Then it clicked. His chest heaved as his eyes snapped open. For a moment, he lay still, staring at the ceiling, the image of the burning man etched into the darkness behind his eyelids.
"What the…" he muttered, his voice barely audible over the sound of his heavy breaths.
His hands trembled as he sat up, the dampness of his shirt clinging to his back. The cold air of the room enveloped his skin, but the familiar heat from the dream still lingered, making him shiver. He rubbed his temples, trying to shake the feeling off.
"It's just a dream, Marco," he whispered. "Just a dream…"
It would always take him at least half an hour to get out of bed, but today, something felt different. A strange, unusual energy flowed through him, as if the dream had shaken him awake in more ways than one. He reached for his phone beside him out of habit, though he already knew what he'd find.
No new notifications.
Marco shrugged, tossing the phone back onto the bed. He didn't use it much anyway. But still, the emptiness stung more than he'd admit. "Course there's nothing," he thought bitterly. "Who'd even message me?"
His gaze turned toward his desk, where the sketch lay in the light glow of the sunlight streaming through the open window. The alleyway. The burning man. They glared back at him from the page in his sketchbook, eerily familiar.
It was strange, but his heart pounded as he looked at the sketch he had drawn just hours ago. It seemed to emit something hidden within him, as if waiting for a signal. With a deep breath, he gently closed his sketchbook without looking and packed it back in his bag.
He rested in his chair, closing his eyes for a brief moment and taking deep breaths. Gradually, the hard pounding of his heart subsided, and the morning finally felt calm. He packed everything he needed, along with a diary that rested on his desk.
As soon as he left the apartment, the sun shone brighter than usual. Marco's eyes were accustomed to dull skies and light rain, but that day, he felt more alive. The trees' leaves looked greener, and so did the grass in the park he always crossed on his way.
There it was once again, the incredibly large campus of Mesolair National University. Marco froze at the front, and he took another moment to breathe deeply before stepping in.
As soon as he did, a hand suddenly patted his shoulder.
"Well, you seem nervous today," a familiar voice muttered to him.
He turned his head to see Arlene once more, with the same crimson hair and light-red eyes that'd always captivate any man who passed by her, except for Marco. She had a wide smile that day, even wider than the last time they met.
"You again?" he grumbled, his tone low. But as he turned away, he couldn't help but notice the bounce in her step and the unshakable brightness in her grin. It annoyed him more than it should.
She laughed weakly and kept silent as they walked around the campus. Arlene's flat shoes clacked beside him, and students around were starting to notice as they passed by.
"It's them again, Arlene and Delacroix," a student muttered to his friend as the two of them walked right past them.
"Creepy," the friend murmured, his voice dripping with jealousy.
Marco heard it. He always heard it, but he didn't flinch and kept walking. Arlene, unsurprisingly, stayed unfazed, her smile stayed steady, as if she never heard a thing.
As they turned a corner, Arlene's steps hastened. Her eyes lit up when she spotted someone leaning against the wall.
"Ria!?" she exclaimed, rushing forward.
Marco glanced at the girl but kept walking, uninterested. Meanwhile, Arlene wrapped Ria in a tight hug, her voice soft and filled with relief. "What are you doing here?"
Ria's eyes widened as she hugged her tightly. The students around had their brows furrowed in confusion, so she slowly pushed Arlene away, but Arlene wouldn't budge. "Can you let go first?" she chuckled nervously.
Arlene grinned, eventually letting go of Ria. Her smile lit up the moment. "I thought you were switching schools?"
"Who said I'd switch schools? I enrolled late, that's all," Ria grinned, patting her shoulder.
"Well, I'm glad." Arlene replied.
Ria noticed Marco passing by, and her brows furrowed as she stole a glance at him. She smirked slightly, glancing at Arlene before pointing at Marco. "Where's your friend going?"
"He's just being himself," she laughed, shaking her head. "Hey Marco, get over here."
He stopped abruptly and tilted his head at her, his expression flat. After a pause, he turned, shrugging as he walked to them. "What?"
She stood beside her, and a smile tugged at her lips as she introduced the two with each other. "Ria, Marco. Marco, Ria."
Ria lends him a handshake, looking at him with a gentle gaze and a confident smirk. "Nice to meet you, Marco."
Marco studied her hand for a moment, his fingers twitching slightly before he finally shook it. Her smirk unsettled him, though he couldn't really place why. "Nice to meet you too, Ria."
As they shook hands, Ria couldn't help but flick her gaze to Arlene and back, pressing her lips together as she switched gazes. Brushing it off, she let go of the handshake gently and put on a radiant smile, though she observed Marco more as they talked. "You guys get along well."
Arlene leaned against the wall, legs folded, and she chuckled softly, relaxing her shoulders. "I don't know about that yet."
Ria laughed, her eyes sneakily glancing at Marco. "I can see that," she attested.
They paused for a second, and the faint murmurs of the students illuminated the atmosphere with a loud yet pleasant sound.
Ria began snapping her fingers to catch their attention.
"You know," her tone shifted as she glanced between them. "Did you all hear about that incident earlier this morning?"
Arlene stood straight from leaning against the wall. Her lips formed a thin line, and her eyebrows drew together. "Yeah I saw the news," she muttered.
"They said some guy got burned in an alleyway downtown. Whole area's down."
Marco's breath hitched.
A guy? A fire?
His fingers twitched, brushing against the strap of his bag where his sketchbook was tucked away. It was the everyday news that you'd hear about a tragedy like this in the city, but this felt too familiar. Too real.
Ria's eyes narrowed. "You good, Marco?"
He stuttered, shaking his head like he zoned out. "Huh? Oh-oh yeah, I'm alright."
Ria chuckles softly, turning her gaze back at Arlene. "There's been a lot of stuff happening recently. Be careful out there."
"Yeah I know." she mumbled.
"So uhh… Wanna hang out at…" Ria trails off, eyes scanning the pinned schedule at the school board. "At lunch?"
Arlene nods her head eagerly, her grin returning. "I'll be sure to bring Marco as well."
"I'll see you guys later then." She glanced back briefly before turning and heading in the opposite direction. She never turned her head back, but she told them goodbye with a wave of her hand.
As the morning classes dragged on, Marco found it harder than usual to concentrate. His thoughts kept drifting back to the seemingly normal tragedy. His heart pounded stronger, and his breath deepened the longer he settled on his chair and thought about it.
And when the bell finally rang, signaling the start of lunch break, there was a breath of fresh air that came to him. He brought the diary along as they walked to the cafeteria.
Arlene caught up with him as they walked out of the classroom, noticing the book that he brought along.
"You like reading?" she asked cheerfully.
Marco nodded slightly, though his thoughts were still elsewhere. He brushed it off as they made their way to the cafeteria, where Ria waited for them at a table near the window.
"Hey, over here!" Ria called out, waving them over. Her voice was loud, but enough to catch their attention and to keep it calm.
They joined her, and as they sat, Marco opened the book he brought along and started reading. A faint, bittersweet smile tugged at his lips as he read the book. Arlene and Ria were unexpectedly silent, observing Marco as he took in the diary page by page.
"What's that book?" Arlene inquired, tilting her head as she glanced at Marco.
"Delacroix Diary," his voice was quiet but steady. "My parents gave it to me before… well, before things got messy. It's not exactly a happy diary, but it's real. My dad told me it contained almost every generation of our family in this diary."