A Step Closer

Elara didn't know when it started to feel normal—this back-and-forth with Theo. At some point, their conversations stopped feeling like a challenge and became something she actually looked forward to.

The HeartSync app was still throwing challenges her way, but she had stopped paying as much attention to them. Every time she got a notification, she would glance at it, smirk, and do things at her own pace. And yet, somehow, she kept completing them anyway.

It was the strangest thing.

"Let me guess," Theo said as he slid into the chair across from her at the café, "staring at your screen while pretending to study?"

Elara gave him a deadpan look. "You're making a lot of assumptions."

He grinned. "Am I wrong?"

"…No."

He laughed, sipping his coffee. "Glad to know I'm not the only one barely functioning this semester."

She rolled her eyes but smiled. It was easy with him. Easier than she ever thought possible.

That night, her phone buzzed again.

"New Challenge: Find out one of Theo's dreams."

Elara hesitated. The challenges had been simple so far—talking, texting, meeting up—but this felt more personal. More vulnerable.

Was she really supposed to ask him something like that? Wouldn't it be weird?

But the next day, when she saw him again, the question came out more naturally than she expected.

"If you could do anything—like, no limits, no responsibilities—what would you do?"

Theo blinked at her, caught off guard. Then, slowly, he leaned back in his chair, thinking.

"…I'd probably travel. Just pack up and go. No plan, no deadlines. Just… explore."

Elara tilted her head. "That sounds nice."

He smiled, a little wistfully. "Yeah. But, you know… reality."

She wanted to say something comforting, but for once, she didn't feel the need to fill the silence. Instead, she just sat there with him, letting the moment stretch between them.

Her phone vibrated.

"Challenge Completed! +15 Confidence Points."

She ignored it, already thinking about what she wanted to ask him next.