Chapter 2

The morning air was crisp as Sam stepped onto the quiet street. The city was slowly coming to life—cars rolling down the road, people heading to work, and the scent of freshly brewed coffee filling the air. He pulled his jacket closer around him and made his way toward the small café on the corner.

His usual. A black coffee, strong and bitter. He needed it to recharge, to shake off the exhaustion that clung to him like a shadow. The warmth seeped into his fingers as he wrapped his hands around the cup, the first sip jolting him awake.

Pulling out his phone, he typed a message to Kate.

"Hey, happy anniversary. Looking forward to our date tonight."

His fingers hovered over the screen. It felt surreal. A whole year. When he had first confessed to Kate, he never imagined they would make it this far. Yet, here they were, celebrating a milestone that meant everything to him.

He quickly typed another message.

"I have something big planned. Can't wait to see you."

After pressing send, he took another sip of his coffee and continued walking toward campus. His mind drifted to the past, to the moment that had changed everything.

The first time he had seen Kate, she had been sitting in the library, her nose buried in a book. He hadn't even meant to notice her, but something about the way she absentmindedly twirled a strand of hair around her finger had caught his attention. He had been captivated.

Days turned into weeks, and he found himself looking for her in the library, at the campus café, anywhere he could. He hadn't had the courage to talk to her at first, but fate had intervened. A group project had forced them together, and from that moment on, he was lost. She was everything he had never known he needed—brilliant, confident, and kind. And when he had finally mustered the nerve to tell her how he felt, she had smiled, touched his hand, and said yes.

Kate had brought light into his world, made his struggles seem a little easier to bear. He had never questioned their relationship, never doubted her feelings for him. And yet, there were times when she seemed distant, moments when he felt like she was holding something back. He told himself it was nothing, that love took time.

Tonight, on their first anniversary, he was going to kiss her for the first time. He had waited, been patient, and now, he hoped she would finally open up completely.

A gust of wind blew past him, snapping him out of his thoughts. He glanced at his watch. He was running late.

Cursing under his breath, he decided to take a shortcut through a narrow alley, hoping to make up for lost time. The alley was dimly lit, the sounds of the city muffled within its walls. He quickened his pace, his footsteps echoing against the brick buildings that lined the passage.

And then—it happened.

He wasn't looking. Too lost in his own thoughts. He turned a corner and collided with someone.

The impact was jarring, sending Sam stumbling back. His coffee slipped from his grasp, splattering onto the pavement.

"Watch where you're going!" a deep, gravelly voice snapped.

Sam looked up, his breath catching in his throat. The man standing before him was tall, clad in a dark coat, his face partially hidden by shadows. But it wasn't just his appearance that unsettled Sam—it was the way he glared at him, as if he had just lost something important.

The man muttered a curse under his breath, eyes scanning the ground as if searching for something. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, frustration evident in his posture.

"I—I'm sorry," Sam stammered, stepping back instinctively.

The man's gaze snapped back to him, and for a moment, Sam felt an unexplainable chill run down his spine.