noticed immediately.

"What is it?"

Fenrir didn't answer. He couldn't. Because after three thousand years... He recognized the scent. And if he was right... The one approaching the mountain wasn't coming for revenge. He was coming to finish what had begun before any of them were born.