Hours later at the café:
Victor was busy tidying up and closing the café. It had been a long day, and the evening air was cold. As he tried to focus on his work, his phone lit up with a call from his mother.
Victor:
"Hi Mom, how are you?"
Ellen:
"Where are you? How's everything in London?"
Victor
(trying to sound calm):
"Everything's fine, Mom. Work and studies are keeping me busy, but I'm learning a lot."
There was a noticeable worry in her voice.
"Are you sure you're okay?"
Victor
(smiling but feeling a twinge of longing):
"Yes, Mom. Don't worry. I'm fine. Just a little busy."
While Victor was talking to his mother, he noticed a strange movement near the front door. He looked outside and saw a woman standing there with a large suitcase. She seemed lost, her eyes nervously checking her phone.
Victor didn't pay much attention at first and continued his call.
Victor:
"Mom, I need to close now. We'll talk later."
After ending the call, he glanced once more at the woman. She was still there, looking uncertain. Though he hesitated, he didn't want to waste more time.
He turned to his friend Mike, who was also working with him.
Victor:
(calmly, pointing toward the door)
"Mike, could you go check if she needs help?"
Mike
(raising his brows in curiosity):
"Are you sure?"
Victor
(with a faint smile):
"Yes."
Mike
(laughing and raising his hand):
"Alright, I'll go see."
Mike left the café and approached the woman.
—
Mike
(approaching her with a warm smile):
"Hi there, you look like you might need some help. Can I assist you with something?"
The girl
(looked at him cautiously, then smiled shyly):
"Yes, actually I'm a bit lost. I was looking for this apartment, but the address seems confusing."
Mike
(kindly, checking her phone):
"Don't worry, you're really close. The apartment you're looking for is not far, I can guide you if you'd like."
The girl
(relieved, tightening her grip on her suitcase):
"That's very kind of you. I was getting anxious after the long trip."
Mike
(enthusiastically pointing down the road):
"No worries, it'll only take a few minutes. Come with me."
—
Later, Mike returned to the café.
Mike:
(taking off his coat as he entered)
"I walked her to the apartment. Weird thing is—it's really close to ours."
Victor:
(raising an eyebrow with mild interest, casually)
"Alright, thanks. It's good to be helpful."
—
Victor & the Silence of the Night:
The night was unusually quiet. The cold air carried a peaceful stillness. Victor sat at his small desk, trying to focus on study notes, but boredom crept in.
Suddenly, a scream broke the silence.
Victor
(jumping up and rushing to the window):
"What's happening now?"
Opening the window, he saw thick smoke rising from an apartment across the street. People were yelling and calling emergency services. He realized it was serious.
Throwing on his jacket, he rushed out of his apartment.
Victor:
(looking around the crowd)
"Which apartment is it?"
A neighbor:
"Fourth floor! Smoke's coming from the window!"
Without hesitation, Victor ran into the building and up the stairs, ignoring the thickening smoke. At the fourth floor, he found the doors closed but heard a smoke alarm inside.
Victor:
(shouting)
"Is anyone there?!"
No response. He forced the door open.
Inside, Emma lay unconscious on the couch, unaware of the danger due to deep sleep and smoke inhalation.
Victor:
(rushing to her, shaking her gently)
"Miss! Wake up! There's a fire!"
Emma
(weakly opening her eyes, coughing):
"What... what's happening?"
Victor:
"No time to explain! We need to get out now!"
He lifted her in his arms, realizing she was barely conscious. The smoke was thick, the flames close.
Victor made it out of the apartment with difficulty. The crowd applauded as he emerged into the street.
Emma
(weakly trying to speak):
"Thank you... you saved me..."
Victor
(looking at her closely, something about her felt familiar, but he shook his head):
"It's okay. What matters is you're safe."
Fire trucks and ambulances arrived. After confirming no one else was in the building, one firefighter thanked Victor. He stood off to the side, watching Emma receive medical care.
—
The next morning, Victor walked into his university building, looking tired from the sleepless night. He headed to the library where Mike was waiting, focused on his phone.
Victor
(dropping his bag and sitting down):
"Mike, hope you didn't wait too long."
Mike
(grinning, excitedly pointing to his phone):
"Nope, but you have to see this now!"
Victor
(exhausted):
"Mike, if this is about a new game or a funny video, I'm not in the mood."
Mike
(sliding his phone over):
"No, this is different. Just look!"
Victor looked at the screen:
"Famous singer Emma survives apartment fire in London."
The photo showed Emma wrapped in a thick coat, partially covering her face with a mask.
Victor
(stunned):
"Emma...?"
Mike
(with a short laugh):
"Yeah, the Emma! Turns out the girl I helped two days ago might actually be her. She looks just like her."
Victor
(staring at the photo in shock):
"No way... That's..."
Mike
(curiously):
"Do you know her?"
Then Victor began explaining everything to Mike.
Mike
(standing up in excitement, placing his hand on Victor's shoulder):
"This is insane! Why didn't you say anything? You knew her this whole time!"
Victor
(staring at the photo again, feeling unsettled):
"I didn't know... But now everything makes sense."
—
Meanwhile...
Emma sat in a small temporary rented room, holding a warm cup of tea. She stared out the window at the quietly raining London. She looked pale and tired, memories of the fire still fresh.
Emma
(sighing, whispering to herself):
"How did I end up like this...?"
She remembered the fire, the faces of those who helped her—especially the guy who carried her. A sudden memory from Rome flashed in her mind—a big concert night. A particular person stood out, but she shook her head.
Emma
(quietly):
"It couldn't be him... maybe just a coincidence."
She picked up her phone and saw the photo of her from the fire that had gone viral. Scrolling through the comments, she read one from a fan:
"Even in tough times, you remain strong. We love you, Emma!"
A faint warmth filled her heart, though doubt still lingered.
Had she made the right decision to take this break and travel?
Meanwhile, Victor lay on his bed, staring at the same photo on his phone. He put the phone aside, looked at the ceiling, then held his head in his hands.
Victor
(thinking aloud):
"How could it be her? After all these months... it feels like fate."
He stood up and began organizing his study notes, trying to distract himself. But Emma's face wouldn't leave his thoughts.
He paused, then made a silent decision—
He needed answers.
-
To be continued...
-
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