Yasan had never believed in fate. For her, life had always been a predictable routine: wake up, go to school, hang out with friends, and come back home. She had grown comfortable in the steady rhythm, finding solace in its simplicity. Her world was small—just her, her best friend Rei, and a handful of people she could rely on. It was enough.
But today, everything was about to change.
It started like any other Tuesday. The sun was too bright for March, and the streets of the city buzzed with the usual chaos: honking cars, the distant chatter of strangers, the flickering neon lights of stores opening for the day. Yasan was at the bus stop, her hands stuffed deep in her pockets, staring at the cracked pavement beneath her boots. Rei was running late, as usual. Yasan didn't mind. She liked the quiet moments before her day really began.
Then, the woman appeared.
She was out of place—dressed in a long, flowing coat that seemed too dark for the midday sun, her face hidden beneath the hood. Her footsteps were oddly silent against the hum of the city, as if she didn't belong in this world. Yasan tried to ignore her at first, chalking it up to her tired imagination. But the woman stopped right in front of Yasan, her gaze locking onto hers.
"Yasan," she said, her voice a strange mixture of cold and urgency.
Yasan blinked. How did she know her name?
Before Yasan could say anything, the woman pressed something cold and metallic into her hand—a small, sleek device that glowed faintly. "Keep this safe," she whispered, her eyes narrowing. "You're in danger. Trust no one."
Then, just as quickly as she'd appeared, the woman disappeared into the crowd, vanishing like a ghost.
Yasan stood frozen, her heart racing in her chest. What just happened? Who was that woman? And why was she so certain Yasan was in danger?
She turned the device over in her hand, the faint glow pulsating as if it was alive. A shiver ran down her spine. Her normal life had just come crashing down, and she didn't know how to stop it.
A voice broke through her thoughts.
"Yasan! Sorry I'm late!" Rei called out, panting as she caught up. "What's that in your hand?"
Yasan quickly hid the device in her bag, her mind still spinning. "It's... nothing. Just some weird thing someone gave me."
Rei raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "That's suspicious. You're always picking up weird stuff." She grinned. "Anyway, we're late for class. Let's go!"
But Yasan couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Her whole world had just shifted, and it wasn't just because of the strange woman. It was because of the way her heart pounded in her chest, urging her to uncover the truth, to follow the thread of mystery that had just been dropped into her hands.
As they walked toward the school gates, Yasan couldn't help but glance over her shoulder. The city stretched before her, familiar yet suddenly foreign. She had no idea what was coming next—but she knew, deep down, that her life would never be the same again.
End of Chapter 1