Jayden Bastille sat in the university library, surrounded by piles of textbooks and notes. It was his third year of college as an Architecture Major, and life had become routine. Study. Sleep. Eat. Repeat. He didn't mind it, though—it kept him busy, and that was enough. There wasn't much to distract him from the demands of his coursework, aside from the occasional message from his sister, Uriana, or a phone call from a friend asking if he wanted to grab dinner.
Today, like most days, he was buried in his notes, trying to cram in as much information as possible before the upcoming exam. The library was quiet, almost too quiet, save for the sound of soft pages turning and the occasional click of a laptop keyboard. Jayden rubbed his eyes, feeling the weight of the day settling on his shoulders. He glanced at his phone, the screen lighting up with a message from Uriana.
"Dinner at 7? Don't forget!" the message read.
He smiled, tapping out a quick reply: "I won't, see you tonight."
After sending a quick reply, Jayden returned to his notes, the weight of upcoming exams and coursework pressing on his mind. It wasn't much, but it kept him occupied.
His phone buzzed again, another message from Uriana—this time a picture of her latest outfit, a playful message about how she was trying to impress her boyfriend.
A few seconds later, the phone buzzed again. This time, a photo popped up—a picture of Uriana, striking a pose in a new outfit. "What do you think?" the message read.
Jayden laughed softly, shaking his head as he typed back: "You're going to blind everyone with that outfit. Mark won't know what hit him."
A few seconds later, her reply came through: "Exactly the point. Can't let him forget who I am."
Jayden snorted, setting his phone down as he returned to his notes. It was always like this with her—playful, teasing, and always just a little bit too confident. Uriana was good at keeping life interesting, even when things felt repetitive, she always had that lighthearted energy about her, always looking out for everyone, even when she was the one who needed a little attention.
Uriana had always been there for him. They were all each other had left after their parents had passed, and even though they didn't talk as often as they should, they still made time for the important things—like family dinners.
He leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms above his head. The library was quiet, almost too quiet, with only the soft rustling of pages and the occasional click of a keyboard.
He glanced at the time—soon, it would be time to meet her for dinner. Nothing could have prepared him for the way things would change in the next few hours. But for now, it was a normal day.
He packed his things up, making his way out of the library, just as he received another message from Uriana. It was strange—she hadn't mentioned needing any help, but then again, she'd always been independent. He read the message aloud to himself: "Meeting up with Mark, be back later tonight."
He didn't think much of it. There were always a hundred things happening, and Uriana, despite everything, was always on the move.
His phone buzzed again, but this time it wasn't Uriana. It was his friend, Kier.
"Yo, are you coming to the bar later? We're all going out. Don't leave us hanging!"
Jayden quickly typed back, "Nah, I've got dinner plans with Uriana. Next time."
A few seconds later, Kier replied: "You're no fun. Fine, we'll drink for you then."
Jayden chuckled and put his phone on silent, then packed up his things. He had a feeling tonight would be just what he needed to unwind.
Jayden took a deep breath, slipped his phone back in his pocket, and headed out the door. Life was good, he thought, nothing out of the ordinary. Just another evening ahead.