SOUL BONDS ( Under revision )

Chapter 1

My eyes slowly fluttered open as warm sunlight poured through the narrow opening between my curtains, casting a soft golden glow across my room. For a moment, everything felt peaceful—too peaceful.

Then reality hit.

I let out a long, dramatic groan and pushed myself upright, my bonnet slipping slightly from my head after a restless night of tossing and turning.

"Uggggghhhh," I whined, dragging the word out like my life depended on it.

Another day.

Another painfully normal, uneventful day.

And worst of all... another day of being single.

It wasn't like I couldn't handle being alone—I could. I had goals, and I had a whole life ahead of me. But sometimes, when the mornings were quiet and the world felt too still, I couldn't help but wonder if my soulmate was even out there.

Some people found love early.

Some people found it late.

And some people... never found it at all.

The thought left an uneasy feeling in my chest, so I quickly shook it off before I could spiral.

Today was supposed to be relaxing, and I wasn't about to ruin my own day before it even started.

With a sigh, I threw the covers off my legs, my fuzzy socks still clinging to my feet, and dragged myself out of bed. I shuffled into the bathroom, went through my morning routine, and stepped into a hot shower, letting the steam wash away the last traces of sleep.

When I finished, I wrapped a large towel around my small frame and walked over to my dresser. I grabbed my cocoa butter and vanilla lotion, rubbing it into my skin until it was soft and glowing.

Then I stepped into my closet and stared at my clothes for a moment before settling on a sweatsuit I bought a while ago. I paired it with crisp white shoes and my red purse—simple, but cute.

I slipped off my bonnet and checked my hair, relieved to see my curls had survived the night. I brushed it out lightly, letting it fall neatly around my shoulders, then applied a bit of makeup—nothing heavy, just enough to look fresh.

I wasn't planning on doing anything special today...

But I still wanted to look good.

~TIME SKIP~

Walking down the street in LA, I pulled out my phone and opened Instagram. As I scrolled, I saw that BTS had a concert nearby today. I liked the group and their music, but the thought of being around that many people made my stomach twist.

Too many people.

I quickly scrolled past it and kept walking.

A few minutes later, I turned down the street and reached a nearby park. I sat on a swing, put my AirPods in, and played "Love Me" by JMSN.

I stayed at the park for around two hours before deciding to leave and head to the bookstore to pick up new books since I'd already finished all the ones I had.

~TIME SKIP~

By the time it was around 5:00 p.m., the sun was starting to set. I made my way to my favorite café to grab food because I didn't feel like cooking.

I was almost there when my phone buzzed with a message. I looked down to check it, not paying attention to where I was going.

That's when I walked straight into someone.