Aria told herself she wouldn't think about it.
That it had just been a dream—an unusually vivid one, sure, but still a dream. People had them all the time. Strange places, unfamiliar faces, conversations that felt real until morning came and logic returned.
That's what this was.
It had to be.
But the thought stayed with her anyway.
All day.
In the middle of class, while the teacher's voice droned on about something she wasn't listening to, Aria found herself staring out the window, replaying it. The park. The flickering lights. The way the air had felt against her skin.
The boy.
She remembered his voice too clearly. Not just what he said, but how he said it—calm, like none of it surprised him. Like he had been there before.
Like he had been waiting.
"Aria."
She blinked.
Her head snapped forward, realizing too late that the classroom had gone quiet.
"Yes?" she said quickly.
A few students snickered.
Her teacher gave her a look. "Would you like to share the answer with the rest of us?"
Aria hesitated. "Uh…"
She hadn't even heard the question.
"Thought so," the teacher said, turning back to the board.
Heat crept up Aria's neck as the class resumed. She sank slightly into her seat, annoyed with herself.
Focus.
It was just a dream.
Except…
That didn't explain why she could still remember everything so clearly
By the time she got home, the feeling hadn't faded.
If anything, it had gotten worse.
Aria dropped her bag by the door and headed straight to her room, collapsing onto her bed. She stared up at the ceiling, her thoughts circling the same question over and over again.
What did he mean?
"Next time… it might be harder."
Harder to wake up?
Her fingers tightened slightly against her sleeve.
That didn't make sense.
Dreams didn't work like that.
You woke up when your brain decided to wake up. That was it. No rules. No warnings.
No people inside them who could talk like they knew something you didn't.
Aria turned onto her side, grabbing her phone just to distract herself. She scrolled mindlessly, barely processing anything on the screen.
Minutes passed.
Then an hour.
Still, her mind kept drifting back.
To the park.
To him.
To the way he had looked at her right before everything disappeared.
"Stop," she muttered under her breath, locking her phone and tossing it aside.
She pushed herself up, pacing once across her room before stopping at the window. Outside, the sky had already started to darken, the last traces of daylight fading into evening.
Night again.
Her chest tightened slightly.
It was ridiculous to feel nervous about going to sleep.
And yet…
Aria exhaled slowly, dragging a hand through her hair.
"Fine," she said quietly. "If it happens again, then I'll believe it."
And if it didn't?
Then she could forget about it.
Simple
She lay in bed later that night, staring into the darkness.
Waiting.
That was the worst part.
The not knowing.
Aria shifted slightly, pulling the blanket closer as she closed her eyes. For a few moments, nothing happened. Just the quiet rhythm of her breathing, the familiar stillness of her room.
Maybe that was it.
Maybe it really had just been—
The cold hit her first.
Sharp. Sudden.
Aria's eyes snapped open.
She was standing.
Not in her room.
In the park.
Her breath caught in her throat as she spun around, her pulse quickening.
The same dim streetlights. The same empty paths. The same quiet rustling of leaves in the wind.
It was identical.
Exactly the same.
"No way…" she whispered.
"You came back."
Aria froze.
Slowly, she turned.
He was there again.
Same bench. Same position. Like he hadn't moved at all since the last time she'd seen him.
Like no time had passed.
Her chest tightened, something between relief and disbelief settling in.
"You're real," she said before she could stop herself.
One of his eyebrows lifted slightly. "That's a strong conclusion."
"I mean it," she insisted, stepping closer. "This is the same place. You're the same person. You remember me, don't you?"
A small pause.
Then—
"Yes."
The answer was simple, but it hit harder than she expected.
Aria let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. "Okay… okay, so I'm not crazy."
"I never said you were."
"You didn't have to."
He smiled faintly, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.
Something about that made her hesitate.
"You knew I'd come back," she said.
It wasn't a question this time.
He didn't deny it.
"I was hoping you would," he replied.
"Hoping?" Aria crossed her arms. "Yesterday you told me to wake up like something bad was about to happen."
His gaze shifted slightly, like he was choosing his words carefully.
"That doesn't mean I didn't want to see you again."
Her heart skipped.
Just for a second.
Aria frowned, looking away quickly. "You're being confusing on purpose."
"Maybe."
She looked back at him. "Or maybe you just won't tell me what's going on."
"That too."
Aria let out a frustrated breath. "You're unbelievable."
"And yet, you came back."
She opened her mouth—
Then stopped.
Because he was right.
Silence settled between them again, but this time it felt different. Heavier. Like there were things sitting just beneath the surface, waiting to be said.
Aria stepped closer to the bench, hesitating for only a second before sitting down beside him.
Up close, everything felt even more real.
The slight shift of the bench under her weight. The cool air brushing against her skin. The quiet presence of him next to her.
Her fingers curled slightly against the edge of the seat.
"This doesn't feel like a dream," she said softly.
"I know."
She glanced at him. "Then what is it?"
He didn't answer.
Not right away.
Instead, he leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees, staring out at the empty park.
"It's not supposed to happen like this," he said finally.
Aria's chest tightened. "Like what?"
"Twice."
A chill ran down her spine.
"What do you mean, twice?"
He looked at her then, his expression more serious than before.
"You weren't supposed to come back."
The words hung in the air between them.
Aria felt her pulse quicken. "Why not?"
He hesitated.
Then shook his head slightly. "It's too soon."
"For what?"
But before he could answer—
The light above them flickered.
Both of them looked up at the same time.
Once.
Twice.
Then steadied.
Aria's stomach dropped. "That didn't happen yesterday until right before I woke up."
"I know."
The way he said it made her chest tighten.
"Then why is it happening now?" she asked.
He stood suddenly.
"Because you're staying longer."
Aria pushed herself to her feet. "That's a bad thing?"
He didn't answer.
The wind picked up again, sharper this time, sending a chill through the air. The trees rustled louder, the sound no longer soft or calming.
Unsteady.
Aria took a step closer to him. "Hey—look at me."
He did.
And there it was again.
That same look from before.
Worry.
"You need to wake up," he said.
"No," Aria replied immediately. "Not until you explain—"
"Aria."
It was the first time he said her name.
She froze.
Her breath caught, her thoughts scattering all at once.
"How do you know my name?"
He didn't answer.
The streetlight above them flickered violently now, the glow dimming and brightening in uneven bursts.
Aria's pulse pounded.
"What's happening?" she demanded.
But deep down—
She already knew.
The same feeling from before. That sense of something slipping, unraveling.
"Wake up," he said again, more urgently this time.
Aria shook her head. "Not like this—"
The world shifted.
The ground beneath her feet felt unsteady, like it wasn't fully there anymore. The air turned colder, heavier.
She reached out without thinking—
And grabbed his hand.
Everything stilled.
For one brief moment, the flickering stopped. The wind died down. The world around them steadied.
Aria's eyes widened slightly.
His hand was warm.
Real.
He looked just as surprised as she felt.
"Aria…" he said quietly.
But before she could respond—
Everything shattered into darkness.
Aria gasped as she woke up, sitting upright in bed.
Her heart was racing, her breath uneven.
Her room.
Again.
Normal.
But her hand—
Her fingers tightened slowly against the blanket.
She could still feel it.
The warmth.
She stared down at her hand, her thoughts spinning.
"This isn't possible," she whispered.
But the words felt weak now.
Because this time, there was no denying it.
It wasn't just a dream anymore.
And somehow—
She knew it wouldn't be the last time she saw him.