The story starts with a boy…
A dream.
He's standing at the edge of a tall mountain. Wind rushing past his ears. Below him, nothing but endless drop. And then—he jumps.
The fall feels real. Fast. Free.
But right before he hits the ground—
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
The alarm rings loudly, pulling him out of sleep.
Noel wakes up with a jolt—and immediately rolls off the bed, landing face-first on the floor.
"Ugh... not again."
Still half-asleep, he fumbles to switch off the alarm and lets out a loud yawn. Rubbing his eyes, he drags himself into the bathroom. The cold splash of water wakes him a little, and he lazily brushes his teeth, staring blankly at the sink. When he finally looks up at the mirror - he pauses.
There it is.
That scar.
A thin, sharp line running across his chest… from the front to the back, like something had gone straight through him. It always makes him stop for a second. It doesn't hurt. But it's… there. Constantly. A reminder of something he doesn't fully understand. He slips on his shirt as usual, the fabric covering the scar like it's nothing out of the ordinary.
At college, the semester has just started.
New faces around. Old friends reuniting. But Noel walks in calmly, like it's just another normal day.
He's part of a group—five friends in total. Two girls, two guys, and him.
Damien, the loud one, is always cracking jokes at the wrong time—or maybe the right time. Either way, he keeps the group laughing.
Sasha's the confident one, never hesitating to say yes to plans and usually the one making them in the first place.
Ryan's the thinker. He doesn't talk as much, but when he does, it's usually a smart idea or the kind of decision everyone ends up following.
Nyra, who's always dropping random thoughts about life, the world, or whatever pops into her head—half the time it sounds deep, the other half it's just teasing someone.
They're always together. Whether it's lunch breaks, group projects, or just chilling under a tree, they move as one loud, messy, inseparable unit. Noel's the quiet one among them, yet every time they call his name, it carries the warmth of real friendship. This is his everyday life. Chill. Fun. Loud. Normal.
Today, they're just chilling outside, eating snacks on a bench under a tree. Classes just ended, and energy is low, but the mood stays light.
They start talking about their pasts. One shares how he used to get in trouble for sneaking out of class in high school. Another laughs about the time she broke her neighbor's window while playing cricket. Someone else brings up moving to a new city and how awkward it felt at first. The stories keep going, funny, embarrassing, sometimes even a little sad—but each one adds to the noise and warmth of the group.
Finally, the attention turns to Noel.
"Your turn," Sasha says, nudging him.
"Come on, don't say you don't have one."
Noel stays quiet for a moment, then exhales.
"Actually… I don't really know about my past."
The group chuckles, thinking he's joking.
"Yeah, right. That's not an excuse," Damien teases. "What are you, some mystery man with a secret identity?"
Noel shakes his head. His tone doesn't change.
"I'm serious. Four years ago, I had an accident. That's all I know. My grandfather told me about it. I was eighteen when it happened."
Nyra frowns. "Come on, we don't believe you."
Noel doesn't argue. Instead, he pulls out his phone, scrolls for a second, then holds it out.
On the screen is a photo of his chest and back. In the center, running straight through, is a scar—straight from the front to the back—like something had pierced him in a single strike. Long, sharp, unnatural.
Everyone stares.
"Wait… it's real?" Ryan whispers.
"No way…"
"That's actually scary." Nyra adds softly.
Noel takes the phone back calmly, slipping it into his pocket. His voice is quieter now.
"I told you. That's all I know."
For a moment, silence settles over the group. Nobody speaks, the weight of his words hanging in the air. But then, Damien forces a laugh.
"Man… you could've just said you're bad at telling stories."
The others join in, and just like that, the mood eases back into laughter and chatter.
Later that day, as Noel walks home through the busy campus, something strange happens.
He notices a girl standing by herself near the old library building.
She looks around absentmindedly — until her eyes suddenly lock onto him.
She stares.
Wide eyes. Frozen. As if she's seen something shocking.
Then, softly — like she's speaking to herself, or maybe remembering something too clearly — she says:
"…Kael?"
Noel hears it. The voice. The name.
His heart skips a beat.
Kael...?
He doesn't know why — but hearing that name makes his chest feel tight.
Her face shows a mix of fear and recognition. As if she knows him. Or thought she did.
Noel quickly looks away.
He turns in the other direction, pretending he didn't hear anything, and walks faster — trying to put distance between him and that moment.
But as he walks…
His head starts to feel heavy.
A sharp pressure builds behind his eyes. His vision blurs. His balance falters. His breathing becomes shallow.
Then—
Drip.
A drops of blood runs down from his nose.
He wipes it off with his sleeve, confused, stumbling slightly as he walks.
...
...
What… was that all about?