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Chapter 1: You

In the bustling city center of A, the signs of spring were everywhere. The streets were alive with people going about their business, the chatter of their conversations mingling with the gentle hum of the city's transportation. Flying cars whizzed overhead, their sleek designs reflecting the sun's rays as they passed by towering skyscrapers. The air was filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers and carried on the warm breeze that blew in from the nearby sea.

"Ah... It's already so late!" Dayu mumbled under his breath as he looked at his holographic watch, checking the time. The display projected from his wrist showed 2:35 PM, hovering in mid-air. "I hope I won't be too late. I should have taken a hyperloop!"

Dayu felt the urgency to cross the street, but the chaotic transportation situation in City A made him pause. He watched in awe as even flying cars had to obey the traffic lights, thanks to the new and advanced traffic control system implemented by the government. Living in the small City M, Dayu couldn't help but feel envious of the bigger metropolises that had access to such advanced technology.

As he waited for the traffic light to change, he couldn't help but think about the conference. It was a big opportunity for him, a chance to showcase his research and meet other experts in his field. He had been preparing for this day for months and couldn't afford to be late. Yet, here he was, lost in a foreign city, with time slipping away like sand through his fingers.

The sun hung high in the sky, casting a warm glow over the city's futuristic buildings. The towering skyscrapers stood tall and proud, their facades shimmering in the bright sunlight. Trees that had been barren and stark only a few weeks before were now bursting with new life, their branches heavy with buds and leaves, enhanced by the city's advanced technology.

Unfortunately, Dayu didn't have the luxury of admiring City A's beauty.  His mind raced with thoughts of the conference and the fear of being late. He felt a sense of urgency, an urge to run towards his destination, but his feet were glued to the pavement.

As the light turned red, Dayu took a deep breath and crossed the street, avoiding the streams of pedestrians and flying cars that filled the intersection.

The hustle and bustle of the busy city center reached its peak as Dayu and many other pedestrians took the opportunity of the red traffic light to cross the main road of City A, their movements interweaving in a complex dance of bodies and thoughts, all lost in their own world until Dayu's eyes locked with those of the stranger walking in the opposite direction.

It was as if time slowed down as their eyes met, and Dayu felt his breath catch in his throat.

The stranger before him was a commanding figure, exuding an unmistakable sense of power and strength; his features were chiseled and sharp.

For a few seconds that felt like an eternity, they simply stood there, their eyes locked in an intense stare. Dayu couldn't explain it, but he felt a strange sense of familiarity, as though he had known this man his entire life.

Dayu didn't know when his feet had moved forward, but as he reached the other side of the street, Dayu couldn't help but turn around and look back at the man.

To his shock, the stranger was also looking back at him - Only for a few seconds before the man turned around and walked away.

"Who is he?" Dayu thought as he tried to remember this face. Yet nothing came up; he had never met this man before. Like the stranger, Dayu started walking away, but he knew he would never forget that moment. That feeling of connection that had sparked between them in the middle of a busy street on a bright spring day in 2072.

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1:15 AM

Dayu's hotel room was a far cry from the modernity and sleekness that characterized the streets of City A. It was an oasis of calm in the midst of the bustling metropolis, thanks to the sound-proofed walls and the state-of-the-art climate control system that kept the temperature at a comfortable level, all controlled by the high-tech interface on Dayu's bedside table.

As Dayu slipped into the bed, he couldn't help but marvel at the way technology had advanced over the years. His room was equipped with all sorts of gadgets - from the fully automated lighting system that could be controlled with a simple voice command to the ultra-thin screen embedded in the wall that could display anything from the latest news to a 3D rendering of the city.

But even with all the technology at his fingertips, Dayu couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that had been gnawing at him since the encounter with the stranger on the street. He felt as though he was caught in a time warp, a man out of place in a world that was rapidly evolving around him.

But as he drifted off to sleep, the stranger appeared in his dreams, and the dream was vivid this time. They stood together on a vast beach, watching as the waves of the ocean crashed against the shore. The sound of the crashing waves and the salty sea air felt so real that Dayu could almost taste it.

As they gazed into each other's eyes, Dayu felt a profound sense of longing and nostalgia. It was as though he had been searching for this stranger his entire life, only to finally find him at this moment. Dayu felt as though he was in another world, a world that was far removed from the one he knew. And yet, as he looked into the eyes of the stranger, he felt a sense of familiarity that defied explanation.

When he woke up, Dayu was disoriented. It took him a moment to realize he was in his hotel room. The warmth of the sun and the sand between his toes had been replaced by the cool air of his room and the soft cotton sheets of the bed. But the tears on his cheeks were a stark reminder of the emotions that he had experienced in the dream.

"What was that?" Dayu muttered to himself, his mind racing as he tried to make sense of the dream.

He had never felt such a powerful connection to anyone before, let alone a stranger. It was as though his heart and soul had recognized the man from his dreams, even if his conscious mind did not.