The sun hung low in the sky as Emilia walked to the student center, her thoughts consumed with the upcoming meeting. Aiden had invited her to join him, and despite the casual nature of the invitation, her nerves felt anything but casual. She had spent the last few days trying to prepare herself for the encounter, wondering what it would feel like to be alone with him, to have a conversation that wasn't interrupted by the hustle of classes or the rush of people passing by.
Every time she thought about him, a strange feeling washed over her—like she knew him somehow, even though they had only spoken a handful of words. There was something about him that felt familiar, like a presence she had been waiting for, even if she couldn't explain why. It wasn't as if she had known him in a past life or shared some deep connection before, but there was a pull, something intangible that made her feel like she was meant to be near him.
Emilia had never been one to believe in destiny or fate, but there was something about the way Aiden looked at her, the way their brief interactions felt as though they were pieces of a story that had been unfolding for a long time. It unsettled her. How could she feel so drawn to someone she hardly knew?
When she arrived at the student center, she immediately spotted him. He was sitting by the large window, as he had promised, his eyes focused on a textbook, the same calm demeanor she had grown accustomed to. It felt like a scene from a movie—Emilia, standing just a few steps away from the person she couldn't stop thinking about, trying to gather the courage to take those final steps toward him.
But before she could move, Aiden looked up. Their eyes met across the room, and once again, time seemed to stretch between them. He smiled, and the warmth in his expression felt like an invitation, like he was waiting for her to come closer, to bridge the distance that separated them.
With a deep breath, Emilia crossed the room, her steps tentative but determined. The closer she got, the more she felt that strange pull inside of her, the feeling that they were supposed to be here together. She sat down across from him, trying to shake the thought from her mind.
"Hey," she said, her voice unsteady despite her best efforts.
"Hey," Aiden replied, his voice steady and calm, as always. "You made it."
"I did," Emilia said with a small laugh, feeling the tension in her shoulders ease. "I wasn't sure if I would, honestly."
Aiden raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"
"I don't know. I guess I was nervous," she admitted, feeling her cheeks flush with embarrassment. "I don't usually—uh, hang out in places like this."
Aiden nodded, as if he understood. "I get it. I usually prefer to keep to myself, too."
For a moment, the conversation fell into a comfortable silence. Emilia tried to focus on the space between them—the table, the distant hum of voices in the background, the slight rustle of Aiden turning a page—but it was hard to ignore the fact that they were sitting across from each other in this quiet little bubble. The air between them felt charged, though neither of them said anything to acknowledge it.
"So, what's on your mind?" Aiden asked after a few moments, breaking the silence. "You seem… distant. Are you okay?"
Emilia blinked, surprised by his perceptiveness. She hadn't realized how much her thoughts had been racing until he asked. She'd been too preoccupied with trying to understand the odd connection she felt with him, to reconcile the feeling of familiarity with the reality that she didn't know him at all. But his question snapped her back to the present.
"I'm fine," she said quickly, shaking her head. "Just thinking, I guess. It's nothing."
Aiden studied her for a moment, and Emilia felt his gaze on her, sharp and thoughtful. She couldn't quite place the look he gave her, but it felt like he was peeling back layers, trying to see beyond the surface.
"You know," he said slowly, "I get the feeling like I know you. But I don't. Does that make sense?"
Emilia's heart skipped a beat at his words. Was he feeling the same way? That sense of familiarity, the tug of connection that had been gnawing at her since the moment they met?
"I—yeah, I get that," she said, trying to mask the depth of her surprise. "It's like we've known each other forever, but we haven't."
Aiden smiled faintly, his lips quirking in a way that made his eyes soften. "Exactly. I don't know what it is, but something about you feels… familiar. Like I've seen you before, or maybe I've known you in another life."
The words hung in the air between them, and Emilia felt her pulse quicken. There was something so raw in the way he said it, as if he had been feeling the same pull, the same inexplicable connection that she had. It wasn't just her imagination, then. It wasn't just her longing or her fantasies—he felt it too.
For a few seconds, neither of them spoke. They just sat there, each lost in the weight of the moment, the unspoken bond between them simmering beneath the surface. But Emilia's mind was racing, trying to catch up with her emotions.
"What do you think that means?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "That… connection? What does it mean when two people feel like they've known each other, even when they haven't?"
Aiden looked thoughtful, his gaze drifting toward the window for a moment as if he was searching for the answer in the quiet afternoon light. "I don't know. Maybe it's just… a feeling. Or maybe it's something more. Maybe it's fate or something like that, but I don't really believe in that kind of stuff."
Emilia nodded, trying to make sense of his words. She didn't believe in fate either, not really. But this feeling, this connection, it was hard to ignore. It was almost as if they had always been meant to meet, even if she couldn't explain why.
"You don't believe in fate?" she asked, her curiosity piqued. "What do you believe in, then?"
Aiden's gaze returned to her, and his eyes softened, as if he was considering the question carefully. "I don't know. I believe in moments. In the idea that sometimes, things happen without explanation, but it's up to us to make something of them. I think… I think we make our own meaning. You know?"
Emilia stared at him, her mind spinning. She had always been someone who thought life had a certain randomness to it, that things happened because they just did. But there was something in his words that made her wonder if maybe there was more to it than that. Maybe some connections weren't just coincidences. Maybe they were meant to happen.
For the rest of their time together, the conversation flowed easily. They talked about everything and nothing—classes, favorite books, obscure political theories, the endless list of things they both thought they should be doing but never seemed to get around to. It was effortless, this feeling of being in sync, and yet with each word spoken, Emilia couldn't shake the feeling that there was so much more beneath the surface. So much more to discover, to understand.
As they parted ways later that afternoon, she felt that same pull again, that sense of longing and connection. But now, she wasn't sure whether she was supposed to understand it or just let it happen.
"See you later?" Aiden asked as he stood up, gathering his things.
Emilia smiled, a bit shy but a little more certain than she had been before. "Yeah. See you."
And as she walked away, she couldn't help but feel that their story was only just beginning. The connection between them, the quiet tension, was still there, lingering in the spaces between words and in the glances they exchanged. What it meant, Emilia couldn't say. But she knew, deep down, that it was something she couldn't ignore.
And so, the mystery of Aiden continued—drawing her in, even as it left her with more questions than answers.
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