Our project started gaining attention. Professors complimented our work; classmates asked to see River's photos.
But one afternoon, while we were reviewing shots in the campus lounge, I noticed something strange.
In one photo — a street corner bathed in golden light — there was a man in the background, watching us.
"Who's that?" I asked.
River's smile faltered. "Nobody."
"It doesn't look like nobody."
He closed his laptop with a little too much force. "Kairo, drop it."
The tension in his voice was new, sharp enough to leave me unsettled.
And when he left without saying goodbye, I couldn't stop thinking about the shadow in that picture… and why River didn't want me to know.