Freedom

It was an okay-ish day outside—the kind that made you want to curl up in bed and watch a movie, but not gloomy enough to be outright depressing. A perfect day to do nothing.

Unfortunately for Sébastien, he was stuck in class, lazily taking notes without really paying attention.

There was something about the start of the year—something about it felt off. He tapped his fingers against the desk absentmindedly, lost in thought, until the rhythmic sound caught someone's attention.

"Hey, you good?" his seatmate whispered, raising an eyebrow.

Sébastien blinked, snapping out of it. He hadn't even realized he was tapping. "Yeah, sorry," he mumbled, dropping his pen and resting his chin on his hand instead.

His seatmate gave him a weird look but didn't push further.

Sébastien sighed. The start of the year always felt strange, but this time, it was something more.

He glanced around the lecture hall. Everyone was a stranger to him. That's how it was supposed to be. That's how he wanted it to be. But now—

Whatever.

Sébastien shook his head and forced himself to focus on his notes, pushing the thought away.

When class finally ended, he gathered his things, his mind still drifting elsewhere. So much so that he didn't even notice the presence lingering behind him.

A rough hand grabbed his shoulder, jolting him from his thoughts. Sébastien winced at the sudden contact, his body tensing instinctively. Surprise flickered into something colder—something closer to fear.

"Hey, pipsqueak."

There was no mistaking that voice. Dorian. But something about it was different this time—sharper, edged with something Sébastien couldn't quite place. Anger?

He swallowed hard, forcing himself to stay composed. With one last glance around the room, he turned to face him.

"Yeah, you. Don't think I'm talking to anyone else here." Dorian's voice was biting as he removed his hand from Sébastien's shoulder, and with a dramatic flourish, wiped his palm as if the mere touch had tainted him.

Wow.

Sébastien blinked, momentarily stunned by the sudden hostility. "Hi?" He said, his voice tinged with disbelief and confusion.

"No need for small talk." Dorian rolled his eyes, clearly uninterested in pleasantries. "Jake asked to come by the swimming pool today after classes."

"Thanks—" Sébastien began, his tone more composed now, but he was quickly cut off.

Dorian wasn't interested in hearing whatever Sébastien had to say. His mind was already elsewhere, his focus elsewhere.

With a quick glance back, Dorian simply walked away. His shoulders visibly relaxed as Sébastien slipped out of his view, as if the tension in the air had disappeared the moment the space between them grew.

Sébastien sighed, straightening his back. "Handsome guy, but an asshole," he mumbled to himself as he checked his schedule. "What a waste."

Two more classes awaited him, right after lunch, back to back. He really didn't want to go—his mood was already ruined by Grinch himself. The thought of skipping in the first week didn't sit right with him, though.

Well, whatever.

He grabbed his things, shoved his schedule back into his bag, and decided to head out for lunch—away from campus.

As he walked, looking around, the park felt oddly familiar—just like back in high school. The memories of him and his friends pulling pranks on napping teachers and getting into trouble made him let out a small chuckle.

"Haaa," he sighed, feeling a relief wash over him. Being alone felt better. He was finally free.

Well, not free from assholes, but free enough to be himself. And so free that he had absolutely no idea where he was going.

Oops.

Not only was he lost though. He had also wandered for so long, there was no time to eat lunch anymore.

He sighed and turned around, heading back to campus.

By the time he got there, he barely made it to his next class. No food, feeling wiped out, and still catching his breath, he walked in like everything was normal.

He definitely wasn't.

Sébastien let out a slow breath, blinking sluggishly at the front of the lecture hall. He should've known skipping lunch would come back to bite him. His stomach was empty, his head heavy, and the professor's voice had long since faded into meaningless noise.

Yeah… he'd just close his eyes for a second. Just a second.

He folded his arms over his desk, resting his head against them. The weight of exhaustion pulled at him almost instantly, his thoughts slipping through his fingers.

The air changed.

A crisp, salty breeze brushed against his skin. The distant hum of city life faded into something quieter—waves lapping against the shore, the rustle of leaves swaying in the wind.

He knew this place.

His high school's rooftop.

He and Jake had snuck up here so many times, dodging curfew just to sit under the sun, talking about everything and nothing.

Sébastien turned his head, and there he was.

Jake lay beside him, hands behind his head, staring up at the stary sky with that easy, lopsided grin. The same one Sébastien used to see every day. The one he never thought he'd miss this much.

"You still suck at staying awake," Jake teased, voice light with amusement.

Sébastien huffed. "And you still have shit taste in constellations."

Jake gasped dramatically. "Excuse me? The Big Dipper is a classic."

"It's boring."

Jake turned his head, his smile widening as he nudged Sébastien's shoulder. "Fine, then. What's your favorite?"

Sébastien rolled his eyes, glancing back at the stars. "Orion's Belt."

Jake groaned. "Ugh, basic."

"Excuse me?" Sébastien mocked his earlier tone, and Jake laughed, warm and familiar.

It felt safe. Easy.

But then—

The laughter faded.

The sky darkened, swallowing the stars. The rooftop felt colder. Jake's smile wavered, his expression shifting into something unreadable.

Sébastien frowned. "Jake?"

"You believe me, don't you?"

The words hit him like a gut punch. His breath caught. The rooftop blurred around him, the world suddenly unsteady beneath him.

This wasn't right. It made no sense.

Sébastien opened his mouth to respond—to say something, anything—but his voice wouldn't come out.

Jake's eyes searched his, desperate, waiting. But for what?

The weight in Sébastien's chest tightened. He remembered this.

He remembered what happened next.

A cold gust of wind blew through them, and suddenly, Jake wasn't beside him anymore.

The rooftop shattered. The warmth was gone.

Sébastien gasped awake, heart hammering in his chest. His surroundings rushed back—the lecture hall, the professor's voice droning on, the dim hum of students tapping their pens.

He was back.

But the ache in his chest remained.

Sébastien rubbed his face, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep as he slung his bag over his shoulder. His legs felt heavy, like he was still stuck in that dream, like if he turned the wrong corner, he'd end up back on that rooftop.

Why the hell had his brain picked that memory, of all things?

Stars? What a joke. He and Jake never even cared about constellations. That conversation had been nothing more than mindless late-night rambling—one of a million stupid little things they used to do. And yet, here it was, haunting him like some kind of twisted metaphor.

With a groan, he pulled open the lecture hall door and slipped out, making his way down the hall. He wasn't about to sit through another minute of class when his head was already a mess.

Maybe a walk would clear it up. Free him from his nightmares.

But the one thing he couldn't free himself of... was 'him'.