Zina woke up to the soft light filtering through the curtains of their dorm room. The first day of classes was here, and the excitement in the air was palpable. Aria was already up, flipping through the course catalog one last time as she sipped on her coffee.
"We have economics this morning," Aria said, glancing up with a smile.
Zina stretched and let out a yawn, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. "I know," she said, her voice a bit muffled by the yawn.
The campus was bustling with students heading to their first classes of the semester. Zina and Aria navigated their way through the maze of buildings, finally finding their lecture hall. The large room was filled with the hum of chatter as students settled into their seats.
As they found spots near the middle, Zina noticed a familiar face at the back of the room. The guy from yesterday the one with the cold gray eyes was sitting alone, his expression as unreadable as ever. He didn't seem to notice her, his focus entirely on the notebook in front of him. His presence seemed to cast a shadow over the bright classroom.
The lecture began, but Zina found her thoughts wandering back to that brief encounter. There was something about him that she couldn't quite shake an air of mystery that intrigued her despite herself. His detached demeanor felt like a puzzle she was eager to solve.
After class, as they gathered their things, Aria nudged Zina and whispered, "Did you see who was sitting in the back? That senior from yesterday."
"Yeah, I saw him," Zina replied, trying to sound indifferent. "But why would a senior be in a freshman lecture?"
"Maybe it's an elective he's interested in," Aria suggested, her eyes scanning the crowd as they left the hall. "Some people like to mix things up."
Zina couldn't help but glance back, catching one last look at Kane as he stood to leave. He moved with a quiet confidence, his demeanor set apart from the usual campus chaos. There was an aura of control about him that was both intriguing and intimidating. She pushed the thought aside, refocusing on the day ahead.
As they made their way to their next class, Zina spotted the blond guy from the previous day leaning against a tree, chatting with a group of students. His easy smile and relaxed demeanor made him approachable, and Zina noticed a few girls nearby casting glances his way.
"Come on, let's go," Zina said, pulling Aria along before the blond guy noticed them.
The day passed in a blur of introductions, syllabi, and navigating the unfamiliar campus. By the time they returned to their dorm room, Zina was exhausted but exhilarated. They had survived their first day, but she couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of something bigger.
As Zina was about to head to bed, her phone buzzed with a message. She glanced at the screen and saw a notification about a party that night.
*Hey everyone! There's a party at the student lounge tonight. Come join if you can!*
Aria looked over Zina's shoulder and grinned. "What do you think? Should we go?"
Zina hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Why not? It could be fun."
The student lounge was packed with students, music pulsing through the room as people mingled and danced. Zina and Aria stuck together at first, but as the night wore on, they began to relax and chat with other students.
As Zina reached for a drink, she noticed someone step up beside her. She glanced over and found herself standing next to the guy she had seen earlier by the dorms the one with the stormy gray eyes. Up close, he looked even more intense, his expression unreadable as he casually leaned against the counter.
"Hey," Zina greeted, more out of instinct than anything else.
He glanced at her briefly, his gaze cool but not entirely dismissive. "Hey."
The silence that followed was heavy not awkward exactly, but enough to make Zina wonder if he was the type to say much. She wasn't sure what it was, but something about him intrigued her.
"I think I saw you near the dorms earlier," she said, hoping to spark some conversation.
His eyebrows raised slightly. "Yeah."
Zina gave a small smile, the corners of her lips turning up. "Not very talkative, huh?"
He smirked, just a little. "Depends who's asking."
"I guess that makes sense," she replied with a laugh. "I'm Zina, by the way."
"Kane," he said simply, giving her a nod.
She studied him for a moment, still unsure of what to make of him. He had a cold aura, and he was hard to read. "You seem like you've got a lot on your mind," she ventured, not really knowing why she said it.
He met her gaze, and for a moment, something flickered behind his eyes. "Maybe," he said after a pause.
"Ever thought of sharing?" Zina asked, genuinely curious now.
"Nah," he replied, his voice even, but there was an edge of something deeper in his tone. "Sharing does nothing."
Zina tilted her head slightly, intrigued. "That's an interesting way to look at things."
Kane's lips quirked again, a little more this time. "Yeah."
Before Zina could ask anything else, someone called Kane's name from across the room. He glanced over, then back at her. "See you around, Zina."
"Yeah, see you," she replied, watching him walk away. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was a lot more to him than he let on.
Aria joined her a moment later, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Saw you talking to the hot guy."
"More like an iceberg," Zina muttered, still staring after Kane. "There's something about him… I don't know what it is, but he's not like anyone I've met before."
Aria raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Well, maybe that's a good thing. Who knows? He might just surprise you."
Zina wasn't so sure. As she watched Kane disappear into the crowd, she couldn't help but wonder what secrets lay behind those gray eyes and if she'd ever get the chance to find out.