Ekko's groan echoed through the room as his head spun, memories flooding his mind like a tidal wave. His eyes fluttered open, and he was met with an unfamiliar ceiling. He sat up with a start, his mind racing as he took in his surroundings. The cozy, well-lit bedroom was bathed in a warm, golden light that streamed through the large window. But it was the person lying beside him that made his heart skip a beat.

As he jolted upright, his sudden movement startled the body beside him. You awakened, rubbing your eyes, and looked up at Ekko with a mixture of confusion and concern. "Hey, what's wrong?" Your voice husky with sleep.

Recognition washed over him as he took in the dark curls that cascaded down your back like a waterfall of night, and the brown eyes that sparkled like warm chocolate. You...were alive and well, with a peaceful expression on your face that made his heart ache with joy.

As he gazed at you, he felt like he'd been punched in the gut. The air was knocked out of him, and he couldn't breathe. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, and he felt like he was drowning in a sea of emotions. He hadn't realized he had started crying, tears streaming down his cheeks as he stared at you, his mind reeling with the implications.

Your expression changed from concern to alarm as you reached out and put a hand on his cheek and he realized he was acting completely out of it.

He took a deep breath, trying to shake off the feeling of disorientation. He looked around the room again, taking in the familiar yet strange surroundings. "S-Sorry...I...I just had a weird dream," he managed to choke out, his voice cracking with emotion. "That's all."

But he knew it was more than that. He knew that he wasn't in his own world anymore. This was a parallel universe, one where things had turned out differently. One where he never had to watch you suffer at the hands of shimmer.