Go Against Destiny ✓

destiny 01

He was eighteen the first time they had appeared before his eyes.

It would have been a strange occurrence for outsiders, but it had been a usual thing for his family. For how long, he didn't have any idea.

Crimson, like the color of blood. Mysterious, like how the universe was deemed. His parents considered the unnatural ability to see the invisible threads a curse, while his grandmother had believed it was a gift.

As for him, he had chosen to keep his faith in his granny. As he always did.

Never mind what his parents thought of the matter. They looked at a lot of events and stuff in their lives as misfortunes anyway.

Including him.

Including having a son like him.

"How old did you say you are again?"

The mellow, womanly voice broke through his thoughts and reminded him of where he was. He heaved a sigh, realizing that he had just spaced out in the presence of his new superior.

These past few days, he had been catching himself lost in the thoughts of the red strings. He wondered why; he had been seeing those things for five years, but he had never regarded them as a big deal because they didn't have any significant effect on his general life, save for the romantic aspect.

Yet recently, they kept on distracting his mind and making him curious. He wanted to know if it was an omen for an imminent event related to the strings.

"Are you okay, Mr. Nieves?" the middle-aged female dean asked again. This time, she sounded concerned. "Ah, is it okay if I call you John Paul?"

He turned his eyes on his companion and was met by her kind smile. Discreetly, he glanced at the fine lines on the older woman's forehead before he returned his gaze back to the corridor where students loitered.

Earlier, Dr. Rhoda Diaz had offered to give him a quick tour of the SDV University's College of Arts and Social Sciences building.

SDV University, a private institution named after its founder and current CEO, Summer De Vera. Starting today, he would join the CASS faculty as a Philosophy instructor.

"No, I'm sorry, Dr. Diaz. I'm just a bit drowsy today because I wasn't able to catch enough sleep last night. And if you don't mind, please, just call me JP. I am not used to people calling me by that name. I mean, John Paul."

"In that case, you don't have to be too formal with me too. You can call me Rhoda. Or if you must see the need to attach an honorific, Dean Rhoda or Miss Rhoda will do," the woman said in a motherly tone. To a degree, her demeanor made JP think of his granny. "So I was asking how old you are again?"

"I'm twenty-three," he answered.

As they passed by the long hallway, some students paused what they were doing to greet the pair. JP caught a few younger people giving him sidelong glances, but he didn't pay much heed to them, as what got his attention the most was the trio who were hanging out near one of the large windows.

Two lads and a lass. One of the young men leaned on the window, his arm draped around the lady, while their companion was slumped on the floor next to the other guy's leg with a phone in his hand. The first two students were obviously a couple, if the way they were flirting in broad daylight was anything to go by.

Too bad, they will not last forever, JP thought, eyeing the strings around their pinkies, which extended in different directions.

Interestingly, the young man's thread connected to their other male friend.