Lily's breath came in sharp, uneven bursts as panic finally took over.
The moment his fingers closed around hers—the moment that memory flashed—something inside her snapped.
She yanked her hand away.
"No!" she gasped, stumbling back. "Stay away from me!"
For a split second, he didn't move.
He just watched her.
And that—more than anything—terrified her.
Because he looked completely in control.
Like he already knew what she would do next.
Lily didn't wait.
She turned and ran.
Her footsteps echoed loudly against the empty campus, each one fueled by fear and adrenaline. Her heart pounded violently in her chest, her vision blurring as tears gathered in her eyes.
Don't stop. Don't look back.
But his voice followed her.
Calm.
Unhurried.
Certain.
"You can run, Lily…"
She pushed herself faster, her lungs burning.
"But you won't get far."
Her breath hitched.
"Because," his voice continued, echoing through the silence,
"You are mine."
She shook her head violently as she ran. "No—no, I'm not!"
"If anyone comes between us…" he added, his tone darkening just enough to send a chill down her spine,
"They won't remain."
Her steps faltered for a fraction of a second.
Fear spiked.
But she didn't stop.
She couldn't.
She ran until the campus blurred behind her, until the empty buildings gave way to a quieter path—one she barely registered taking.
Greenery surrounded her.
Tall trees.
Soft grass.
The air felt different here—cooler, quieter, almost real.
Her legs finally gave out.
Lily stumbled forward and collapsed beneath a large tree, her hands scraping lightly against the ground as she tried to catch her breath.
"I… I can't…" she whispered, her chest heaving.
Her entire body trembled.
Her mind replayed everything at once—
His voice.
His eyes.
The way he said her name.
The ring.
The touch.
That memory—
Her hand instinctively moved to her chest.
"What is happening to me…?" she murmured.
The question hung in the air, unanswered.
Slowly, her breathing began to steady.
The silence here felt different. Not like the campus. Not empty—just… quiet.
Normal.
Too normal.
Lily frowned slightly.
Something felt off.
But she was too exhausted to process it.
After a few minutes, she pushed herself up, her legs still shaky. "I need to go home," she said under her breath.
Home meant safety.
Home meant answers.
At least—that's what she hoped.
By the time Lily reached her house, the world felt… normal again.
Cars passed by.
Voices echoed faintly in the distance.
Everything looked exactly the way it always did.
As if nothing had happened.
As if he didn't exist.
Lily stood at the door for a moment, hesitating.
Was it real?
Or had she imagined everything?
Her grip tightened on the handle.
"No," she whispered. "That was real."
It had to be.
She stepped inside.
The familiar scent of home wrapped around her instantly, grounding her just enough to keep her from spiraling.
"I just need to calm down," she muttered.
She headed straight to her room, closing the door behind her.
The quiet felt comforting.
Safe.
Normal.
Too normal.
Lily exhaled slowly and walked to her bathroom, splashing cold water on her face. She stared at her reflection.
Pale.
Shaken.
Eyes still filled with fear.
"You're fine," she told herself. "You're okay."
But the words didn't feel true.
Not completely.
After freshening up, she changed into comfortable clothes and sat down at her study chair.
Her books were still open.
Exactly where she had left them.
Another normal detail.
Another thing that didn't make sense.
She stared at the pages—but didn't read a single word.
Her thoughts drifted back to him.
Who was he?
How did he know me?
Why did that ring feel familiar?
And—
Why did it feel like he wasn't lying?
Lily groaned softly, resting her head in her hands.
"This is crazy…"
But no matter how hard she tried—
She couldn't shake him from her mind.
His voice.
His presence.
The way he looked at her.
Like she was already his.
Her chest tightened at the thought.
"No," she whispered again. "That's not true."
Yet—
Her fingers curled slightly, as if remembering the warmth of his touch.
Lily quickly grabbed her pen, forcing herself to focus. "Study," she muttered. "Just study."
She tried.
She really did.
But the words blurred together, meaningless.
Minutes passed.
Then longer.
And slowly—
Exhaustion took over.
Her head lowered onto her arm.
Her eyes fluttered shut.
And without realizing it—
She fell asleep.
The next morning—
Lily jolted awake.
"Oh no—!"
She shot up from her chair, her heart racing as she glanced at the clock.
"I'm late!"
Panic replaced the lingering fear from yesterday.
She rushed through getting ready, barely thinking as she grabbed her bag and hurried out the door.
Everything felt normal again.
Too normal.
School buzzed with life when she arrived.
Students talking.
Laughing.
Walking through halls.
It was the complete opposite of yesterday.
Lily slowed slightly as she entered the classroom, her eyes scanning the room.
Everything was fine.
Everything was normal.
So why did it feel like something was… off?
She walked toward her usual seat—
First bench.
By the window.
But stopped.
Someone else was sitting there.
"Oh…" she muttered softly.
For the first time—
She was late enough to lose her spot.
"…great."
With no choice, she moved toward the back of the classroom and sat down in the last bench.
It felt… wrong.
Distant.
Disconnected.
Lily tried to focus as the teacher started the lecture, but the words barely registered.
From back here, everything felt dull.
Muted.
She wasn't used to this.
Her fingers tapped lightly against the desk in frustration.
Why can't I focus?
Her thoughts drifted again.
Back to him.
Always back to him.
She clenched her jaw.
"No," she whispered under her breath. "Not again."
But it didn't help.
Minutes felt like hours.
Boredom mixed with unease, something unfamiliar to her in a place she usually felt comfortable.
Eventually, she gave up trying.
With a quiet sigh, Lily rested her head on the desk.
Just for a moment.
Everything felt normal.
Too normal.
And that thought lingered.
Until—
SLAM!
The classroom door burst open with a loud, echoing crash.
The sound jolted everyone.
Lily's head snapped up instantly, her heart skipping a beat.
The room fell silent.
Someone had entered.
And the air—
Shifted.
[If you liked watching the story so far please like and follow me 🥹🤓🤧- Blueberry 🫐
Please read the next chapters to know who was this person who slammed the door 👀... Who do you think is this person?🙊]