Sara's decision to join the group of students at the university was not driven by a desire for entertainment or casual companionship. Rather, it was a sincere attempt to establish herself in this new world. She wanted to learn, to work hard, and to integrate quietly without losing the principles she had been raised with. Lina had suggested that she stay with her at home until her situation became more stable, insisting that the city was not kind to beginners. But Sara insisted on becoming independent. She believed that the first step toward building her future began with a small room she could rent with her own money and with responsibilities she would carry on her own.
However, the calculations of ambition did not align with the numbers of reality. The money she had brought with her—the result of years of her mother's careful savings—was limited, barely enough for a week if she spent it wisely. Every time she opened her bag and saw the envelope where she kept the money, she felt a pang of guilt. She remembered her mother's hand placing the money into hers and saying,
"Spend wisely, my daughter. The city shows no mercy."
For that reason, the idea of finding work began to occupy her mind constantly. She did not know where to start or how she could balance studying and working, but she was certain that staying without a steady income meant the quick end of her dream.
On a different morning, she woke up before everyone else. The house was quiet, and Lina was still deeply asleep. Sara looked at her for a moment, then decided to leave her alone. She wanted to experience the city without anyone's shadow over her, to see faces and places through her own eyes rather than through the stories of others.
The morning was relatively cold, and a thin fog hung over the buildings, giving the city a pale gray appearance. She sat near the window on the bus, watching the streets gradually fill with movement. For the first time, she felt a small sense of confidence. She was not entirely afraid.
But that feeling vanished when she got off the bus and walked down the narrow alley beside the university.
The alley was unusually quiet. Elegant villas stood on both sides, their gates closed and their windows dark. There, she witnessed a scene that unsettled her.
Girls from the group she had met a few days earlier—Lina's friends—were stepping out of different cars, luxurious vehicles with tinted windows. Their appearance did not resemble students heading to an early lecture. They wore tight, shiny clothes, heavy perfume surrounded them, and their faces were covered with thick layers of makeup.
Sara stopped at a distance, trying not to be seen. Her heart was beating faster than she could explain.
The girls gathered near the entrance of one of the villas and began pulling other clothes out of their bags. Within minutes, their appearances changed completely. They removed the flashy outfits and replaced them with simple clothes suitable for the university. They quickly wiped the makeup from their faces and arranged their hair in ordinary styles.
Then they sat on the sidewalk.
And began counting money.
A lot of money.
Banknotes moved quickly between their hands with the ease of habit, as if this were part of a daily routine. Quiet laughter, short remarks, and cautious glances toward the ends of the alley.
Sara felt a slight dizziness. Questions crowded her mind.
Where had they been?
Why at this early hour?
And where did all that money come from?
She suddenly remembered the taxi driver's warning on the day she arrived in the city:
"Don't trust anyone too quickly."
The girls began walking toward the university. Sara hesitated for a moment, then decided to follow them. It was not only curiosity that pushed her forward, but also a strong desire to understand what was happening.
Near the university entrance, she deliberately walked ahead of them by a few steps. Then she turned with a light smile and greeted them.
They stopped abruptly.
Surprise was clearly visible on their faces. They exchanged glances, as if her sudden appearance had disrupted something.
One of them asked cautiously,
"Where did you come from just now?"
Sara answered calmly,
"I arrived by bus a few minutes ago."
Another girl asked about Lina, and Sara told them she was still asleep. For a moment, their tension eased slightly, but the uneasiness did not completely disappear.
They suggested having breakfast together at the university café, but Sara politely refused, saying she wanted to go to the library before classes started.
She entered the library and sat in a quiet corner. She opened her book, but she did not read a single word. Her mind remained trapped in that alley.
She tried to convince herself that perhaps she had misunderstood the situation. Maybe there was a simple explanation for what she had seen.
But the image of the money would not leave her thoughts.
As she tried to focus, she felt something strange.
The feeling that someone was watching her.
She slowly lifted her head and scanned the room. Students were absorbed in their books, and silence filled the place.
Yet she could not shake the feeling.
Her phone suddenly vibrated.
She looked at the screen and saw a message from an unknown number.
She hesitated before opening it.
"Stay away from them. What you saw today was not a coincidence."
The blood in her veins seemed to freeze. She read the message several times.
Slowly, she lifted her eyes and looked around again.
This time, her gaze met that of a man standing near the distant shelves. He was wearing a dark coat and holding a book without reading it, his eyes fixed on her.
The moment their eyes met, he calmly turned his face away and left the room.
Her breathing quickened.
Her phone vibrated again.
A second message appeared:
"You are not in the wrong place… only at the wrong time."
Sara slowly closed her book and stood up. She could no longer stay in the library. She walked out into the university courtyard, where life seemed completely normal.
Students laughing, others rushing to their lectures, and professors crossing the corridors with files in their hands.
Amid that ordinary scene, Sara felt as though she was the only one who knew something unusual was happening.
A few minutes later, she saw the girls again, this time in their usual "student" appearance. They were laughing and chatting as if nothing had happened.
One of them approached her and asked if she was okay.
Sara answered with a faint smile, but inside her, the conflict was growing stronger.
Had she misunderstood everything?
Or had she discovered a secret she was never meant to know?
Who was the man watching her in the library?
Who had sent those messages?
And why had he warned her specifically?
Did Lina know anything about what was happening… or had Sara suddenly stepped into a game far bigger than she could imagine?
Many questions began to form in her mind.
But one question haunted her more than all the others:
Had Sara truly entered the city…
Or had the city begun to enter her life?