The city felt different that morning—too bright, too fast, too loud. Or maybe Boog simply woke up with his heart beating harder than usual. He couldn't explain it, but something about the sunlight filtering through the curtains felt… aware, like it knew something he didn't.
He sat up in the small apartment the three wizards shared, rubbing his face. Across the room, Donk was sprawled on the floor, hugging a human pillow like it was a magical artifact. Jonk, as usual, was upside-down on the couch, legs draped over the backrest, staring blankly at the ceiling as if trying to decode Earth's mysteries through drywall.
Nothing unusual.
Except Boog's chest felt warm.
Too warm.
He looked down.
His palm glowed faintly.
Faint— but unmistakable.
His heart jumped.
He hadn't told them. Not yet. Not until it became certain. But he felt it yesterday… that shift in the air, that strange pull like an invisible hand tugging at him from somewhere out there in the huge human world.
A lover.
His lover.
Somewhere close.
Boog swallowed, his throat dry.
Jonk noticed first. "Why do you look like someone told you ice cream is illegal?"
Boog glared. "…Ice cream is suspicious. How can something be that cold and sweet—"
"Boog," Jonk pointed lazily. "Your hand."
Boog froze.
Donk sat straight up. "OH—MY—MAGIC!" he shrieked. "HE'S GLOWING! HE'S GLOWING!"
Jonk rolled off the couch with a thud. "Impossible. It's too early. We've barely been on Earth two weeks."
Boog clenched his fist, trying to hide the glow, but it pulsed harder in response—soft, golden, warm like someone whispering come find me.
Donk grabbed Boog's arm. "It's happening! You found him!"
"I didn't!" Boog protested. "I don't even know if it's real!"
But his voice betrayed him.
Jonk's eyes softened. "Boog… you're not the type to glow by accident. If your hand is responding, it means one thing. He's near."
Boog felt dizzy. "How? I haven't met anyone. I haven't even talked to anyone besides that bubble tea guy and that one grandma who thought I was a lost Nigerian prince."
Donk squinted. "Which bubble tea guy?"
Boog felt heat rise into his cheeks. "The… guy… at the counter. The one with the small smile. And the necklace. And the… voice."
Jonk's eyebrows shot up. "Oh."
Donk gasped. "OH."
Boog buried his face in a pillow. "NO."
But it was too late.
His brain replayed the scene from yesterday.
The café was loud, but that one voice had sliced through everything. "What flavor do you want today?" The small smile that felt like sunshine. The eyes that lingered on him like they already knew him. The moment their fingers brushed when taking the cup—brief, accidental, but Boog had felt it shoot through him like a live spell.
At the time, he'd panicked.
Now he knew why.
Nawin.
That was the name on the café tag.
Nawin. Nawin. Nawin.
Donk hugged him tightly until Boog wheezed. "YOU HAVE A LOVERRRRR!"
"It's not certain," Boog mumbled.
Jonk folded his arms. "Your hand disagrees."
Boog opened his fist.
The glow brightened.
His heart dropped to his feet.
Donk jumped up. "We're going to the café!"
"No," Boog said quickly. "Absolutely not. I'm not ready. What if he doesn't like me? What if he thinks I'm weird? What if my magic explodes the refrigerator again?!"
Jonk sighed. "Boog, your lover is your fate. It doesn't matter if you explode an entire grocery store."
Donk nodded enthusiastically. "Love is stronger than refrigerators."
Boog stared at them like they were insane. "That sentence doesn't help."
The walk to the café felt like walking toward destiny with oversized bricks for legs.
Earth's morning breeze brushed through Boog's hair, making him swallow the thick lump in his throat. His palm glowed secretly inside his jacket pocket, getting warmer the closer they got.
Jonk walked behind him like a bodyguard.
Donk bounced like a deranged rabbit.
When they finally reached the café, Boog nearly turned around. People bustled in and out. The bell jingled every time the door opened. Human voices filled the air.
"Go," Jonk said softly. "We'll stay outside."
Boog stared at the door.
His heart pounded like wild drums.
He inhaled. Exhaled.
Then stepped inside.
The warm, sweet smell of tea hit him like a memory he never had. Customers chatted quietly. A barista was steaming milk. And there, behind the counter, wiping a glass—
Nawin.
His soft brown hair fell slightly over his forehead. His eyes were sharp but warm at the edges. A small bracelet with a tiny blue bead glowed faintly on his wrist.
Boog froze.
Then Nawin looked up—and noticed him.
For a heartbeat, the world stopped.
Nawin's lips pulled into that small, gentle smile. "Hey. You came back."
Boog's knees wobbled.
Nawin walked closer. "Same order as yesterday? Milk tea with—"
His voice suddenly caught.
Boog blinked.
Nawin was staring at his hand.
No—through his hand.
Like he felt something.
"What… is that feeling?" Nawin whispered, touching his own chest lightly.
Boog's heart exploded in his ribs.
His hand burned—glowing harder than ever.
Nawin inhaled sharply, eyes widening.
Boog panicked and hid his hand behind his back. "I—I think the air conditioner is broken!"
Nawin gave him a soft, confused stare. "No… it's something else. When you walked in, it felt like—" He hesitated. "Like I knew you."
Boog almost fainted.
The café bell rang as customers left, leaving the room surprisingly quiet.
And then—
Nawin's hand brushed Boog's wrist.
Boog's palm flared with light.
Nawin's eyes widened, stunned. "What was that?!"
Boog pulled back instantly. "I—uh—static! Yes. Static electricity. Happens all the time."
Nawin looked at him like he wasn't convinced for a second. "Well… it felt warm. And… strangely familiar."
Boog swallowed so hard it hurt.
Nawin continued softly, "I don't know why, but… I feel like I've seen you before. Not here. Somewhere else."
Boog nearly choked on nothing.
Nawin gave a shy smile. "Is that weird?"
Boog whispered, "No. It's… not weird."
It was destiny.
And it scared him senseless.
Outside the café
Jonk and Donk pressed their faces against the window like two suspicious raccoons.
"He's blushing!" Donk whispered. "LOOK AT BOOG BLUSHING!"
Jonk smacked Donk's head lightly. "Quiet. We're here to support, not embarrass."
"I AM supporting! EMOTIONALLY!"
Inside, Boog was shaking.
Nawin leaned in, voice lower. "Listen… can we maybe talk later? I take my break in fifteen minutes."
Boog almost nodded so hard his neck cracked. "Yes—yes! I mean—yes. I'll be… around."
Nawin smiled again, that soft, radiant smile that made Boog feel like the ground under his feet wasn't real.
"Great," Nawin said. "See you soon… Boog."
Boog froze.
"How do you know my name?"
Nawin blinked. "You told me yesterday."
Boog exhaled slowly. "Right. Yes. That makes sense."
Nawin chuckled.
The sound did something strange to Boog's heart.
He stumbled out of the café like he'd just survived a storm.
Donk screamed. "DID YOU CONFESS?!"
Boog shook his head violently. "I COULD BARELY BREATHE!"
Jonk placed a calm hand on his shoulder. "But he felt it too, didn't he?"
Boog's eyes softened. "Yeah. He… felt something."
Donk twirled in excitement. "He is the one! NAWINNNN!"
Boog blushed furiously.
But inside, beneath the fear and chaos and embarrassment…
A warm glow spread.
The thread of destiny was tightening.
Pulling.
Connecting.
His lover wasn't a dream anymore.
He was real.
He was close.
And Boog's magic knew it.
Nawin.
His name echoed through Boog's soul like a spell awakening after centuries.
And this was only the beginning.