(Elif's Narration)
As I walked through the crowd, the buzz around me gradually faded away. The rush of people, the sounds of cars, the noise of shops… all seemed hidden behind a veil of fog. Because a man was walking in front of me, and my gaze couldn't tear away from him.
I knew him. Or rather, I'd heard his name. Like everyone else in this city, I recognized him through the whispers I'd heard. Eren.
He was a name known for his harshness, his ruthlessness, the darkness in whose shadow he lived. Even in front of children, voices would be hushed when spoken.
But there he was, passing me. His black suit, his square shoulders, the calmness of his stride… The entire crowd avoided him. People made way for him, bowed their heads, averted their gazes. Everyone was afraid.
Except me.
I don't know why, but I couldn't take my eyes off him. My heart was pounding, my mind screaming at me: "Don't look, move away, ignore him!" But there was another voice inside me, deeper, stronger: "Stop. Watch him. You can't look at me like that again."
And at that moment, our gazes met.
My breath hitched in my chest. His eyes were dark, yes, but they also held such a sharp, intense attention, as if he were seeing right through me. I wanted to run away, but I couldn't. I wanted to leave, but my feet were rooted to the spot.
For the first time, a stranger had made me feel so much with just his eyes: fear, curiosity, excitement… and a connection I couldn't explain.
In that moment, I realized: my life would never be the same again. Because Eren's gaze was now etched into my heart.
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