Raven walked through the thick fog.
Each step felt heavy, as if the ground beneath his feet was holding his body back with something invisible. The cold air enveloped him, the silence pressing on his ears. From behind the fog, a vague shadow slowly appeared.
The shadow grew closer, becoming clearer, until it finally revealed the figure of a man in a long black robe. The robe hung loosely to his ankles, decorated with faint floral motifs that were only visible when hit by certain light, giving it an elegant yet mysterious look. His long black hair was neatly combed with slight waves, and his eyes were sharp yet calm.
The aura he exuded instantly weighed heavily on Raven's chest. Her breath felt tight, as if an invisible weight was pressing down on her from all sides.
In the middle of the fog, the man sat in a small pavilion. A brush was clutched in his hand, moving slowly across the canvas. He was painting a figure that was not entirely clear. The face in the painting wore a faint smile, but the painter's eyes were empty and hollow, as if harboring an unhealed sorrow.
Raven could only stare, confused and curious.
The atmosphere around the man felt peaceful. Calm. It was in stark contrast to the suffocating feeling that pierced his chest.
Then Raven realized.
This dream... again.
Every time she fell asleep, Raven always encountered the same figure. Sometimes the man was writing, sometimes staring at the sky, sometimes playing a musical instrument. But his gaze was always the same, empty, full of sorrow, yet somehow soothing.
A faint voice suddenly echoed, breaking the fog.
"Raven... Raven..."
The image of the pavilion and the man in black robes slowly faded, as if blown away by the wind. The voice grew clearer.
"Hey, I've been calling you!"
Raven blinked.
The sunlight shining through the bus window pierced her eyes. The sound of wheels rolling on asphalt mixed with the chatter of students. Outside the window, the trees rushed by quickly.
"Are we there yet?" he muttered half-consciously.
"No way! Gosh, isn't this the perfect time to enjoy our youth? We're on a study tour, bro! Instead of sleeping the whole way!" said Kyle, his friend sitting next to him.
Raven glanced lazily to the side.
Kyle looked excited as usual, even overly so. His dark brown hair was cut in a thin undercut, neat but still casual. His golden brown eyes were always sparkling with energy, and his mouth seemed to never run out of words.
That day he wore an oversized white hoodie with an anime character on it, paired with light blue jeans and clean white sneakers. His style was casual but striking, clearly the type of person who was comfortable being the center of attention.
"Why wake him up, Kyle? Just let him sleep. Maybe he's tired," said a soft voice from the front seat.
It was Hana.
A calm-looking girl with long black hair that fell past her shoulders. She had an oval face, fair skin, and naturally thin, beautiful lips with an alluring simplicity.
Her hands held a light novel; she preferred reading to joining in the commotion. She wore a thin gray cardigan over a white blouse, a knee-length black pleated skirt, and elegant flat shoes.
"Come on, Hana. Don't spoil him," replied Karin, Hana's close friend.
Her shoulder-length dark blonde hair gave her a slightly wild look. Her athletic body was clad in an army green bomber jacket, a plain black T-shirt, ripped jeans, and black sneakers. Her style was energetic, a little tomboyish, but still charming.
"Hey! Kyle, can you be quiet for a minute? Seriously, you've been babbling nonsense all day," another voice scolded in a sharp tone.
It was Lisa, a girl with glasses and long reddish-brown hair that reached her back, slightly curly at the ends. Her face was beautiful but serious, the typical bookworm style. She wore a dark blue turtleneck sweater, a long beige skirt, and black loafers. On her lap was a tote bag full of books.
"Heh, what's this? The bookworm is annoyed?" Kyle teased.
"Kyle! You jerk!" Lisa exclaimed, her face turning red instantly.
Lisa snorted softly, glaring sharply as she pushed her glasses up. Her left cheek puffed out slightly, holding back her anger that was about to explode.
"If I may be honest, they look really close, don't they?" Karin whispered teasingly to Hana, nudging her shoulder. "If only the person next to me was as brave as Kyle, maybe he could be that close to someone too." Her gaze glanced at Raven.
Hana's face immediately turned red, and she quickly looked down, pretending to read.
A deep but calm voice sounded from the front, breaking the atmosphere.
"If you two could just behave a little, this trip would be much more comfortable. Don't you think?"
It was Kevin. His handsome face, strong jawline, and dark gray eyes made him popular on campus. His black hair was neatly combed, his smile thin and hard to read. He always appeared calm, spoke only when necessary, but his words often made people follow him without realizing it. That day he was wearing a slim-fit white shirt with rolled-up sleeves, black chino pants, and leather shoes.
Kyle snorted. "Come on, young master. This is a bus, not a five-star hotel. If you don't like it, just take a private jet."
A small laugh came from several students. Kevin remained calm, staring at Kyle with a slight smile.
"If I had a private jet, obviously I wouldn't want to sit next to noisy people like you... or your friend who does nothing but sleep." The corner of his eye glanced at Raven.
Raven opened her eyes slightly. "I can hear you, Kevin."
Kevin smiled smugly. "Good. So you know, you better watch your image. You're sitting next to our 'campus idol'." His gaze turned to Hana, causing the girl to quickly look down.
Karin immediately snapped. "Hey, if you're just going to make the atmosphere uncomfortable, you might as well just shut up. Talking about image, when in fact Hana rejected you outright."
The sarcasm hit the mark. Everyone knew that Kevin had been rejected by Hana, a hot gossip that was still often talked about. Kevin's face tensed for a moment, but he quickly hid it with an authoritative smile.
"I don't mind being rejected, Karin. It just proves that Hana has high standards. She must be looking for someone worthy. Not..." For a moment, his eyes glanced back at Raven.
"You fox..." Karin muttered irritably.
Raven was silent, closing her eyes again. But something was stirring inside her.
Before the argument continued, their coach's loud voice cut in.
"Hey! Everyone, please calm down! Save your energy for tomorrow!"
The atmosphere on the bus calmed down. Kyle grinned wryly, Lisa looked back out the window, and Hana remained silent with her head down.
"Raven, please keep an eye on your friend next to you. I'm tired of managing him too," said the coach half-jokingly.
Raven sighed, her lips curving slightly. "Yes, sir."
She turned to Kyle, looking at him sharply but casually. Kyle chuckled softly, scratching his head.
"Heh... what's wrong with being a little excited?" he whispered.
Raven just shook her head. Her jet-black hair glistened blue in the light. Her gaze was sharp, her dark eyes radiating a cold calm. Her body was proportionally unremarkable, but clearly well-trained. With a plain black hoodie, denim jacket, dark joggers, and gray sneakers, her appearance was simple, but the mysterious aura that surrounded her was hard to ignore.
The bus continued on, leaving the city streets further and further behind. The atmosphere inside began to calm down, with only small, intermittent conversations to be heard. Kyle finally fell silent, his head leaning against the window as he played with his phone.
Raven looked back out the window and closed her eyes again, trying to ignore the commotion earlier. However, the lingering shadows of the dream still clung to her. The figure of a man in a black robe with a vacant stare seemed to have not completely disappeared.
Behind her eyelids, she saw a glimpse of brush strokes on a canvas again. A vague smiling face... and for some reason, the figure slowly turned its head as if looking directly at her.
Raven's heart beat faster. He suddenly opened his eyes, staring at the bus ceiling. Only the faint shadows of trees were reflected on the glass.
"...What does all this mean?" he whispered softly.
Only he could hear it.
Outside the window, a thin mist began to fall, as if following the bus as it sped toward a destination they did not yet know would change everything.