The clock in the corner of the library ticked faintly, its sound blending with the soft shuffle of pages being turned. The air smelled of old parchment and a faint trace of lavender—her favorite scent, though she didn't know why. Avina sat cross-legged in a secluded corner, surrounded by stacks of books she'd pulled from the "Emotion and Essence" section.

She wasn't supposed to be here. The restricted area of the Academy's library was for seasoned scholars, not students dabbling in magic they barely understood. But curiosity had led her past the wards guarding the entrance, and for once, they hadn't stopped her.

Avina brushed a strand of hair out of her face and stared at the ancient tome in her hands. Its title, Threads of Time: Bonds Beyond Worlds, shimmered faintly in silver script. Something about it tugged at her, like a whisper in the back of

her mind, urging her to open it. She hesitated, her fingers grazing the edge of the cracked leather cover.

The whisper wasn't new—it had been there for weeks now, soft and insistent. Ever since that night in the courtyard when her emotions had slipped from her control, conjuring a phantom breeze that carried his voice to her ears. Tyler.

She shook her head, trying to push the memory away. It wasn't the time to think about him, about the way his laugh made her chest tighten, or how she caught herself watching him out of the corner of her eye, wishing he'd notice. He already noticed plenty—his teasing, his grins, the way he leaned too close just to see her squirm—it was all too much and not enough at the same time.

Avina took a deep breath and opened the book.

The pages hummed beneath her fingertips, golden threads of light weaving across the text. She squinted, the words shifting and rearranging themselves. The script wasn't in any language she recognized, yet she understood it as if it had been etched into her soul long ago.

"Two souls, bound by echoes of their past, will find each other in every time, in every place. Their bond weaves through the fabric of existence, unbroken, yet unseen."

Avina frowned, her heart racing as she read on. The text described a phenomenon she'd only heard whispers of in passing—a soulmate bond, rare and often misunderstood. But this wasn't the romanticized version she'd imagined in fleeting daydreams. It spoke of chaos, of emotions so powerful they bent reality, of connections that brought as much pain as they did joy.

The words on the next page glowed brighter.

"One will awaken first, burdened with the knowledge of the bond. The other will remain in shadow until the threads unravel, revealing what has always been."

A chill ran down her spine. Something inside her twisted, a mix of fear and an inexplicable sense of familiarity. The humming grew louder, and she felt her magic stir, unbidden, as if responding to the words.

Images flashed before her eyes—scenes she didn't recognize but felt as though she had lived. A battlefield cloaked in mist, where she clutched a blade and screamed his name. A bustling marketplace where he handed her a trinket, their fingers brushing. A quiet forest, where they sat together beneath a starless sky, his hand in hers.

"Avina?"

The voice jolted her out of the visions. She slammed the book shut, the glow fading instantly, and spun around. Tyler stood at the edge of the restricted section, his brows furrowed as he looked between her and the now-quiet tome.

"What are you doing back here?" he asked, stepping closer. His tone was light, but there was a note of concern beneath it.

Avina's heart thudded painfully in her chest. She couldn't find the words to explain, not when his presence seemed to amplify the feelings swirling inside her—the strange pull that had always been there but was now impossible to ignore.

"I could ask you the same thing," she shot back, her voice more defensive than she intended.

Tyler smirked, his usual playful expression returning. "You're not very good at lying, you know. But don't worry—I won't snitch."

He leaned closer, his gaze flicking to the book still clutched in her hands. "What's that?"

"Nothing," she said quickly, shoving it into her bag. The thought of him seeing the pages—of him realizing what they might mean—sent a jolt of panic through her.

Tyler tilted his head, studying her. "You're acting weird. Did you find something you weren't supposed to?"

Avina forced a laugh, standing and slinging her bag over her shoulder. "Nope. Just doing some light reading." She brushed past him, hoping he couldn't feel the heat radiating from her skin.

But as she walked away, she felt his gaze linger, and for a brief moment, she swore she saw the faintest flicker of recognition in his eyes.

She didn't stop to confirm.