The first day of the new semester had a strange, almost electric energy in the air. Sunlight streamed through the large glass windows of Willowbrook College, casting patterns of light and shadow across the lecture hall. Students murmured in clusters, exchanging summer stories, laughing, and adjusting their schedules. Among them was Elara Winters, a quiet, thoughtful girl with chestnut hair cascading over her shoulders and eyes that always seemed to notice things others didn’t. She had been attending Willowbrook for two years now, and though she had friends, she often preferred to observe, to see the world from the edge rather than dive into its chaos.
That morning, as she arranged her books in the third row near the window, a soft commotion erupted near the doorway. Heads turned as the professor announced, “Class, please welcome our new transfer student. He’ll be joining us this semester.” A tall figure stepped in, his presence commanding yet unassuming. His hair was black as midnight, falling slightly over eyes that glimmered with an unusual depth. A faint, almost imperceptible aura surrounded him - a mix of mystery and something.... familiar.
Elara felt it instantly, an odd flutter in her chest, as if she had seen him before, though she knew she hadn’t. “That’s ridiculous,” she whispered to herself, shaking her head, yet the feeling lingered.
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The boy moved to the empty desk beside her. “Hi,” he said, his voice calm but strangely melodic, “I’m Adrian.”
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“Elara,” she murmured, offering a polite nod.
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There was a moment of silence, charged yet comfortable, as though their presence acknowledged something unspoken. Around them, classmates whispered, curiosity piqued by the newcomer’s quiet charisma. But Elara felt drawn beyond the surface, as if a thread connected her to him, invisible yet unbreakable.
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As the lecture began, she tried to focus on the professor’s words about medieval literature, but her mind kept drifting. She glanced at Adrian, who seemed equally absorbed, yet there was an intensity in his eyes—a focus that went beyond textbooks and notes. And then, in the corner of her vision, something flickered—a memory? Or a vision? She saw a garden bathed in golden sunlight, a young man kneeling before a girl, offering a delicate crystal. The scene vanished as quickly as it appeared, leaving her breathless.
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“Are you okay?” Adrian’s voice startled her.
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Elara shook her head, forcing a smile. “Yes, just… distracted.”
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He nodded knowingly, almost as if he understood, though she had no words to explain what had just happened.
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The day passed in a blur of introductions, syllabus readings, and the hum of student chatter. Yet, every glance at Adrian brought a strange warmth, a pull she could not explain. During lunch, she found herself walking toward the campus garden, the one place she often retreated to when she needed clarity. To her surprise, Adrian was there, sitting under an old oak tree, sketching something in a worn notebook.
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“Mind if I join you?” she asked, her voice quieter than she intended.
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“Not at all,” he replied, gesturing to the grass beside him.
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They sat in a companionable silence for a while. The garden smelled of blooming jasmine, the breeze carrying whispers of summer past. Elara couldn’t help but notice how effortless he was—how every movement seemed deliberate, as if he were a part of the very air and light around him.
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“You like it here?” he asked eventually.
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“I do,” she said. “It’s peaceful… sometimes too much so. I get lost in my thoughts.”
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“I know that feeling,” he said softly. Then, after a pause, he added, “Sometimes, the past lingers in ways we can’t always explain. Memories… echoes of lives we’ve lived.”
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Elara blinked, startled by the cryptic words. Was he talking about past experiences, or… something else? Before she could ask, he smiled gently, as if aware of her confusion. “It’s nothing you need to worry about.”
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The rest of the afternoon passed with lectures and study sessions, but the image of the golden garden lingered in her mind, as did the feeling of an unbroken thread connecting her to Adrian. She returned home that evening, her thoughts tangled with visions she couldn’t explain and a curiosity she couldn’t shake.
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As night fell over Willowbrook, Elara found herself staring at the ceiling of her small dorm room. Something was coming—she didn’t know what—but she knew her life was about to change forever. Somewhere deep inside, a promise ec
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hoed across time, waiting to be fulfilled.
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and then Add to home screen.