20

By the time she reached college, the class had already started, and she stood outside the classroom, debating whether to go in or turn back. She hadn't come this far just to leave now; after taking a few deep breaths, she summoned her courage and stepped into the room. All heads turned toward her.

"May I come in, Sir?" she asked, her voice steady. He paused, mid-sentence, as he was writing on the board. His heart skipped a beat. He regained his composure, but the sight of her—Elsa—had jolted him.

Seeing his reaction, Elsa's fear dissolved, replaced by a wave of happiness.

"Knox?" she whispered, taking a step forward, forgetting she was in a classroom filled with 200 curious students. Her movements were halted by Knox's voice.

"It's alright, Miss... Please take your seat," he said, now back in control. Elsa, feeling the stares, quickly found her seat, still empty despite her absence.

"Oh my God... I forgot this is a class! What was I thinking?" she muttered, lightly tapping her head. She sat next to Sana.

"Don’t tell me... Is that the famous Knox?" Sana whispered, eyes wide.

"That's him... but why did I have to be so dramatic?" Elsa groaned, still embarrassed.

"Forget about that. Tell me, did you talk to Knox about Joseph?" Sana asked, clearly eager.

"Yes, of course." Elsa looked at her, puzzled. "I told you everything already."

"Are you serious? Elsa, think about it..." Sana raised her eyebrows, clearly in disbelief.

"I’ve been thinking for a while now, just get to the point."

"You wasted a whole week telling Dr. Knox about Joseph? Look at him—he’s gorgeous! You could’ve flirted; he could’ve fallen for you..."

"What are you saying?" Elsa hissed, lowering her voice but feeling a surge of frustration. "I was there to discuss Joseph, not fall in love."

"Joseph isn’t real, Elsa. He doesn’t exist in this world. How can you not see that?" Sana shook her head, clearly exasperated. Elsa stayed quiet for a moment.

"Joseph exists, Sana... and he will come." Elsa whispered softly, her voice filled with certainty.

"When? When you're old or after you’re dead?" Sana was being a bit harsh now.

Elsa had no answer. Sana gazed at her, sadness creeping into her expression.

"Joseph is just a fantasy, Elsa. Let him go, or you’ll end up alone." She placed a comforting hand on Elsa’s. Elsa glanced absentmindedly at Knox talking to other students before shaking her head.

"Sana’s wrong... Joseph is real, and he’ll come," she muttered under her breath. Sana didn’t hear this last part.

Later, Elsa sat in the café with Knox. He noticed she seemed lost in thought.

"Tell me about Joseph," Knox prompted. He knew she could never stay quiet when it came to Joseph.

"He doesn’t even visit my dreams anymore," she replied sadly.

"Interesting." He smiled, happy to be with her.

"You’re happy about that?"

"No. I still believe in him, I’m still waiting," she confessed, her voice tinged with sadness. Knox felt a pang in his chest.

"This is a matter of the heart, Elsa... No one can cure it but you." Knox’s voice softened. Elsa looked away, her heart heavy.

"Say that again," she demanded suddenly, excitement in her voice.

"What?"

"What you just said."

"I said, ‘This is a heart disease, Elsa... Only you can heal it.’" He repeated, but Elsa’s face fell.

"I thought... for a second... you were Joseph," she laughed bitterly. Knox tried to comfort her.

"I wish that were true."

"Maybe you can’t cure it alone," she murmured. Elsa’s pain was palpable, and Knox felt it too. The hardest thing for him was watching the person he loved cry over someone else. He was living through that agony now.

As he sat there, Knox thought to himself, if he had known Elsa would attend this college, he would’ve refused the job, no matter what. But destiny has its own way of playing out, no matter how much one tries to change it.

That night, as Elsa slept, the familiar dream returned. Her lips moved silently, "Joseph."

He was still shrouded in darkness, surrounded by thick fog. She could barely make out his form. As always, only his voice reached her.

"I’ll come for you, Anna... don’t worry. I’m not just a dream. I’ll return for you, forever, in my world. Will you come with me?" Elsa’s head nodded automatically, and Joseph vanished into the fog as she woke up.

Her sadness lifted instantly. The next morning, she excitedly shared the dream with Sana. This time, Sana didn’t say anything, although Elsa’s happiness after the last conversation had worried her. Elsa hadn’t smiled in weeks, and now, after dreaming of Joseph, she seemed like her old self again. Sana decided she needed to talk to Knox.

"So, you're still waiting for Joseph? Why not ask him when he’ll come?" Knox teased, trying to make her laugh. Seeing her happy made his heart race. If he could, he’d drag Joseph by the collar and bring him to Elsa. Her joy meant the world to him.

"I can’t control my dreams!" she snapped, playfully annoyed.

"Funny, it seems like they come at your command." He smiled, but Elsa shot him a sideways glance, pretending to be annoyed. If Joseph, the prince of her dreams, couldn’t resist her, how could Knox, an ordinary man, stand a chance?

"Alright, let’s change the subject," Knox said quickly.

Elsa glanced around and noticed the girls at the nearby table staring. She followed their gaze back to Knox. He seemed oblivious, but for some reason, it bothered her. She looked away.

"Do you know why you don’t fall in love with a human?" Knox asked suddenly.

"Joseph is human!" Elsa retorted through gritted teeth.

"I mean, maybe he’s a prince." Knox smiled, amused at her fiery response.

"Yeah, maybe," Elsa sighed, closing her eyes, lost in thoughts of Joseph.

"I was saying..." Knox started again.

"Oh, sorry. Go on."

"Maybe you don’t love a human because you’re not from this world either. Perhaps people love others from where they truly belong."

"That’s ridiculous," Elsa scoffed. "I fell in love with Joseph because he’s a fairytale prince," she tossed her hair dramatically.

"To you, he’s a prince, and to me... you’re a fairy. Maybe every lover thinks that way about their beloved," Knox said softly, as Elsa turned to leave.

If Elsa had removed the blindfold Joseph had placed over her heart, she would’ve understood what Knox was trying to say. His eyes, his voice, everything testified to his love for her. It was so obvious that even a blind person could see it. But she remained unaware—or perhaps she simply chose not to see it.

Knox kept his eyes on her until she disappeared from sight. His smile faded. His heart ached, knowing the truth. Moments later, Sana appeared and sat down in Elsa’s place, startling him.