7. CALENDAR

The quiet ticking of the clock was the only sound that accompanied Caelan as he sat in his grand, yet empty, penthouse. The sprawling city skyline was visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows, but it offered him no solace. His hand hovered over the calendar on his desk, the date marked in red—a day that held memories he wished he could forget. With a heavy heart, he crossed it off with a firm stroke, the pen's ink bleeding into the paper like the pain that bled into his soul.

He took a slow, deliberate bite of the cookie Alina had left behind, the sweetness contrasting sharply with the bitterness in his chest. She had just left, returning to her condo, leaving him alone with the ghosts of his past. Caelan's eyes closed as he chewed, the taste of the cookie mingling with the memories that surfaced unbidden—memories of a lover he had lost centuries ago, a love that time had not dulled but only deepened the ache of her absence.

His breaths came out in shuddering waves, the agony of her loss resurfacing as if it had happened only yesterday. He leaned back in his chair, his gaze unfocused, staring into the past. He could still see her smile, hear her laughter, feel the warmth of her presence that once filled this very space. But now, there was only emptiness, a void that no amount of time could fill.

On the other side of the city, Alina sat across from her brother Jace in a cozy café, the scent of freshly brewed coffee filling the air. She poked at her salad, lost in thought, while Jace chatted animatedly about his latest graphic design project. But even as she nodded along, her mind was elsewhere—lingering on the brief, enigmatic conversations she’d had with Caelan. There was something about him that drew her in, a magnetic pull she couldn’t quite explain.

After finishing their lunch, the siblings set off to shop for Alina’s academic supplies. The bookstore was bustling with students preparing for the new semester, but Alina felt a sense of calm as she walked down the aisles, running her fingers along the spines of the books. She counted them one by one—five books for her fifth semester, each one a gateway to new knowledge and new stories.

“Semester 5,” she murmured to herself, a small smile tugging at her lips. Bachelor’s in Literature—it was a path she’d chosen with her heart, despite the countless rejections she’d faced as a small-time author. But she never wavered, her love for stories, for words, driving her forward. Jace noticed her smile and nudged her playfully.

“Ready to dive into another world?” he asked, his tone light but supportive.

Alina chuckled softly, nodding. “Always.”

As they continued shopping, Alina couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing, a vague sense of unease that had nothing to do with her studies. She wondered what Caelan was doing now—whether he was still sitting in that grand penthouse, lost in thought as she often found him. There was a sadness in his eyes that she couldn’t ignore, a depth of pain that intrigued and saddened her at the same time.

Back in his penthouse, Caelan finally rose from his chair, the cookie long gone, leaving only crumbs on the plate. He walked over to the window, staring out at the city below, his thoughts still on Alina and the unexpected warmth she had brought into his life. But no matter how hard he tried to focus on the present, the past loomed large, casting a shadow over every fleeting moment of peace.

His fingers traced the cold glass, his reflection staring back at him—a man who had lived too long, loved too deeply, and lost too much. The memories of his dead lover haunted him, but now, mingled with them was the image of Alina—her bright eyes, her infectious curiosity, her gentle smile. All that reminded him of, his lover. It was so cruel of fate to play this joke, but he couldn't help it.

For the first time in a long while, Caelan felt something stir within him, something beyond the grief and the endless longing. It was a spark, faint but persistent, reminding him that despite the centuries of loss, there was still a sliver of hope. But that hope came with its own fear—fear of caring again, of losing again.

As the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the room, Caelan turned away from the window. He would see Alina again, he knew that much. But what he didn’t know was how he would keep his heart guarded when every moment with her chipped away at the walls he had built so carefully around it.

And so, as Alina picked out her books and prepared for her new semester, and as Caelan continued to grapple with his past, their lives remained intertwined by an invisible thread—a thread woven from the pain of old wounds and the fragile hope of new beginnings.

Alina closed her book with a soft thud, the last chapter leaving a lingering warmth in her heart. She glanced at the clock on her nightstand and realized it was late—Jace had left her condo hours ago, and now, she was alone. It would be her second night sleeping without her brother nearby, but instead of feeling uneasy, she felt a subtle excitement. There was something freeing about the solitude, a chance to savor the quiet moments she rarely got to enjoy.

With a small smile, Alina began winding up her books, stacking them neatly on her desk. She grabbed her phone, plugged it into the charger, and set it down, the screen casting a soft glow in the dimly lit room. Her gaze flicked over to the bathroom, but the thought of going through her usual nighttime routine felt like too much effort. Too lazy to bother with facewash, she simply splashed some cold water on her face, the refreshing chill waking her up just enough to brush her teeth before bed.

Satisfied, she hurried over to her bed, the familiar comfort of the soft sheets beckoning her. The bed was positioned right next to the large window, and as she settled in, Alina glanced out at the night sky. The darkness was thick, but a blanket of stars twinkled above, casting a gentle light that made her feel as though she wasn’t truly alone.

With a contented sigh, she nestled into her pillows, the cool night air seeping through the slight crack in the window. The stars outside seemed to wink at her, a silent promise that the world was vast and full of possibilities, even in the quietest moments.

Sighing, she focused on the back of her mind to cease the overthinking and smiles when she feels her droop heavy with sleep.

"God, I love this!" She mumbles slowly and curls into a ball.

Alina closed her eyes, letting the peaceful silence wash over her. The excitement of the day faded, replaced by a calm that lulled her into a deep, sound sleep, her dreams filled with the stories she loved and the endless night sky that watched over her.