I stopped crying over breakups a long time ago.
The café smells like burnt coffee and regret, and the man sitting across from me is just another name I'll forget. He's talking...saying something about timing, how he's not ready, how it's not me, it's him.
I stir my drink, watching the foam swirl in slow, meaningless circles. Same words, from different mouth.
"I get it," I say, cutting him off mid-excuse. My voice is calm, and detached. Like I'm reading the last line of a book I already knew the ending to.
He hesitates, his brows drawing together. Maybe he expected tears, or an anger. But he gets none by the way.
"You're not upset?" he asks, like he actually cares.
I let out a soft laugh...more breath than sound and shake my head.
"I stopped believing in love a long time ago."
He blinks. then opens his mouth and closes it again. But I do not wait for whatever half-hearted response he's about to give.
I grab my bag, push my chair back, and stand.
And just like that, it's over....
Outside, the cold air hits at my skin, sharp and sobering. The city moves around me, cars honking, people laughing, life going on as if nothing just shattered.
But nothing shattered. Not this time.
I pull out my phone, scroll through old messages, and delete them all. Every last one.
No more love. No more hoping. And no more waiting for someone to choose me.
Love is a fantasy. And I'm done pretending it's real.
***
I walk away without looking back, keeping my expression neutral. It's just another breakup. Nothing new. Nothing unexpected. At least, that's what I tell myself.
The dull ache in my chest says otherwise.
I adjust the strap of my bag and inhale deeply, forcing my mind onto something else... judt anything else.
I have class soon. Being a final-year university student means I don't have time to dwell on things that don't matter.
I take the usual shortcut through the alley, my footsteps echoing against the quiet walls. The... my foot catches on something small and solid. And a faint glint catches my eye instantly. then I glance down... A pendant.
It shouldn't feel important, yet something about it calls to me.
I barely notice the pendant at first. It lies half-buried in the cracks of the pavement. But something about it pulls at me, like an invisible pull deep in my chest, like a whisper calling my name.
I hesitate, then step forward.The moment my hand touches it, the air around me shifts. A sharp, twisting force grips me, pulling me downward, and distorts my vision. Then, before I can react, the ground disappears beneath me, and I fall through it.
Cold air rushes past me, swallowing my scream. My stomach twists... then, just as suddenly as it started, it stops.
I land hard on solid ground, gasping. My hands press against smooth stone, the scent of damp air and something old..parchment and dust.. filling my lungs.
My heart pounds as i push myself up and take in my surroundings.
Flickering torches line an underground hall, their flames casting restless shadows on the walls. The space hums with something ancient, something powerful. And then.... I see him.
A man. Or at least, he looks like one. Tall, draped in black, his presence commands the space like a whisper in the dark. wearing a mask that covers his face, its sharp edges glinting in the firelight.
"You shouldn't be here." He says, in a cold whisper.
I should be afraid. Every instinct screams at me to run. But I do not.
Because something about him..about this place... feels strange.
"You need to leave." Again, he says, in a cold, unyielding voice. His voice lingers in the air. like a warning.
I swallow hard, my heart beating fast. I open my mouth to speak, to ask what this place is, why I'm here... but he doesn't give me the chance to.
Instead, he moves closer, closing the space between us in an instant. The air turns ice-cold, his presence swallowing every breath in my lungs. My finger clenched at my sides, my gaze locks onto the mask, to the shadowed eyes behind it.
His head tilts slightly. "That pendant… It reached out to you." His voice dips lower, almost as if speaking to himself.
"Why?" I ask, lifting my gaze back to him. "What is this place?" I manage to ask.
He exhales sharply. "Somewhere you do not belong."
He takes another step closer. The air between us chills, my breath catches as his gloved hand reaches out to me.
"Leave !" His final word vibrate through me.
Before I can react, his hand presses against my chest... firm, yet almost careful. Then a single push before the world tilts.
A rush of cold engulfs me, and the ground beneath my feet vanishes. Before I can gasp, I'm falling.
And then... I'm back.
The alley is silent, the pavement solid beneath me. My chest rises and falls with unsteady breaths as I turn in frantic circles. No torches, nor underground chamber. No masked man either. But the ghost of his touch lingers against my skin.
What just happened?
I grip my arms, trying to steady myself. It felt real. Too real. But it couldn't have been. My gaze drops to my hand.
The pendant is still there. I stare down at the pendant still clutched in my hand. The metal is warm, thrumming softly against my palm. Something about it feels… familiar, though I've never seen it before.
My heart pounding. But if it was just a dream, then why do I still have this?
I press the pendant between my fingers, its warm surface grounding me as I walk. I do not want to think twice about what just happened. It's not the first time I've felt something unreal, something that pulls me toward a world that shouldn't exist. I've always been drawn to things beyond explanation, glimpses of shadows that vanish when I turn, whispers in empty rooms. But this… this was different. The pendant is real. Solid and tangible.
Still, I won't let my mind wander. Not now. I tuck the pendant safely into my pocket, acting as if it's nothing more than a trinket, and raise a hand to hail a cab.
Minutes later, as I settle into the worn leather seat, my gaze drifts to the window. And my reflection stares back, slightly warped by the glass and the blur of the city lights outside. I try to focus on the world outside, but my own face holds my attention instead.
My dark eyes seem deeper, almost hollow, shadows clinging to the edges. My lips press into a thin line, as if holding back thoughts I don't want to entertain. A strand of hair falls loose, and I push it behind my ear, but the motion feels absentminded.
I look… fine. Not breathtaking, not forgettable. Just fine. High cheekbones, a soft jawline... not delicate, not striking. A face that people might notice for a second before looking away. They say I look like my father. A man I've never seen. A stranger whose face lingers in me.
And yet, for some reason, love has never settled in my life. Maybe it's me. or perhaps it's this face, these eyes. Even though I know that's not true, my mind always seems to find its way back to the thought.
---
As soon as I arrive at school, I realize my day has been wasted, lectures are canceled. With a sigh, I decide to head to the supermarket. My fridge is practically empty, and since I live alone now, there's no one to fill it but me.
I take my time browsing the aisles, letting the routine of shopping distract me. The breakup still lingers at the back of my mind, but at least here, surrounded by shelves of neatly arranged goods and the soft hum of background music, I don't have to think too much. Eventually, with my cart full, I head to the checkout, pay my bills, and step outside.
The supermarket isn't far from my apartment, but carrying all these bags on foot isn't an option. I move to hail a taxi when, out of nowhere, the sky darkens. Within seconds, rain pours down in thick sheets.
I frown. It wasn't supposed to rain today. The weather had been clear all morning.
Then, a memory drifts to the surface... an old fairytale. Something about unexpected rain at noon being the tears of mythical beings. A foolish thought, but it lingers, making me shiver despite the humidity.
I rush back inside to grab an umbrella, but the last one has just been sold. Great!
Stepping back to the supermarket entrance, I watch the rain, contemplating my next move. It doesn't look like it will stop anytime soon. My apartment isn't far, but running through this downpour with my bags sounds like a miserable idea.
Just as I sigh in frustration, I sense someone near me. That's when I see him.
***