In a vibrant summer noon, an hour before sunset, a college student walked along the roadside. Behind her stretched a breathtaking view—lush trees painted in orange by the sun, and a sky so brilliantly red it bathed the entire street in warmth and melancholy.
As she walked, a voice called out.
"Dorothy, wait up!"
She turned her head and smiled. "Oh, it's you guys! How was school?" she asked.
"Eh, it was fine. Could've been better though~" her friend replied with a playful shrug. "Anyway, there's someone I want you to meet. He's a senior of ours—same class."
The girl caught her breath before gesturing to the young man beside her.
"Hi there. I've been meaning to chat with you. I'm Dave," he said with a calm smile.
"Hello, Dave. Nice to meet you!" said Dorothy. "You said you've been meaning to chat—what's up?"
"Well, nothing serious," Dave said. "I just wanted to ask if you're free tomorrow?"
"I am," she replied.
"Great! I'll pick you up at ten."
After Dave walked ahead, Dorothy's friend grinned and leaned in.
"Oh, that was quick," she teased with a smirk. "Is this the time when a queen as hard to get as you once again falls in love?"
Dorothy rolled her eyes, nudging her. "Cut it out, will ya? The guy just wants to take me out, that's all."
"Hehe, sure, sure~" her friend hummed.
The three of them walked together as the sun continued to set. The shadows lengthened. The wind blew gently over the path, carrying old posters from a nearby pole across the sidewalk. Their laughter turned quiet—soft, like a hum carried by memory.
Then—
Dorothy heard it.
A voice? No, not this time.
Just a feeling.
Someone… watching her.
A presence.
And with it, a strange warmth, like a distant smile reaching her soul.
"Ah… but the sunset remains as beautiful as ever."
The words weren't spoken aloud. They felt like a memory. They touched her, somewhere between dream and déjà vu.
The next morning arrived quietly.
The trees rustled in the breeze. The wind whispered through the windows. Rays of sunlight spilled across Dorothy's room, lighting everything in golden silence.
Then—the alarm.
BEEP BEEP BEEP.
"Ugh… it's already morning... I gotta get ready," she mumbled.
But just as she stretched out her arms, she heard it again—
"Wake up. You're going to be late."
She paused. Her eyes darted around.
There was no one else in the room. Just her. And yet the voice—it had sounded real. Familiar. Like someone she once knew.
She brushed it off. Probably just her imagination again.
She took a bath, got dressed, and as she looked at herself in the mirror, the sunlight framed her face with a soft glow.
"I'm ready," she said.
Her phone rang.
Dave: "I'm already outside."
Dorothy: "Alright, I'm on my way."
Their day unfolded like a quiet dream.
They went to the mall. Shared a snack. Watched something lighthearted at the cinema. Took pictures at the park. Laughed over silly things.
Eventually, they reached the seaside.
The sun was descending into the horizon again, painting the sky and ocean in tones of blood-orange and lavender. Waves touched the shore gently.
Dorothy stared at the view.
Something about this moment felt… familiar. Not in memory, but in feeling. The same hue, the same wind, the same silence.
Wasn't I… here before?
The wind picked up slightly, brushing her hair. Her eyes narrowed. It was like the sky was watching her. The world… whispering.
Dave took a breath.
"Hey, uh… say…" he began, his voice softer now.
Dorothy turned toward him. "What is it?"
"You… you know I've been meaning to ask you out, right?"
"Yeah," she replied calmly.
"Well, do you wanna take things further?" he asked. "Like… beyond just this?"
Dorothy's mind drifted. The breeze carried with it something unspoken. Her chest tightened.
"I…"
Tick.
A clock?
But there was no clock.
She turned her head—everything was still.
The ocean froze. The breeze halted. The seagulls in mid-flight no longer moved. The people in the distance became statues. Time itself had stopped.
She gasped softly. Her heart beat louder than anything else.
A strange chill swept over her skin.
She felt it again.
That presence.
Someone was watching her.
Smiling.
Somewhere behind Dave, standing far in the distance.
She could feel it—eyes resting gently on her, familiar, as if they once knew every part of her soul. That smile… it wasn't mocking. It was… longing.
She slowly turned her gaze past Dave, heart pounding.
But—
There was no one.
The beach was empty beyond them. The reflection of the sun shimmered over the waves. Dave's hand still hovered, frozen midair.
And then—
Time moved.
Dave's hand touched hers. The wind resumed its gentle push. The colors of the world returned.
"—go out with me sometime?" he said.
Dorothy blinked, stunned.
"What… did you say?"
Dave tilted his head, confused. "Uh, I asked if… you wanted to take things further?"
Dorothy smiled awkwardly. "Sorry, I think I spaced out for a second."
She turned once more to look over her shoulder.
Still no one.
But the feeling lingered.
That smile.
That watchful presence.
And somehow, she knew—
This wasn't the last time it would happen.
Something deep within her stirred… a truth she couldn't quite reach, buried beneath layers of forgotten time and warmth that once meant everything.
Dave blinked, snapping her back into the moment.
"Oh—haha," he chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess that was kind of sudden."
Dorothy didn't respond right away. She looked at him—really looked—but her gaze drifted somewhere beyond him, like she was trying to see through the air itself.
"Well," Dave said, breaking the silence again, "it's already night… I'll take you home, haha."
Dorothy gave a small smile—gentle, but unreadable. A smile that tried to mean something but wasn't sure what that "something" was.
Was it fear?
Was it realization?
Or… was it simply confusion?
Even she didn't know.
All she knew was the presence. The warmth behind the wind. The smile she never saw, but felt.
The walk home was quiet. Neither of them spoke much. Dave walked beside her, throwing glances every now and then, but he couldn't quite read her thoughts. She seemed there—but not fully.
Finally, they reached Dorothy's house.
She turned to him. "Thanks for today."
Dave hesitated, then asked, "If it's alright with you… can I take you out again sometime soon?"
His voice was soft, uncertain. A hint of hope in it, wrapped beneath an awkward, silent smile.
Dorothy looked into his eyes and nodded.
"Sure," she said.
A pause. The wind blew past them again, softer this time—less mysterious, more like a memory fading.
"Until next time."she whispered.
Dave turned and walked away. His figure faded into the shadows of the streetlamp glow.
Dorothy remained at the doorstep, the breeze circling her softly. "I need some rest," she muttered.
She walked inside.
At first, everything seemed ordinary.
The living room was still. The lights dim. A note on the fridge read:
"We'll be out today —Mom"
But as she glanced at it again…
The letters began to shift.
Slanted lines. Curved edges. Symbols she didn't recognize.
Runes.
Not written with ink—etched, somehow, into reality.
Her eyes didn't register the change. Her mind refused to see it.
To her, it was normal. It had always been that way.
She yawned.
Walked past the shifting marks of reality.
Posters on the walls curled and twisted into spirals of scribbled incantation.
The hallway grew darker. Quieter.
She entered her room.
The door closed softly behind her.
She crawled into bed, eyes heavy.
Outside her window, the wind moved like breath across time.
And in the silence of sleep, unseen to her, the runes pulsed faintly.
Watching.
Waiting.