The campus breathed with excitement—voices overlapping, laughter echoing through wide corridors, and dreams quietly taking shape. For most students, it was just the first day of college.
For Rose, it was a test of courage.
She adjusted the straps of her worn backpack and stood still for a moment at the entrance. Coming from a middle-class family, Rose had learned early how to rely on herself. Losing her father when she was young had carved strength into her spine, but it had also left invisible cracks in her heart.
This place was huge. Too huge.
I can do this, she told herself and stepped inside.
Students filled the hallways—groups of friends laughing loudly, seniors walking with confidence, couples holding hands without a care. The smell of coffee drifted from the cafeteria, mixing with the nervous energy of fresh beginnings.
Rose was lost in her thoughts when—
Thud.She crashed into someone.
Her books nearly slipped from her hands as she looked up.
He was tall. Calm. Strikingly composed.
David Thomas.
Black hair falling effortlessly over sharp features, eyes deep and unreadable—eyes that met hers and didn't look away. For a second, the noise around them faded. There was no embarrassment, no fear.
Only curiosity.
"I'm sorry," Rose said quickly, clutching her books tighter.
David stepped forward to help, but suddenly his notebook slipped from his hand and hit the floor. Rose bent down to pick it up, only to drop it again in her nervousness.
A few students nearby laughed.
"First-day classic," someone joked.
Rose felt her face burn.
"It's fine," David said.
His voice was low, steady—unexpectedly gentle.
Something about it calmed her.A Watching Shadow
At the far end of the hallway, Anna observed everything in silence.
Her sharp eyes followed Rose… then David.
When Rose glanced her way, Anna quickly looked down, pretending to fix her shoe. But a small, knowing smile curved her lips.
This meeting wasn't random.
Not at all.
The bell rang, snapping reality back into place. Students rushed toward their classes. Rose walked away, her heartbeat still unsteady.
She didn't know why—but she felt it.
This was not just the start of college.
This was the start of something dangerous… and unforgettable.
An Unexpected Moment
As Rose entered the classroom, her foot caught on the doorframe.
She stumbled.
Before she could fall, a hand grabbed hers.
David.
She lost her balance anyway—colliding straight into his chest.
Time froze.
David instinctively held her, his grip firm, protective. A flicker of something dark and possessive crossed his eyes before he masked it completely.The class burst into laughter.
Rose pulled back instantly, mortified.
David let go—but a little too slowly.
Cliffhanger
Later, seated by the window, Rose stared outside.
Anna stood there again—typing rapidly on her phone, eyes gleaming with secrets.
Rose frowned.
Who is she?
Why does today already feel like a trap wrapped in coincidence?