Lina had stopped calling it a dream.
Dreams fade.
This didn't.
It returned every night at exactly the same moment — as if time itself had memorized it.
The sky was always golden, painted in soft shades of sunset. The air felt warm, almost real against her skin.
And he was always there.
Standing a few steps away.
Close enough to see.
Too far to touch.
His face was never completely clear. It was blurred at the edges, like something was hiding it from her.
But his eyes…
She always saw his eyes.
Dark. Steady. Familiar.
As if they had known her long before she knew herself.
"You'll find me," he would say quietly.
Not dramatic. Not urgent.
Just certain.
Every time, Lina tried to walk toward him.
Her heart would race.
Her hands would tremble.
And just when she was about to reach him—
She woke up.
3:17 a.m.
Again.
Lina stared at the ceiling of her new bedroom, her breathing uneven.
New city.
New university.
New beginning.
And somehow…
The same boy.
She sat up slowly, pressing her hand against her chest.
Why does he feel real?
It wasn't just attraction.
It wasn't even curiosity.
It was recognition.
And that was the part she couldn't explain.
The next morning, the university auditorium was packed.
Loud voices. Laughter. Nervous excitement.
Lina slipped into a seat near the back. She wasn't the type who liked attention. She preferred to observe.
Then the doors opened.
The shift in energy was instant.
Whispers spread across the room.
"That's Luca Moretti."
"He just transferred."
"He's ridiculously attractive."
Lina looked up—
And her entire world tilted.
Those eyes.
The same deep, steady gaze from her dreams.
The same calm confidence.
The same controlled half-smile.
Her heart stopped.
It was him.
Not similar.
Not close.
Him.
Luca.
Her pulse pounded in her ears.
This wasn't possible.
Dreams don't walk into auditoriums.
As if pulled by something invisible, Luca's gaze lifted.
And found hers.
Time slowed.
The noise faded into nothing.
It was just a look.
But it felt like a memory.
He didn't look confused.
He looked… aware.
Like he recognized her too.
Lina broke eye contact first, her breath shaky.
This had to be a coincidence.
It had to be.
After orientation ended, the hallway filled with students.
Lina was distracted, replaying the moment in her head, when suddenly—
She bumped into someone.
Her papers scattered across the floor.
"Wow, that's one way to make an entrance," a warm voice teased.
She looked up.
Hazel eyes.
Bright smile.
Dimples.
Completely different energy.
"I'm Ryan," he said, crouching to help her. "And I think destiny just threw you at me."
Lina let out a small laugh.
"Or maybe you just don't know how to walk."
Ryan grinned wider.
"Oh, I definitely like you already."
His presence felt easy. Light. Comfortable.
When his fingers brushed hers while handing back her papers, she smiled.
No racing heartbeat.
No overwhelming tension.
Just warmth.
From across the hallway—
Luca watched silently.
His jaw tightened slightly.
Then he turned and walked away.
Lina didn't know it yet.
But this wasn't random.
This wasn't coincidence.
And soon—
She would learn the difference between liking someone…
And loving someone.