Parallel

Chapter 4: Spaces Between

"So you've been trying to find your father?"
I asked her gently. "Gusto kong subukan, but my emotions got me," she admitted.
"Until I met the other you. The first one. I didn't know what to think, but he made me believe something was still possible."

I watched her carefully. I asked, "What happened to that guy?"
"I don't know. That other you, he vanished."
"That was the moment I crossed," I murmured.

She blinked. "So the one I spoke to... he was your version in my world. And when you arrived, he left?"

"Maybe not left. Maybe merged. Or maybe the universe only needed one of me here." The wind rustled through the trees again, but it felt gentler this time. Like the world approved of this convergence. "You're not what I expected," she said, almost teasing.

"In a good way or bad?"
"Hindi ko pa alam," she smirked. "I'll let you know."

We walked slowly through the park. Each step fell into rhythm like we were syncing with something deeper. Every glance we exchanged felt like a quiet confirmation that neither of us was alone anymore. "How long do you think I have?" I asked. "Until what?" she said, confused. "Until the universe decides to split us again."

She stopped walking. "Then let's not waste time asking that." I met her gaze again, this time with no barriers between us. "So," I said, offering a handshake."Can we start over?"

She took it, fingers curling around mine with surprising confidence. "Nishiya," she said with a smile. "Daughter of Quant. Niyamura." I grinned. "I'm Deo. Deo Margan." "Wandering Quantum Mechanist in training."

"Training, huh?" she laughed. "Well, it's not like I have a diploma." I answered. She laughed. A real one this time. And in that moment, the heaviness of the void I left behind finally lifted. It felt as though the world inhaled quietly, cradling our moment between heartbeats.

For the first time since I crossed over, I felt a sense of belonging. I found a place where time did not feel so heavy. I glanced at her, and for a moment, I forgot the complexity of the worlds and the rift between realities. It was just the two of us, walking in sync like a universe finally uniting its fragments.

We stopped at the edge of the park, where the skyline faded into the soft hues of the evening. The sun was setting and casting long shadows that stretched across the grass, as if nature itself acknowledged this rare moment.

"You ever wonder," I began, my voice low, "if we were meant to meet this way?" Napatingala siya sa kalangitan, where the last bits of sunlight shimmered through the clouds. "We don't have the answers yet," she answered, her gaze drifting back to me. I smiled, a feeling I didn't expect washing over me. For a moment, we were silent. I didn't need to fill the quiet with words. Just being here with her was enough. The distance I had felt for so long, the gap between me and my old world...seemed to close. I wasn't alone anymore.

"I've been searching for you," I said, breaking the silence. "Ever since I created the first version of this watch, alam kong may dapat akong hanapin." She raised an eyebrow. "And yet you still didn't know if I was real?" She said, raising her eyebrows. I chuckled softly. "Yeah. I was never sure. Can you blame me? Parallel worlds are kind of crazy."

"True," she said, a small smile forming at her lips. "But you're here now. In my world." The connection we shared felt unspoken yet undeniable. She had faced so much, just like me. Now, we were both standing on the edge of something bigger than we could grasp. The future was uncertain, but for me, pag magkasama, we could handle whatever came next. That's what I thought.

I reached for her hand again, this time with more confidence. "We don't know what's ahead, but I want to explore it with you."
We stood there for a while, watching the world skylight around us. The wind picked up again, but this time, it felt like a promise-a whisper from the universe that we had crossed some invisible line.

"So, what's next?" I asked, breaking the stillness. She shrugged lightly, but there was a spark of determination in her eyes. "Help me fix what's broken. I want to find out what happened to my father.

"That sounds like a plan," I said. She looked up at me, her face is serious now. "But I need to warn you-there's more to this than just finding my father. Others know about the breach. They won't stop until they control it." I nodded, feeling the weight of her words. "I hope we're ready," she whispered. I looked at her, meeting her gaze with more confidence than I thought I had. "We will be."

For the first time since I crossed over, I wasn't afraid of what came next. Whatever dangers lay ahead, we'd face them together. And maybe...just maybe...

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This story is not just about Deo and Nishiya. Beneath collapsing timelines and half-forgotten frequencies, others wait in silence. They watch, remember, and prepare to rewrite what was never meant to be written...

To be continued...

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EzrenVale.