The evening air was sharp and fresh as Dimitry stepped out of his favorite comic shop. His mind was still immersed in the manga he'd been reading, far removed from the world around him. His plan for the night? A simple walk home. The streets were calm—the kind of calm only a small town knows.
And then he turned the corner.
She was standing there, as if waiting for him, right in the middle of the street. The dim light from the lampposts seemed to gather around her, but her presence gave the night a strange, vibrant energy. She wasn't just beautiful—she was otherworldly. Her dark hair shimmered faintly in the glow, and her eyes... they held a depth that seemed to pierce right through him.
Dimitry froze. Time seemed to stop, leaving only the two of them in the moment.
"Excuse me," she said, her voice steady but commanding, as if she already knew she had his full attention.
"Uh... Do I know you?" Dimitry stammered, his words barely audible in the quiet of the night.
"No," she replied with a warm but knowing smile. "But I think we're about to fix that."
She stepped toward him with such ease that it felt like his world had shifted. For the first time in years, Dimitry felt unsteady, unsure of himself.
"I'm Claire," she said softly, her voice carrying a quiet strength.
"I'm Dimitry," he finally managed, though his voice was smaller than he wanted it to be.
Claire studied him for a moment, her smile growing playful. "You don't date, do you?"
Caught off guard, Dimitry shook his head. "Not really. I don't see the point unless it's serious."
Claire tilted her head, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "You're different. I like that."