Kael's message set her memories ablaze like a fire in a library of recollections. That night, after David fell asleep, Elara slipped out to the balcony. The night wind whispered against her skin, but all she heard was Kael's voice from ten years ago.
She remembered their first kiss.
It wasn't under a romantic moon, but in the quiet of the university library, hidden among dusty shelves of old books. It was raining heavily outside. They were hiding from the storm, and without a single word, Kael had moved closer, his hands cradling her face, and kissed her with a hunger that left Elara's entire body numb. It wasn't a skilled kiss, but a wild, passionate, and alive one. It felt like rebelling against all the injustice in her world. Right here, on the balcony of her luxurious home, Elara could almost feel the pressure of Kael's lips again, the warmth of his short breath, and the frantic beating of her heart like a war drum.
She missed him.
The admission finally surfaced from the darkest chamber of her heart. She missed Kael. Not as a memory, but as a man. She missed the way Kael looked at her as if she was the only woman in the world. She missed their meaningless conversations that lasted until dawn. She missed the feel of Kael's impatient hands grabbing hers.
Tears began to flow again, this time accompanied by painful sobs. She cried for all the memories that haunted her. She regretted the encounter at the charity gala. "Why, God?" she whispered into the night air, her voice hoarse. "I've built my life. I buried him. Why are you bringing him back? I don't want to walk this path again." She blamed Fate, she blamed God, for toying with her heart that had tried so hard to be still.
---
The next morning, she tried to resume her routine. But her puffy eyes and pale face were impossible to hide.
"Darling," David said, staring at her at the breakfast table, his voice full of concern. "Were you crying last night?"
Elara shook her head, forcing a smile. "No, just didn't sleep well."
David stood and approached her, holding her shoulders gently. His eyes, usually so confident, now looked worried. "Don't lie to me. Did I do something wrong? What's making you sad? Tell me."
Elara could only shake her head again, another stab of guilt piercing her.
"Look," David said, sighing. "Go out today. Meet your friends. Go shopping. Use the money however you like. I just want you to come home with your cheerful laugh." He wiped Elara's cheek softly. "I don't like seeing your tears. They obscure your beauty."
The words were so kind, so sincere, that it made Elara feel like the most wretched fraud on earth. She could only nod and hug David, wishing the embrace could kill the chaotic feelings inside her.
---
A few hours later, Elara was driving the luxurious sports car David had given her for her birthday last year. The purring engine should have given her a sense of freedom, but today it felt like driving a wheeled cage. She didn't meet any friends. She just needed to escape her own home.
She stopped at an aesthetic cafe in the city center, a spot frequented by influencers. Ordering her favorite cold brew coffee and a slice of red velvet cake, she hoped the sweetness could calm her troubled soul.
She was sipping her coffee, staring blankly out the window, when a sight made her freeze.
In another corner of the cafe, from behind an open laptop, a man was watching her. And he was no stranger.
Kael.
She wasn't startled. She didn't look away. He just sat there, with a small, sad smile playing on his lips, as if he had been waiting for her. His eyes, dark and intense, watched her unblinkingly, as if drinking in every detail of her face.
And when their gazes met, time spun backwards once again. Kael's smile widened, a little brighter, a little more like the mischievous grin of the young man she once loved. He casually raised his own coffee cup in a silent toast.
Elara couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. This wasn't a coincidence. It was impossible.
But amidst all the chaos in her mind, another memory surfaced with perfect clarity: ten years ago, this was what Kael always did. He would "accidentally" find her in the library, the canteen, the campus park. He would smile, and the world would narrow down to just the two of them.
And now, in this chic cafe, with its perfect latte art and soft jazz music, the old story was repeating itself. Kael, without a single word, had pulled her back into a time when it was only them.