♣︎ White Flower... and a Heavy Heart ♣︎
It was a grey morning, filled with chilly breezes that brushed against tired faces and sent withered leaves dancing across the sidewalks.
Autumn had arrived in full force, exhaling its dewy breath over the old university walls, while the sun hid behind thick clouds—almost as if it were too shy to break through the dreary stillness.
Waves of students poured toward the main gate, each carrying their own chaos and tangled thoughts.
Amid this disorder, Layan walked briskly, holding a steaming paper cup as if it were her last source of warmth on this cold morning.
She wore a grey coat cinched with a belt at her slim waist, with a soft ivory sweater wrapped around her neck like a warm scarf.
Her dark jeans fell smoothly along her legs, and her short leather boots made a faint sound with every step.
Her long golden hair flowed in soft waves down her back, as if sculpted by the wind itself, while her green eyes held a childhood clarity—and a weariness that went unspoken.
She didn't like winter, but it resembled her... quiet on the outside, stormy within.
Layan, 24 years old, lived alone in a simple apartment on the edge of the city.
No parents knocked on her door, no siblings filled the space with noise.
She was in her third year studying interior design, and she adored the little details—in sketches, in people, and even in coffee cups.
She stopped beneath a bare tree, took a slow sip from her cup, then closed her eyes for a moment, as if trying to steal a brief silence.
But that moment didn't last, for a loud voice cut through the air:
— "Layaaaan!!"
I opened my eyes quickly and turned at once. I knew that voice well before I even saw who it belonged to.
It was Zoe, as usual, entering the scene with a noise that refused to pass like a breeze.
She wore a short grey skirt and a tight black leather jacket that revealed part of a silky white blouse.
Her high heels, oversized sunglasses, and striking beauty made her entrance worth pausing for.
Her long brown hair was partly tied, with loose strands gently brushing her face.
Zoe didn't fear attention—she fed on it.
She came up behind me and suddenly hugged me, then said in an exaggerated, dramatic voice:
— "Tell me you saw Professor Mike's face this morning! I swear, he almost had a stroke!"
I laughed, lowered my cup, and replied:
— "Definitely because of you. Your voice was louder than the lecture itself."
— "Oh darling, I don't speak... I raise the dead."
We walked into the cafeteria building, which was warmer than outside, filled with the scent of fresh coffee and morning pastries.
Its glass walls looked out over the wet university courtyard, where some students sat talking, laughing, or checking their phones as if waiting for something that would never come.
We sat by the window, and I still held my cup like I was prolonging my farewell to the morning.
Zoe ordered a cheese croissant and a French coffee, then came back waving her phone and said:
— "Did you hear the rumor? A new student transferred today... out of nowhere. From abroad. No one knows anything about him!"
I raised my eyebrows and asked coolly:
— "A new student? At this time of year?"
— "They say he had a special arrangement. One girl told me he's insanely tall, unbelievably handsome, and his eyes... blue, like the winter sea."
I chuckled lightly and said:
— "Sounds like you're describing a fantasy novel character, not a university student."
But she didn't laugh.
Suddenly, she lowered her voice, leaned closer, and whispered:
— "I swear I saw him from afar. He was standing by the administration building... not moving, not smiling, just... watching. His gaze... made me feel completely exposed."
Silence fell around me.
I don't know why, but I felt a sharp pang in my chest, like my heart had suddenly caught something I couldn't name.
I looked out the window toward the distant trees, and a strange sensation washed over me...
A feeling I couldn't explain, as if someone was watching me—not from behind the glass, but from a depth unseen.
My body shivered for a moment, and I closed my eyes.
— "Layan?"
— "Yes?"
— "You spaced out..."
— "No... I just felt like something was getting closer."
Zoe giggled lightly as she took a bite of her croissant:
— "It's fate, darling... And I adore fate when it arrives with blue eyes."
♛♛♛♛♛♛♛♛♛♛♛♛
Time passed slowly through the university hallways,
Grey walls and long corridors mirrored the shadows of those walking by—like ghosts that had passed through and vanished.
I sat in the lecture hall, surrounded by dozens of students, yet a strange loneliness crept over me—unexplainable.
I picked up my pen and let it move across the paper... I wasn't writing anything meaningful, just drawing tangled lines, like I was searching for an exit from a maze with no doors.
— "Miss Layan? Can you repeat what I said?"
I lifted my eyes to Professor Mike, snapped from my daze, and muttered:
— "Sorry... I wasn't paying attention."
— "That's not like you."
— "I know... it's just a slight headache."
I sighed and reopened my notebook, but my mind was elsewhere.
