That evening, the sky looked as if it had swallowed all its colors and decided to return only darkness. I was returning from my office, my heels tapping lightly against the wet pavement while heavy rain fell like endless silver threads from the clouds.
The streetlights had gone out, and the road ahead looked deserted, stretching into shadows.
Inside me, a strange heaviness lived quietly. It felt as if the world around me kept moving, but I was standing still somewhere far behind. My parents, friends, and relatives… everyone seemed distant in my thoughts that night. The city was loud with thunder, yet my heart felt louder with silence.
As I walked past the crossing, a black cat suddenly darted across my path. Its green eyes flashed for a moment before it disappeared toward the side of the road. I slowed down unconsciously, my breath forming a small cloud in the cold air. That was when I noticed him.
A man stood beneath a tree, partially sheltered from the rain. He wore a black turtleneck, dark trousers, and a long brown coat that moved slightly with the wind. His posture was straight, calm, almost unreadable. He wasn't doing anything unusual, yet there was something about his presence that made the night feel even quieter.
I looked away and continued walking, trying to ignore the strange awareness creeping into my thoughts. But after a few steps, I sensed another pair of footsteps behind me. My heartbeat quickened. I didn't turn around, yet the sound followed me all the way to the entrance of my building.
When I stepped inside and pressed the elevator button, I finally realized the coincidence. He entered the building too. A few moments later, when the elevator doors opened on my floor, he walked out as well. My surprise deepened when I saw him stop in front of the flat directly opposite mine.
Under the soft yellow corridor light, I noticed his face clearly for the first time. He looked calm, distant, and composed, as if emotions were something he preferred to keep hidden. He unlocked his door without a word and disappeared inside.
I stood there for a second longer than necessary, my key still in my hand. The corridor was silent again, but it no longer felt empty. Something about that rainy encounter lingered in the air like the last note of a forgotten song.
That night, as the rain continued tapping against my window, I lay awake longer than usual, wondering why meeting a stranger in a storm felt less like coincidence… and more like the first line of an unwritten story .