The rain was lashing against the windowpanes of the small, cozy coffee shop in Brooklyn. Ethan sat in his usual corner, his eyes fixed on the rain-soaked pavement outside. As an architect, his life was built on straight lines and rigid structures, but today, the rhythm of the rain was pulling him into a swirl of forgotten memories.
He was deep into a new project on his laptop when he noticed something. Resting right next to his table was a small, leather-bound blue diary. Someone must have left it behind.
Ethan usually minded his own business, but the name embossed in gold on the cover made his breath hitch—"Mia."
As he opened the first page, the faint scent of a dried rose filled the air. There was only one sentence written there:
"People die, but do the grudges they leave behind ever truly fade?"
The handwriting was neat and elegant, exactly like the girl he knew a decade ago. Suddenly, the chime at the door rang. A young woman stepped inside, drenched from the storm, clutching a broken umbrella. Her eyes scanned the room frantically until they met Ethan's.
She froze.
In the dim light of the shop, her face looked painfully familiar. Ethan felt a cold shiver down his spine. She shouldn't be here. She shouldn't even be alive.
The woman slowly walked toward his table, her voice trembling. "Is... is that diary yours?"
Ethan gripped the book tightly. "No, I found it here. Is your name... Mia?"
She didn't answer. She only stared at him with eyes full of fear and longing. Outside, a loud crack of thunder shook the shop, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still.