Sophia sat on a bench in the village square, staring blankly at the ground. Her mind was elsewhere, preoccupied with thoughts of Alex. She couldn't stop thinking about the way he smiled, the way his eyes sparkled when he talked about his training.
As she sat there, lost in thought, a villager approached her. "Sophia, can I talk to you for a moment?" she asked, noticing Sophia's distant expression.
Sophia blinked, refocusing on the present. "Oh, yes. What's up?" she replied, trying to sound normal.
The villager chatted with her for a bit, but Sophia's mind kept wandering back to Alex. She wondered what he was doing, if he was thinking about her too.
As the villager walked away, Sophia stood up and began to stroll through the village. She didn't have a destination in mind, she just wanted to clear her head.
As she walked, Sophia caught herself smiling. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this way about someone. It was both exhilarating and terrifying.
Sophia shook her head, chuckling to herself. She was getting ahead of herself. Alex might not even feel the same way. And even if he did, she wasn't sure she was ready to open up to someone.
Despite her reservations, Sophia couldn't help but feel a sense of hope. Maybe, just maybe, this was the start of something special.