Sometimes, love feels like forever... until it's not.
Ari never thought she'd meet someone like Ren-carefree, wild, and unafraid of the world. Together, they conquer bucket lists, laugh under the stars, and live for moments that feel endless. But as...
By the time Mira returned to her dorm that evening, she was exhausted. Elana had invited her out to dinner with some friends, but Mira declined, claiming she had too much work to catch up on. In truth, she just needed space—space to process everything.
She set her bag down and sank into her desk chair, staring blankly at the wall. Her thoughts kept looping back to Kuau. There was something about him that felt... different. He wasn’t just a stranger she’d crossed paths with; he was more than that.
Her phone buzzed, snapping her out of her thoughts. She picked it up to see a text from Elana.
"You sure you’re okay? You’ve been acting weird."
Mira hesitated before replying. "Yeah, just tired. I’ll explain later."
Elana’s response was immediate: "You better! And don’t forget we’re going to that café tomorrow."
Mira set her phone down, sighing. Maybe a distraction was exactly what she needed.
The next day, Mira and Elana arrived at the café mid-afternoon. It was one of their favorite spots, tucked away on a quiet street near campus. The aroma of fresh coffee and pastries greeted them as they stepped inside.
They found a table near the window, and for the first time in days, Mira began to relax. She let Elana do most of the talking, nodding along as her friend recounted the latest campus drama.
But just as she was starting to feel at ease, the door to the café opened, and a chill ran down her spine. She didn’t need to look up to know who it was.
Kuau stepped inside, his presence as commanding as ever. He scanned the room briefly before his eyes landed on Mira. For a moment, she thought he might ignore her, but instead, he began walking toward their table.
“Do you know him?” Elana asked, glancing between Mira and Kuau with a mix of confusion and intrigue.
“I... no, not really,” Mira replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
Kuau reached their table, his expression unreadable. “Mira,” he said simply, his voice cutting through the air like a blade.
Elana’s eyebrows shot up. “You do' know him?”
Mira opened her mouth to respond, but Kuau spoke first. “I need a word with you. Alone.”
Elana looked at Mira, then at Kuau, clearly torn between curiosity and concern. “Uh, sure... I’ll just grab us some more coffee,” she said, standing up and walking toward the counter.
Mira turned to Kuau, her pulse quickening. “What’s going on?” she asked, her voice steadier than she felt.
He hesitated, as if weighing his words. “There are things you don’t understand. Things you shouldn’t be involved in.”
Mira frowned. “Then why are you here?”
For the first time, Kuau’s mask seemed to slip, just slightly. There was a flicker of something in his eyes—regret? Sadness?
“Because I don’t have a choice,” he said softly.
Before Mira could ask what he meant, he straightened, the moment of vulnerability gone as quickly as it had appeared. “Be careful, Mira. You don’t know what you’re walking into.”
And with that, he turned and left, leaving Mira with more questions than answers.
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