PalakM

Amara - Lost in His Light, Found in His Shadow!

At eighteen, (Nyxara, a medical student) was drowning in the darkness of her own life—abandoned, lost, and without purpose. But then she saw (Riven, a soldier), a man who shone like the morning sun, radiating strength and kindness. He was never hers to have, never someone she could reach. Yet, just by watching him from afar, she found the will to rise, to grow, and to carve her own path in the world.

But fate had never been kind to her. He fell in love with another. And instead of despair, she smiled, accepting the destiny that was never meant to be hers. She moved on, carrying only the quiet gratitude for the light he had unknowingly given her.

Years passed. She became someone strong. But when she crossed paths with him, he was no longer the man she had admired. The warmth in his eyes had turned to ice. The man who once inspired her to live had now become hollow, burdened by the weight of hatred and loss. His wife had been murdered, and the world he once saw with hope was now drenched in blood and vengeance.

Now, the roles had reversed.
He was lost in his darkness.
And she was the only one who could bring him back to the light.

Amara - Lost in His Light, Found in His Shadow!

Nyxara couldn't shake the conversation from her mind. The next morning, she sat in the lecture hall, her professor's words a distant hum against the whirlwind of thoughts in her head. Riven. The name carried a weight she didn't understand yet.

She glanced at her notebook, where she had absentmindedly scribbled his name in the margins. A sigh left her lips as she shut it quickly. She couldn't let a passing encounter distract her, not when medical school was already consuming her.

But later that evening, as she walked home, she found herself pausing near the military base. It wasn't intentional, or so she told herself. Just curiosity. Just a coincidence.

She saw him—Riven—walking past the gates with a fellow soldier, his expression unreadable. He looked different in the daylight, the golden glow of the setting sun casting long shadows behind him.

For a moment, she considered calling out. But what would she say? That their conversation had stayed with her longer than it should have? That she was grateful for his words?

Instead, she turned away and continued home, unaware that he had seen her too.

That night, she found herself staring at her ceiling, sleep eluding her. She thought about his words, about the way he seemed to understand her struggles without her needing to explain them. The next day, she found herself near the base again, this time with a book in her hands, sitting at a café nearby.

Minutes turned to hours, and she felt foolish for expecting to see him again. But just as she gathered her things, she heard a familiar voice.

"You like to linger near military bases, don't you?"

Her breath caught as she turned to see Riven standing there, arms crossed, an amused expression on his face.

"Pure coincidence," she said, a little too quickly.

He raised an eyebrow. "If you say so."

She hesitated, then gestured to the chair across from her. "Coffee?"

He studied her for a moment before nodding. "Sure."

As they sat together, the conversation was easier this time. The weight she had carried for so long felt a little lighter. Maybe, just maybe, meeting him wasn't a coincidence after all.

Chapter 2: Echoes of a Stranger