Amara barely remembered the walk back to her first-year female hostel. The evening air, cooler than the stifling heat of the lecture hall, brushed against her skin, but it did little to calm the storm inside her. Her bag swung heavily at her side, though it was the weight in her chest that made her steps sluggish. Every time she replayed the neem tree moment, she felt her stomach twist: Kael's wrist glowing faintly in the sunlight, his calm certainty, the word that had settled into her thoughts like a stone: Bound.
Passing by the other rooms, voices reached her ears. First-year girls from her engineering course whispered excitedly, their tone a mix of curiosity and admiration:
"…Did you see him today?" one murmured.
"Yeah, he's insanely handsome… that hair! He must be rich."
"Do you think he has a girlfriend yet?"
"Why is he even in our class? I heard he's a transfer."
Amara's chest tightened. She gripped her bag straps, pretending not to hear, but the warmth beneath her sleeve pulsed faintly, reminding her that she wasn't just imagining it. What kind of mess am I in? she thought. Every nerve in her body screamed that she should run, yet curiosity, fear, and some inexplicable pull made her legs keep moving.
Finally, her key slid into the lock of her room with a soft click. Inside, Ngozi, her roommate, was sprawled across her bed with a law textbook open on her lap, the yellowed pages slightly bent from hours of use. A faint aroma of something cooked lingered in the air, rich and spicy, making Amara's stomach grumble even louder.
"You look like you've seen a ghost," Ngozi said without looking up.
Amara dropped her bag onto her bed. "I'm just… famished."
Ngozi smirked. "Lucky for you, I slaved over a hot pot earlier," she said, pointing at a covered plate on the desk. "Don't ask how I sneaked it in without the kitchen patrol noticing. If they caught me, it would've been a disaster."
Amara smiled faintly. "You're a lifesaver." She reached for the food, but Ngozi raised a hand.
"Not so fast! Change first. Freshen up. You look like you wrestled with a dust storm."
Amara groaned and pulled out a fresh T-shirt. "You're impossible."
"And yet, I feed you," Ngozi said, smirking. "Also, don't forget, I have a test tomorrow morning, contracts and tort law. That's why I'm reading late into the night. Keep it down, or I'll throw this book at you."
Amara chuckled as she changed, though her thoughts kept drifting back to the shimmer beneath her sleeve and the strange pull Kael seemed to exert over her. Even as she ate, she couldn't stop thinking about the word Bound, repeating in her mind like a bell tolling in a silent hall.
Ngozi noticed the tension in Amara's shoulders, the slight tremble in her hands, and the way her eyes kept flicking toward the door, as if expecting someone to appear. She's hiding something, Ngozi thought, lips twitching. I'll find out sooner or later. She returned to her textbook, pretending to be absorbed, silently reciting the principles of tort law to herself.
Hours passed. Exhaustion finally claimed Amara, but sleep offered no peace. Her mind replayed Kael's words, the whispers of the hostel girls, and her own anxious thoughts over and over. The soft hum of the ceiling fan and the faint scent of Ngozi's cooking became the backdrop to her restless mind.
She dreamed of sinking—into water, shadows, emptiness. She couldn't tell which, couldn't even tell how deep she went. Panic clawed at her chest; her lungs burned. She tried to scream, to move, but her body refused. Darkness pressed in, heavy and cold.
Then came an explosion. Blinding. Violent. The world tore apart, swallowing sound and breath alike.
Amara jolted awake, heart hammering, sweat clinging to her skin, hair damp against her forehead. Her wrist throbbed faintly, steady as ever. The ceiling fan hummed softly above, the faint smell of cooked food still in the air.
Ngozi's eyes flicked toward her, noticing the wide, frantic eyes, the trembling hands, the quick, shallow breaths. She didn't speak, but a smirk tugged at her lips. She'll tell me eventually. I'll find out sooner or later, Ngozi thought, returning to her textbook. I need to focus too—test tomorrow morning.
"What… was that?" Amara whispered to herself. Only fragments lingered: sinking, the explosion, the suffocating darkness. She shook her head. "Forget it. Just a dream."
---
Morning came harsh and fast. Her body ached from restless sleep, but she forced herself up. Dressing slowly, tying her hair back, she deliberately ignored the faint shimmer beneath her sleeve.
Ngozi stirred, glancing up. "You planning to stay zombie-like all day, or are you coming to life soon?"
Amara snorted, tugging her bag onto her shoulder. "I'll live… barely."
"Good. And don't forget, I have lectures and a test this morning. Don't leave your aura of chaos all over the room," Ngozi teased.
Amara paused at the door. "Thanks for the food. You didn't have to sneak that hot plate, you know."
"And yet, I did," Ngozi said with a smirk, returning to her book.
---
By the time Amara reached the lecture hall, she was late. Heads turned briefly, then returned to notes. Near the back, Zainab and Tolu, her first-year engineering coursemates, had saved her a seat.
"You're late," Tolu whispered, grinning. "Don't tell me you were dreaming about the new transfer student."
Heat rushed to Amara's face. "W-What? No! I just—"
"You look tired," Zainab said, teasing. "Suspiciously tired. Admit it, Amara, was Kael in your dreams?"
Amara buried her face in her notebook, wishing the floor would swallow her. Her thoughts drifted to Kael—his sharp gaze, the warmth of his wrist, the strange pull she could feel even now. She sneaked a glance toward the front, scanning for him, feeding the suspicions of her friends.
Tolu leaned closer. "So… what's going on between you two? We saw him holding your hand yesterday."
"I-it's not like that!" Amara hissed, shaking her head.
"Then what is it? Did he ask you out already?" Zainab pressed, voice just a little too loud.
Amara froze. I can't tell them the truth. I can't even explain it to myself. She shook her head frantically, hands waving. "No, no, no—it's not like that!"
The girls exchanged knowing glances, grins spreading. Amara's cheeks burned, but inside, her thoughts screamed: How in the world am I supposed to explain this?
Her gaze flicked to the front of the hall, scanning the rows of students. Kael wasn't there yet, but her pulse quickened at the thought of seeing him again. Is he here? Did he come for me? The faint warmth beneath her sleeve reminded her that the bond wasn't just a word—it was real, tangible, and it was only the beginning.