The clock struck lunchtime, and the group headed, as always, to their favorite refuge: a long wooden table, a bit worn, nestled beneath the large tree in the university's back courtyard. The thick branches spread a generous shade, shielding them from the sun while the nearby fountain dripped in its steady rhythm—like the heartbeat of an old stone giant.

  Kali, Niccolo, Vero, and Jake settled onto the benches, surrounded by the murmur of students and the soft whisper of wind through the leaves.

  "This is getting shady," Vero said, setting her tray down without even looking at the food. "Viki hasn't shown any signs of life since the party. And that's not normal."

  "Maybe she just left all of a sudden. Got bored, ran into someone," Jake offered, though his tone already betrayed his lack of conviction.

  "And she wouldn't tell anyone? Not a single message?" Kali added, crossing her arms. "I have a bad feeling. She was acting weird that night."

  "I saw her talking to that guy. Tall, a bit older," Niccolo said as he opened his drink. "Don't you remember? He gave off... an uncomfortable energy."

  "I didn't see him," Jake replied. "But I asked around and nobody knows who he is. It's like he doesn't exist."

  Vero lowered her gaze. Her fingers toyed with the wrapper of her energy bar.

  "Her roommate said she never even came back to the dorms. Nothing since that night."

  "What if she just left?" Niccolo suggested, though even he didn't sound convinced. "Maybe she needed to disappear."

  Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

  "Or someone took her," Kali said softly.

  A silence fell over the table, broken only by the splash of the nearby fountain and the distant laughter of students.

  Under the table, Kali and Nicco's legs brushed for a second. Neither said a word, but heat rose. A silent spark, a parallel language.

  Meanwhile, just a few corridors away, Dahlia walked slowly toward the main cafeteria. She was alone, music turned off but earbuds in—a form of voluntary isolation.

  And then she saw him.

  Standing in front of a bulletin board, reading a note like it was any ordinary day.

  Jasper.

  Her Jasper.

  The image hit her chest like a punch. It couldn't be. Like seeing a ghost. But no... it was too clear, too real.

  "Jasper...?" she said aloud, more a breath than a question.

  He turned.

  Dark eyes. Crooked smile. It was him.

  "Dahlia," he replied, as if they'd seen each other just yesterday.

  She ran to him without thinking and hugged him tightly. Jasper hesitated for a second, then hugged her back. He was taller, thinner, but still smelled like wood and old coffee.

  "What are you doing here...?" she asked, still not believing it.

  "I transferred a few weeks ago. Wanted a fresh start... though it seems fate doesn't want to let me forget completely."

  Dahlia laughed, a little nervously. Her heart pounded, as if her past had returned with a voice and a face.

  "I left everything behind too. I thought I'd never see you again."

  "And here we are. The world's either a handkerchief... or a maze of crossed paths."

  They talked for a few minutes, catching up with soft laughter and glances full of memories. Then, she looked at him with a new smile—calmer, steadier.

  "I have to go. My friends are waiting."

  "See you later?"

  "Of course. I'd love that."

  And with one last exchange of glances that said much more than words could, Dahlia walked off toward the courtyard. She walked differently. Lighter. More alive.

  When she arrived at the tree table, the others were still talking about Viki. But as Dahlia sat down, she didn't even hear the words.

  She was somewhere else.

  In another story that had just begun.