"I thought you would search for me, as you promised."

My voice was no louder than a whisper, lost in the night air. Hidden behind an old oak tree, my trembling fingers dug into the rough bark as I watched him. The boy who once vowed to find me—Liam.

He was there, just a few feet away. But he was not alone.

He sat atop a brightly lit carousel, laughter spilling from his lips as he held onto her hand. The golden lights bathed him in a warm glow, flickering with every slow turn of the ride. Her fingers intertwined with his, her head leaning against his shoulder as if she belonged there.

A sharp ache twisted in my chest. I wanted to call out to make him turn and see me. But fear paralyzed me.

I sucked in a breath, my vision blurring. Tears ran hot down my cheeks, and my heart pounded in my ears. The world around me—the sound of children's laughter, the scent of caramelized sugar and popcorn from a nearby stall—felt too cruelly alive for the emptiness I carried inside.

The carousel moved closer to where I stood, and panic surged through me. I turned on my heel and ran.

The night air burned against my skin as I sprinted, my breath ragged, my lungs tightening with each sob that tore from my throat. My legs carried me to the one place that still held his memory—the old park bench where we made our promise.

I collapsed onto it, my hands clutching at my chest as if that could stop the unbearable pain.

"I waited for you… but you never came."

I stared at the sky, the vast emptiness above mirroring the hollowness inside me.

"Don't you remember me?"

My sobs echoed into the night, but there was no answer. Only the rustling leaves, the distant hum of the carnival, and the cold bite of the wind against my skin.

I closed my eyes, my body trembling.

And then—

Darkness.

I was sinking.

The ocean swallowed me whole, pulling me into its endless abyss. I thrashed, gasping for air, but my lungs filled with water. The weight of my longing, my waiting, dragged me down.

I saw him.

Liam, diving into the water, reaching for me. His hands outstretched, his face desperate.

I reached back.

But the ocean was merciless.

The current pulled me farther, deeper. My limbs grew weak. My vision darkened. My chest tightened until the last of my breath slipped away.

And then—

A loud ringing shattered the silence.

I gasped, bolting upright in bed, my body drenched in sweat. My breath came in quick, uneven pants, my heart slamming against my ribs.

It took me a moment to realize where I was. The soft light of morning streamed through my bedroom window, painting golden streaks across the wooden floor. The scent of coffee drifted from the kitchen.

I exhaled shakily, pressing a hand to my chest.

"It was just a dream, Leina."

I repeated the words aloud, trying to convince myself. But my body still trembled. My mind still clung to the feeling of drowning.

Shaking it off, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and stood. The cool wooden floor sent a shiver up my spine. I moved on autopilot, making my bed, brushing my teeth, and staring at my reflection in the mirror.

Dark brown eyes. Long, wavy hair. Red lips that held no trace of the pain that gripped my soul just moments ago.

I smiled faintly, though it didn't reach my eyes.

"It was just a dream."

The scent of buttered toast and eggs filled the air as I stepped into the kitchen. My mother stood by the stove, crooning. My father sat at the table, flipping through the morning newspaper.

I let the warmth of home settle over me, drowning out the lingering remnants of my nightmare.

I sat down, ate my breakfast, and laughed at my mother's teasing about my messy hair. For a moment, I let myself believe that the dream was nothing more than that—a cruel trick of my subconscious.

But as I made my way to the train station, the feeling returned.

A strange weight settled in my chest. The breeze carried the scent of fresh earth and morning dew, but beneath it, something else lingered. A sense of déjà vu. A presence.

And then I saw him.

A lone figure is sitting on a bench near the university gates.

His dark skin glowed beneath the morning sun. His presence commanded attention—not loud, but quietly magnetic.

I didn't know him.

And yet, my heart clenched.

I shivered, looking away.

"It's just a coincidence," I told myself, shaking the strange feeling away.

My breath hitched.

The world around me blurred, the chatter of students fading into a distant hum. It was him.

The same man I had seen outside, sitting on that lonely bench—the one who had sent a strange shiver through my body, as if the past itself had taken shape and settled in my chest.

Up close, he was even more striking. His dark, sun-kissed skin glowed under the fluorescent lights, his jawline sharp, his eyes deep and unreadable. A faint crease formed between his brows as he set his bag down, completely unaware of the storm unraveling inside me.

I swallowed hard.

It was ridiculous, the way my heart raced, the way my palms turned clammy.

He was just a stranger. Just a random classmate.

And yet—

The scent of his cologne lingered in the air between us, cold yet intoxicating, like the ghost of a memory I couldn't quite place. A strange comfort wrapped around me, but something about him gnawed at my chest, twisting the warmth in my stomach into something unsteady.

Why did it feel like I had known him before?

I looked away, pressing my lips together.

Get a grip, Leina.

But as I turned my gaze back toward the window, trying to ground myself in the familiar sight of the university courtyard, his voice cut through the thick silence between us.

"Hey."

A simple word.

And yet, it sent a jolt through me, as if I had heard it somewhere before, in a place lost between dreams and waking life.

I hesitated before turning to him, forcing my lips into a polite, thin smile. "Uh, hi?"

His eyes met mine, and for a second, I swore I saw something flicker there—recognition? Surprise? But just as quickly, it was gone, replaced by a cool indifference.

He leaned back slightly, running a hand through his dark, tousled hair. "Sorry, I was just going to ask… is this History 101?"

I blinked. "Yeah, it is."

He let out a quiet sigh, a lazy smirk playing at his lips. "Good. I thought I walked into the wrong class again."

A soft chuckle escaped me before I could stop it. There was something effortlessly charming about him, something that made the tension in my chest loosen—just a little.

But even as the ice broke, I couldn't shake the feeling that this meeting wasn't a coincidence.

That somehow, fate had pulled us together for a reason.

And for the first time in years, a question that I had buried deep inside me surfaced once more—

Had I met him before?