I didn't know that small moment—Zoe's shaken voice, the mention of the new student—would leave this kind of impact.
Something had shifted in the university's air.
It felt heavier, and the sky seemed to watch us in silence.
As if something had awakened... somewhere.
When the day ended, I left my last lecture and saw Zoe standing under the big tree, swinging her small bag with one hand and holding a juice box in the other.
— "Did you notice people acting weird today?"
I asked as I slipped off my bag.
— "Exactly. The atmosphere's tense. Like someone passed through and left an unerasable trace."
She said this while looking toward the opposite direction.
— "I saw him."
— "Who?"
— "The new student... No one knows his name. But he entered the admin office with a man who looked like a shadow. His features weren't clear... but... I don't know. His eyes didn't look human."
My body shivered from the cold, despite the warmth of my coat.
Zoe continued in a low voice, as if afraid someone might hear:
— "It felt like the world paused for a second when he walked by."
Just then, the old university clock chimed...
Five o'clock sharp.
We exchanged silent glances before Zoe, as usual, smiled and said:
— "Let's go, I have a photo shoot, and the photographer can't stand delays—though he loves shooting me!"
— "As for me... I'm heading home."
— "Oh right! Tonight's hangout is at your place, yeah?"
— "Of course, I'll make you that pasta you love."
— "Perfect, I'll bring dessert! But Layan..."
She leaned in and whispered:
— "If the shadow comes back... don't look into his eyes."
Then she walked off lightly toward the parking lot, leaving me staring up at the grey sky that hadn't cried yet...
But was about to.
I was walking toward the gate when I felt something strange...
As if someone was standing right behind me.
I turned quickly... no one.
But... the air had suddenly become colder.
Much colder than usual.
I placed my hand on my chest.
My heart was pounding... for no clear reason.
The evening threads slipped between buildings, tinting the glass with shades of violet, while the city prepared for another night of noise and contradiction.
I continued walking steadily along the wet sidewalk, beneath a light drizzle that had begun to fall.
The sky was grey, and the cold breeze gently brushed my cheeks as I observed the faces of the passersby with a cautious eye... as if I were searching for something... something I didn't know the name of, but could feel deep inside.
My bag swung on my shoulder, and my golden hair blew in the wind, but that didn't bother me.
What truly preoccupied me was the weight that had settled in my heart for hours... and hadn't left since.
I entered the small residential neighborhood where I lived.
The buildings all looked alike—quiet, with empty balconies and closed curtains.
I passed the old flower vendor, who, as usual, was singing a hoarse old song.
— "Hello, Layan... Today's flower is on the house."
He said it with a smile, offering me a small white flower.
— "Thank you, Uncle Robert, but what's the occasion?"
— "Today's one of those days when we all need something pure... even if it's just a flower."
I smiled softly and thanked him, then continued on my way, carrying the flower as if it were something too delicate to hold.
I opened the building door and slowly climbed to the third floor, then entered my small apartment, which smelled faintly of books, coffee, and light incense.
I took off my shoes, collapsed onto the couch, and closed my eyes.
Silence...
How I love this silence.
But it didn't last.
My phone rang.
A message from Zoe.
"Layan... are you okay? I just got to the shoot... but I remembered something strange."
I replied quickly:
"What is it?"
"When we were in the courtyard... the person who went into the admin office wasn't alone."
"And?"
"There was a man with him... tall, wearing a dark coat, holding something metallic in his hand... like a weapon. I looked into his eyes... and I felt afraid, Layan. For the first time."
I stared at the screen without typing anything.
Then I looked up toward the window.
The sky had grown darker.
The rain had intensified.
And there he was...
Someone standing across the street.
Wearing a long black coat. Motionless.
I couldn't see his face clearly, but something about him made my heart race.
Was he watching me?
Or was it just my imagination?
I jumped up and shut the curtain quickly.
But my heart didn't settle.
I returned to the couch... and the white flower was still between my fingers.
I pressed it slightly... and it snapped.
♛♛♛♛♛♛♛♛♛♛♛♛
Elsewhere...
On the rooftop of a tall building, a man stood watching the city from above.
His face was expressionless, and his eyes were as blue as ocean waves at midnight.
His hands were clasped behind his back, and his stillness... was lethal.
Behind him, another man approached. His hair was grey, and his eyes dark.
— "Do you feel it?"
Asked the grey-haired man, lighting a cigarette with a sarcastic smile.
— "Yes..."
The other man replied coldly.
— "The game is about to begin."
— "No... it's already begun."
He turned around, his black coat fluttering with the wind—
Then vanished into the shadows.
To be continued…
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