It was a sunny morning… or maybe cloudy.
No one remembered exactly, because Lavinia was the only reason for the weather's noise at school.
But today… she was silent.
"Is she sick?"
"Did she lose her voice?"
"Did she retire from causing trouble?"
All these questions were being asked among the students… while Lavinia was sneaking, like a failed spy, toward the school's backyard.
She sat behind the trees, hiding behind her bag, staring at the ground with half-closed eyes.
"I don't want to see him. I don't want to see anyone. Just—where did that old man go?!"
Everything in her head revolved around the album. The photos. The tragic ending. The betrayal. Mikel. Mira. The new boy…
And suddenly…
"Are you okay?"
She flinched.
She lifted her head quickly, and saw him… shining again.
Same height. Same handsome face. Same deep eyes.
It was the new student…
"Me? Yes, fine… totally fine!"
She said it quickly as she stood up and left, as if the ground was on fire—leaving the new boy staring at her in confusion.
But inside her, a storm of questions was raging:
"Why would you betray me? Who's that blonde? And why? Does he really look like someone capable of betrayal?"
She hurried away, not noticing that he muttered behind her with quiet sarcasm:
"Pff… weirdo."
---
As she walked through the hallway, she bumped into a sweaty person who smelled like a failed deodorant commercial.
"Oh my God, what is that? Mikel?!"
She said, stepping back with her nose covered.
"I was at basketball practice. Sorry if my athletic perfume bothers you!"
She smirked sarcastically:
"No, I just suddenly feel like losing my sense of smell forever."
"For real, you forgot the only thing you're good at is eating greedily like a pig… a loser like you would never understand the worth of this sweat!"
She shot back:
"Haha, shut up, idiot. I'd rather be a loser than cause a scene with that disgusting sweaty smell!"
And as usual, their daily quarrel began.
But neither of them noticed that Mira was approaching from behind, her eyes carrying an unfamiliar look.
"Lavinia… you've been distracted all day. Did something happen?"
Lavinia froze.
"Should I tell them? That I saw my future? That they're part of my ending? Or maybe… that they're in a relationship behind my back?"
She looked at them.
> "Do they love each other? Are they promising each other something? Impossible! If that were true, I'd be the first to know!"
As she sank into her thoughts, Mikel suddenly interrupted her and moved closer—closer than she expected.
"What's your relationship with the new guy? You looked like you knew him before."
The distance between them was too close, closer than ever before, enough to make her hold her breath.
She lightly hit him on the head with a teasing smile: "What's it to you? Nothing, you idiot. Are you jealous?!"
He laughed, but Mira didn't.
She was staring at them, her eyes gleaming. She bit her lower lip and turned her gaze away.
---
By the end of the school day, the trio walked along their usual path.
An unfamiliar silence hung between them. Lavinia was lost in every step she took.
Suddenly… she stopped.
She saw him.
The old man's shadow again, passing through the crowd. Same movements. Same strange walk.
"It's him!" she shouted.
She ran after him like a madwoman, while Mikel and Mira called out:
"Lavinia! Where are you going?!"
But she didn't answer.
She turned into one alley… then another.
Then stopped.
Complete silence.
The air was still, as if time itself had stopped.
She screamed:
"Where are you?! Answer me! What is this album?! What is this future?!"
No one answered.
Then… she heard a soft voice behind her.
"Follow me."
She turned around quickly.
And then… came the surprise.
A small boy, no older than ten. His hair was white as snow, his eyes black, shining with intelligence and calm.
He stood there, in the middle of the shadow, as if his presence had broken the laws of reality.
Lavinia froze in place, staring at him with wide, stunned eyes.
"Who are you?! And where… is the old man?!"
The boy smiled quietly and turned his back.
"Follow me… and you'll know everything."
He walked into the dark alleys… without looking back.
As for Lavinia… she had no choice.
She had opened the door of the pictures, and now… she had to walk into the story until the very end.