Aria's POV
The sound of my alarm dragged me out of sleep before the sun had fully risen. I groaned softly, burying my face into the pillow for just a second longer. My body felt heavy, my thoughts foggy. I didn't want to move. I didn't want to think. But I knew I had to. First day of university. No matter how tired or emotionally drained I felt, I couldn't let myself miss it.
I sat up slowly and stared at the soft glow peeking through the curtains. My chest still felt tight from last week. From Kael. From everything he said. I hadn't talked to him since that night and honestly I didn't want to. He hadn't apologized. He hadn't even tried. It was like the conversation never happened for him. Like the words that had bruised me barely mattered.
Dragging myself out of bed, I went through the motions. Shower. Brush teeth. Hair tied up. Simple jeans and a dark sweater. Something comfortable. I looked in the mirror for a second, trying to see the smart girl beneath the tired eyes and fading hurt. The girl that belonged in an engineering department. I gave myself a small nod before grabbing my bag and heading out of my room.
I didn't expect Kael to be there but he was. Sitting on the couch like it was a throne. A coffee cup in hand. Remote in the other. Eyes lazily flicking toward the screen like nothing else in the world mattered.
The second he noticed me in the hallway, the silence grew heavier. I could feel him watching me but I didn't look at him. I didn't speak. I just moved around quietly, grabbing the notebook I left on the side table last night and slipping on my shoes near the door.
When I turned to leave, his voice stopped me.
"Aria"
My name came out flat but sharp. I paused. For a moment I actually thought he might say something real. Something human. Maybe even something close to sorry.
I turned slowly and looked at him. He met my gaze like he was bored already.
"Try not to scare anyone with that attitude today"
I blinked. My stomach twisted. Heat rushed to my face but not from embarrassment. From pure frustration.
I didn't answer. I didn't have the energy to waste. I just shook my head and left, letting the door close behind me harder than I meant to.
Outside, the world felt bigger than it did yesterday. The street buzzed with students, cars, the smell of morning bread from a nearby shop. I walked to school with music in my ears, but even the melodies couldn't drown out my thoughts. I hated that he got under my skin. That his words still echoed in my mind. I barely knew him. But somehow, his opinion had managed to dig into me like it mattered.
When I got to campus, the buildings stood tall and clean, the grounds full of students moving around like they all knew where to go. I didn't. I stood near the map board for a minute, scanning the maze of halls and classrooms.
"You look lost"
A soft voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I turned to see a girl standing nearby, brown skin glowing under the sunlight, curly hair pulled into two puffs, and a wide smile on her face. She had kind eyes.
"A little" I admitted
She laughed. "First day?"
I nodded.
"Same. I'm Jasmine. Engineering?"
"Yeah. Aria"
She grinned. "Great. We can be lost together"
We walked through the buildings together, following the map, and sharing awkward laughs when we turned the wrong way twice. Eventually we made it to the lecture hall and found seats. She told me there were only three girls in the entire program this year. That alone made my stomach sink a bit. I already felt like I didn't belong. Now it was official.
But Jasmine made it easier. She talked through the entire lecture. Whispered jokes during the introductions. It wasn't a hard class. Just a welcome talk. Some rules. Some tips. But she made it feel less cold. Less overwhelming.
During lunch break, a guy tried to flirt with me near the vending machines. Tall. Sharp jaw. Smelled like expensive cologne. I ignored him, gave him a fake smile and walked away. I wasn't in the mood for games. I wasn't here for attention. I was here to make something of myself.
Later in the day, I bumped into a girl in heels and an overpriced blazer who wrinkled her nose at me like I was trash on the floor. She made a comment about how I must have taken a wrong turn into the wrong department. I told her to choke on her perfume and walked off before I could say something worse. Jasmine caught up to me laughing like I'd won a trophy.
By the end of the day, I was exhausted but lighter. We got smoothies from a small shop just off campus. Sat under the sun. Talked about roommates. Jasmine said hers cried at night and burned rice on the first day. I didn't say much about mine. I just shrugged. She didn't press.
We said goodbye near the train station. I walked the last bit home alone. The sun was setting now. The streets were glowing orange and gold. I was just starting to feel like I might enjoy this year. That maybe things were settling.
Then my phone buzzed in my pocket.
I pulled it out, expecting a message from Jasmine. Or maybe a random school update.
It was from an unknown number.
I'll find you
My feet stopped moving. My heart skipped. Then it started to race.
I stared at the screen, the words blurry from the shock. I didn't know the number. I didn't know who it could be. But every part of me suddenly felt cold. The evening air wasn't soft anymore. It was sharp. Heavy. The quiet around me too loud now.
I looked around slowly. Cars passed. People walked by. But suddenly, everything felt wrong.
The message stayed on the screen. Staring back at me like a threat that wasn't finished yet.
And I knew in my gut
This wasn't a joke.