The morning air buzzed with the kind of energy only the orientation day could hold. Freshmen streamed through the gates of Northbridge University, cluttering suitcases, holding campus maps, and talking too loudly so as to prove their excitement. The old buildings witnessed over it all, their stones watched over the decades of new beginnings.
Riven adjusted the strap of his backpack, shifting it higher on his shoulder. He preferred to walk with his hands free, but after watching two separate pickpocket attempts in the span of five minutes, he had gripped one hand to the zipper like his life depended on it. Which, in a sense, it did.
Normal. That was the whole point of coming here. People like him didn't belong in chaos, but college was supposed to be the one kind of chaos that came with rules. You study, you make friends, you mess up a little, and at the end of it, you leave better than you arrived.
At least, that was what the glossy handout promised.
He dodged a pair of skateboarders and glanced at the map on his phone, frowning. The Journalism Department was away at the far edge of campus, away from the main buildings, like the univeresity itself wasn't quite sure if it trusted journalists near the rest of the population. Fitting, really.
"Lost already?" a voice teased behind him.
Riven didn't bother turning. He'd already humored three voices in the last thirty mins asking variations of the same question, all dripping with fake helpfulness.
But then someone bumped his shoulder—a girl with bubblegum-pink hair—and whispered a quick "Sorry!" before disappearing into the crowd.
His eyes followed her instinctively, scanning for a threat. Nothing about her seemed suspicious, but something about her gait—a little too light, like she knew how to disappear—made him uncomfortable.
And that was when he saw him.
Leaning against a low brick wall, Kael looked like he had been dropped straight out of an advertisement for college life. Sunlight caught in his chestnut-brown hair, glinting gold at the tips, and his posture radiated the kind of careless ease that came from someone who didn't have to try to be noticed. Around him, a pack of freshmen laughed at something he said, their attention circling around him naturally.
Riven froze mid-step.
There was no reason to notice him more than anyone else, but Riven's gut twisted. It wasn't attraction, but something else. It was recognition. Except that was impossible.That's what his mind told him.
Kael's head turned as if he'd sensed the weight of that stare. Their gazes collided, and felt like the time has stopped for a moment.
In that moment, it was just the two of them, locked in a silent exchange which neither of them understood. Riven didn't believe in déjà vu, but this felt heavier than that. Not a memory exactly, but a shadow of one, like a scent you can't exactly place but know you've smelled before.
Kael's smile faded...just barely, then returned with practiced warmth.
"Hey!" Kael called out, pushing away from the humming crowd. "You lost?"
Riven considered lying, but his throat betrayed him. "Maybe."
Kael closed the distance with long strides, his presence somehow filling the space around him . "Lucky for you, I'm excellent at saving people from freshman doom. Where you headed?"
"The journalism department," Riven said, puting his phone away.
Kael's grin widened. "Perfect. I'm headed that way."
They started walking, Kael talking like he had known Riven for years, Riven listening like he was trying to figure out Kael's voice onto something he couldn't quite remember.
"You a freshman?" Kael asked, though the answer was obvious.
"Yeah."
"Cool, me too. Theater major. Big mistake, according to my parents. What about you?"
"Journalism, as previously said."
Kael whistled low. "So you're either going to expose government conspiracies or write vlogs about '10 Types of Roommates You'll Meet in College.' Respect either way."
Riven didn't laugh, but the corner of his mouth bended—a betrayal Kael seemed to notice.
"That was almost a smile," Kael said. "I'm going to count that as a win."
Riven shook his head, focusing on the buildings around them. They passed the science block, its glass windows reflecting the crowd like a funhouse mirror. Further down, the arts building stood painted in cheerful colours, students already grouped across the lawn with sketchbooks.
Everything about the campus screamed freedom, but Riven's instincts refused to engage. He noted the security cameras at every intersection, the blind spots between them, the rhythm of the security guards' patrols. It wasn't paranoia. It was survival.
And yet, for reasons he couldn't explain, walking next to Kael made the world feel a fraction less sharp.
"Where you from?" Kael asked.
Riven hesitated. "Nowhere special."
"Cool," Kael said easily. "I'm from everywhere. Dad moves a lot for work. I learned early that if you walk into a new place like you belong there, people believe you do. That's my secret talent."
Riven glanced at him, curious despite himself. "And what happens when they find out you don't belong?"
Kael grinned. "Then you make them wish you did."
There was something about that answer...a hint of sharpness beneath the charm...that made Riven's chest tighten. It felt too familiar, like Kael wasn't just talking about college anymore.
They reached a division in the path. To the left, a bridge arched over a pond glitering in the sunlight. To the right, a narrow trail cut through a grove of oak trees, quieter and darker.
Kael gestured left. "This way's prettier."
Riven nodded toward the trees. "That way's faster."
Kael tilted his head, studying him for a moment. "You always pick the fastest route?"
"Always."
"Guess I'll follow you, then," Kael said, falling into step beside him again.
The building was smaller than Riven expected, almost minimal compared to the rest of campus. Posters lined the bulletin boards near the entrance...calls for writers, debates about censorship, exposes about cafeteria food quality.
Kael stopped at the door. "Guess this is where we part ways, stranger."
Riven nodded. "Guess so."
But neither of them moved immediately. Kael's gaze lingered a second too long, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
"You know," Kael said finally, "you don't seem like the type to get lost."
Riven shrugged. "Maybe I wasn't."
Kael grinned at that, as though it were the most interesting thing he'd heard all morning. "See you around, journalism guy."
"Riven," he said, before he could stop himself.
"Kael," the other replied, his smile turning almost smirk. "Now we're not strangers."
From across the corridoor, a man in a gray coat leaned against a lamppost, blending into the background like a piece of forgotten furniture. His gaze followed the two boys as they separated.
He pulled out a phone and typed a single message:
They've found each other.
A reply came seconds later:
Good. Don't lose them this time.
The man's lips curved into something that wasn't quite a smile.
"Not this time," he murmured.