The next morning, Aiden couldn't concentrate. His mind replayed the scene beneath the cherry blossom tree again and again—the girl's eyes, her voice, her words: "We've met before… many times."
During class, Aria leaned over and whispered, "You're spacing out again. Did you… see her?"
Aiden blinked. "See who?"
Aria pouted. "That girl. The one you've been dreaming about. You mutter in your sleep sometimes, you know."
Heat rushed to his cheeks. "Y-You were listening?"
Before Aria could tease him more, the classroom door slid open. Everyone turned. A new student stepped inside—her silver hair catching the sunlight, her violet eyes calm but unreadable.
Aiden's heart nearly stopped.
It was her.
The girl bowed politely. "My name is Lyria. I look forward to studying with you."
The room buzzed with whispers—her beauty was striking, almost otherworldly—but Aiden barely heard them. His pulse pounded in his ears. She was real, standing before him, not just in a dream or memory.
When their eyes met, Lyria's lips curved faintly. A knowing smile.
Later, when class ended, Aiden rushed outside, finding her by the courtyard. He hesitated, then called out. "Lyria!"
She turned gracefully. "You remembered my name already."
"Of course I did," Aiden said, his voice shaking. "I… I need to know. What did you mean yesterday? About us meeting before?"
Lyria's expression softened. She glanced up at the sky, her hair glimmering in the sunlight. "Across lifetimes, our souls are drawn together. We've loved, lost, and found each other again… countless times. You may not remember yet, but your heart does."
Aiden's breath caught. "Then… why me? Why us?"
"Because of a promise," she whispered, stepping closer. "A promise you made long ago. One you have yet to fulfill."
Before he could ask more, footsteps echoed behind him. Aria appeared, holding a notebook. "Aiden! You forgot your—" She froze, her eyes narrowing at Lyria.
A sudden tension filled the air, sharp and heavy.
Lyria smiled politely. "And this must be another of your bonds."
Aria frowned. "Excuse me?"
Aiden's head spun. Bonds? Promise? Past lives? What did all of this mean?
Lyria's eyes glimmered knowingly. "The cycle has begun again. Soon, more of us will appear."
She walked past him, her voice lingering like a song in the wind. "Be ready, Aiden. This life… will test your heart more than any before."
Aiden stood frozen, Aria glaring at his side, his chest pounding with confusion and fear.
More bonds? More girls tied to him across lifetimes?His ordinary life was shattering—and a story of eternal love and impossible choices was just beginning.