"Tara… what happened to you?"
Elena's voice was soft, but it carried a quiet desperation.
"Why are you ignoring me? At least… tell me what I did wrong."
Tara stood still for a moment, her back turned. Her fingers tightened slightly, but her face showed nothing.
"…Nothing," she said at last. "I know I'm the one acting wrong."
Elena frowned and stepped closer.
"I told everyone about the accident. I explained everything from my side."
Slowly, Tara turned around.
Her eyes were calm but distant.
"Oh… you explained the accident?" she asked quietly.
"Then how did they come to know about my thoughts? My feelings? The things I told only you?"
Elena froze.
"Tara, it's not like that. I just told one friend. I didn't expect it to spread"
"Don't," Tara cut in, her voice still steady. "Don't explain too much."
A brief silence settled between them.
"I didn't expect this from you."
Elena's lips parted, but no words came out.
Tara took a slow breath.
"You know what hurt more?" she continued. "Even now… you didn't say sorry."
That hit harder than anything else.
"…Sorry, Tara," Elena said immediately.
Tara let out a faint, humorless laugh.
"Oh… now?"
Another silence.
And then
"Anyway, did you eat?" Tara asked suddenly, as if nothing had happened.
Elena blinked, confused.
"…No."
"Come. Help me cook," Tara said, already turning toward the kitchen. "We'll eat together."
In the kitchen, the sound of chopping vegetables filled the air.
They spoke about small, meaningless things like before.
But nothing was the same.
Tara's thoughts moved silently beneath her calm face.
No one ever reacts the way we expect…
If I talk more about this, it'll only turn into a bigger fight.
Better to stay silent…
So she smiled. She talked. She acted normal.
And buried everything else.
Later that night, Tara sat alone at her table, scrolling through her phone.
A message from Nara popped up.
"Good news! The professor spoke to the higher authorities about your project. They accepted it and they're ready to take action against the people who rejected it."
For a second, Tara just stared at the screen.
Then
"What?!"
A bright smile spread across her face. Excitement rushed through her, and she jumped slightly
Thud!
"Ouch"
Her hand hit the table, and a few things fell to the floor.
"Oh no…"
She bent down quickly, picking them up one by one.
And then she saw it.
Her small notebook.
The one she had been using… to observe Advik.
She picked it up slowly and sat back down.
For a moment, she just stared at it.
Advik…
Her thoughts grew quieter.
How am I supposed to find anything about you…?
A small frown appeared.
I don't even know your full name…
She leaned back in her chair, exhaling softly.
Should I just drop this plan…?
Silence.
A long pause.
Then
Her fingers tightened around the notebook.
"No."
Her eyes sharpened slightly.
I need to know the truth.
There's something about him… something not normal.
A strange certainty settled inside her.
"Tomorrow…" she whispered.
"I'll follow him."
The decision felt final.
"I'll find his name… and everything about him."
For the first time that night, her mind felt clear.
She placed the notebook beside her, turned off the light, and lay down on her bed.
The room fell into darkness.
Within minutes
Tara drifted into sleep.