Unexpected_Encounter
Years ago, you and Alhaitham were inseparable-two brilliant minds drawn together by philosophy, books, and quiet moments in the House of Daena. But after a bitter disagreement over your futures, you left Sumeru and severed ties. No letters. No goodbye.
Now, you're back.
You're assigned to assist the Akademiya with a major research project, and-of course-your supervisor is none other than Alhaitham, now the Acting Grand Sage. Time has sharpened him. He seems unaffected. Logical. Composed. But under the surface, something lingers.
The past creeps in with every interaction: an unfinished sentence, a borrowed book, a coffee left untouched. He avoids talking about what happened. You avoid asking. But the space between you crackles with unsaid things.
As the project unfolds and a conspiracy brews in the Akademiya's shadows, you're forced to rely on each other once more. And maybe... there's a chance to rebuild something that never truly died.