Mira blinked, her vision blurred by tears.
Her mind was too overwhelmed with grief that she had nearly lost her grip on reality.
The sound of Alex's voice, the one she missed the most but knew couldn't be real, kept echoing in her ears.
Slap!
That same feeling of something brushing her face appeared once again, but she shut her eyes tighter, her chest heaving with every breath, trying to block out the cruel delusion.
But then, she felt it again — a touch, firm but gentle, on her shoulder.
Stroke!
Her eyes flew open as the sensation jolted her out of her haze.
"MIRA!"
Her heart skipped a beat as she looked up, the world spinning slightly as she regained her bearings.
Blinking through the haze of tears, she saw him.
Alex — tattered, battered, naked, but unmistakably real — stood right in front of her.