A Promise Across Time [Completed]

A Quiet Mystery Unfolds

August 1965
Sweden

***FRIDA

For the last few weeks, I've been watching Raven closely. There's something about her, an energy that surrounds her like a mist, something hidden beneath her cheerful exterior. It's not obvious, but I've learned to notice the subtle shifts in her demeanor. The way her eyes glaze over when the conversation skirts too close to certain topics. The way she brushes off my questions with a smile, as if she's trying to protect me from something—something bigger than either of us.

I knew she was different from the moment she appeared on that cold February morning two years ago. She was so out of place—both in her clothes and her mannerisms—but I accepted her without question. Raven had quickly become a part of my life, filling a void I didn't even know existed. But now, the closer I get to her, the more I realize there's so much she's not telling me.

And it all seems to revolve around one name: Benny Andersson.

The first time she mentioned him, she told me I had to find him. "He'll be important to you," she said, her voice filled with certainty. But since then, she's stopped talking about it, stopped bringing up Benny altogether. At first, I didn't press her, thinking maybe it was just a fleeting comment. But the more time passed, the more I found myself wondering—who is Benny Andersson to me really? And why did Raven think he'd be so important to my future?

Yesterday, when I asked her again about Benny, her reaction caught me off guard. She shook her head, her usual playful demeanor replaced with something more serious. "I won't divulge anything anymore," she said, her voice soft but firm. "Unless it's necessary, or a matter of life and death."

That was the moment I knew. She was keeping something from me—something big.

Today, I decided to confront her. Not aggressively, but just to talk, to understand. I found her sitting by the window, humming quietly to herself as she stared out into the street. Her legs dangled off the edge of the chair, her hands resting on the windowsill as she watched the world outside with a distant, almost wistful expression.

"Hey, Rave," I called softly, stepping into the room. "Can we talk for a moment?"

Raven turned to me, her bright eyes meeting mine. "Sure, Frida," she said, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. But even then, I could tell something was off. The smile didn't quite reach her eyes, and there was a flicker of something—anxiety?—just beneath the surface.

I sat down beside her, the two of us staring out the window together in silence for a few moments. I didn't want to rush into the conversation, not when I knew how guarded she could be.

Finally, I took a deep breath and spoke. "Raven... what's really going on with you? With Benny?"