Night draped over the private university dorm, the hallway drowned in shadows. Inside, the dorm room's light glowed soft and warm. Outside, the wind stirred the trees, their shadows swaying on the walls like countless silent eyes watching.
Maya hugged her pillow tightly, curling up into a ball on her bed. She had already tried three times to bury her head under the blanket, but the thought wouldn't leave her—
That boy in class earlier.The one who saved her so coldly.Lucian.
Same name. And his face… eerily similar to her roommate's.
"Ahhh, no, no, calm down, calm down…" she whispered to herself, squeezing the pillow harder.
She snuck a glance at the opposite bed.
Lucian sat with her back turned, long hair falling freely over her shoulders, a loose nightshirt draped elegantly on her frame. She was flipping through an English classic, the soft desk lamp painting her profile with light. Her face was so refined it looked almost unreal—beautiful, distant, untouchable.
"If you keep spacing out, your brain's going to start smoking," Lucian said coolly, her voice edged with impatience.
Maya swallowed hard. "Lucian…" she murmured.
Her heart thumped as she stared. Finally, she couldn't help but speak.
"Hm?" came the cold reply, pages still turning.
"I… I saw a boy at school today."
"So?" Lucian didn't look up.
Maya hesitated, her voice shrinking even smaller. "He looked… kind of like you. But he was a boy! Super cold, scary eyes, but also, um… really handsome…"
The air froze for two seconds.
Lucian closed the book with a soft snap and turned her head slowly. Her gaze was icy, but it only made Maya's heart pound harder.
"Like me? Are you saying anyone in this school could remind you of me?"
"N-no! Not just anyone!" Maya flailed her hands, nearly tumbling off the bed, a mess of soft panic. She explained quickly, "It's just… really alike. Even the aura! And—and his name was Lucian too…"
Lucian's lips pressed thin, her eyes deep and dangerous."Are you… doubting something?"
Maya's face burned crimson. She shook her head frantically. "N-no! I'd never doubt you!"
She clutched her pillow tighter, voice trembling like a frightened bunny. "I just thought it was strange, that's all…"
Lucian gave her one last glance before turning away, her back as cold and impenetrable as a wall.
Maya stared at that silhouette, her heart beating faster and faster. For a fleeting second, she felt as if something invisible bound them together—some hidden thread tying their fates.
"Stop overthinking. Go to sleep. Otherwise, tonight's dreams might make you cry."
Maya's chest tightened instantly. She didn't dare ask further. Obediently, she slid under her blanket—though her eyes still peeked out, stealing glances at Lucian's back.
The dorm fell into silence. Outside, the wind howled, rattling against the window frame like unseen hands knocking. Maya burrowed deeper into her covers, but her mind only grew messier.
(No way… Lucian really looks too much like that boy! But—she's right here with me, talking to me. Then… who was that boy?)
The more she thought, the more tangled her feelings became, her heartbeat racing. As she drifted into a hazy sleep, she could almost hear the faint curve of a smile whispering at her ear:"…You'll understand one day."
Maya jolted, turning over, eyes snapping open.
But the dorm was quiet. Only the desk lamp still glowed. Lucian sat calmly at the table, fingers tapping against the page, as if she hadn't spoken at all.