Stalker

There was only one educational facility in Ashburn, located in North Ashburn and separated into three institutions: primary school, secondary school, and community college.

All students in Ashburn studied here, though some wealthy parents managed to send their children to better schools outside of Ashburn, but this represented less than one percent of the population.

Even though Marcus Monroe ranked among the richest people in the Western continent, he wasn't born into wealth. He had earned his fortune through hard work and fortunate timing.

Despite his success, Marcus didn't want his daughter to live an overly opulent life, which is why Mia Monroe attended school in Ashburn rather than some prestigious academy in Nexus City.

Among Mia's classmates was Zane Ling. They had been in the same class since first grade, though for years Mia barely acknowledged his existence. When she did notice him, she chose to ignore him entirely.

Mia was naturally social, but her father had warned her never to trust boys, so she exclusively associated with girls. What she didn't realize was that her influence over her female peers would inadvertently make Zane's life miserable.

The incident that changed everything happened during seventh grade. Zane had accidentally bumped into Mia in the hallway, sending her books scattering across the floor.

Annoyed and embarrassed in front of her friends, Mia had looked at his thin frame and called him a "twig" with obvious displeasure. The nickname stuck like glue.

It started with a few girls in Mia's circle snickering and repeating the name. Then the whole class picked it up. Soon enough, Zane had earned himself the moniker "Lean Ling," and from that moment forward, his school life was never the same.

The name followed him through the hallways, whispered behind his back, and called out during lunch breaks.

Zane gradually lost confidence in himself and retreated into solitude. He became a loner, spending breaks alone and avoiding group activities. He would come home and tell his father about the other kids making fun of him. His father, a kind man with gentle eyes, would comfort him and encourage him to persevere, assuring him that things would get better.

Over time, Zane became so accustomed to the nickname that he even began responding to it. But what bothered him most wasn't the boys' taunting, it was the girlish giggles that inevitably followed whenever someone called out "Lean Ling." Those laughs made him increasingly shy around girls, and eventually, he came to dread their presence entirely.

Mia remained completely oblivious to the storm she had unleashed. She was consumed by her online social life, spending hours scrolling through feeds and keeping up with trends. Anything that happened at school was irrelevant to her unless it might make good content for her posts.

She attended school only because it made her father happy, and as long as he was pleased and continued funding her weekly shopping sprees for trending clothes she spotted on social media, she would do whatever he wanted.

She had become utterly addicted to her virtual social life, growing increasingly indifferent to the real world around her. Her days revolved around likes, comments, and follower counts, while genuine human connection became foreign to her.

But even the most exciting parties grow boring as morning approaches. After Mia finished high school, that metaphorical morning arrived, and her social media life began losing its appeal. The endless scroll of perfect photos and manufactured drama started feeling hollow and repetitive.

Gradually, she began focusing more on the world she had always ignored. To her surprise, she discovered that life outside social media was far more fascinating and unpredictable than she had ever imagined. Real people had depth, complexity, and genuine stories that no filter could capture.

Mia's character embarked on a complete transformation. She was no longer the cold, aloof social media diva who lived for online validation. Now she was Mia the explorer, eager to understand this unfamiliar world that had always existed right before her eyes.

When her father requested that she attend Nexi University, the prestigious institution in Nexus City, Mia surprised him by refusing. She convinced him that she could always visit Nexus whenever she wanted, but for now, she preferred to stay in Ashburn.

She had come to appreciate the unique character of her hometown and found herself genuinely curious about its residents.

Mia had spent years observing and analyzing people online, mostly urbanites from cities like Nexus. But now she realized that Ashburn life was unlike anything she had encountered in her digital wanderings. It was raw, authentic, and refreshingly different.

From the gang-infested streets of Southern Ashburn to the abandoned mine where criminal organizations settled their disputes, from Central Ashburn where the biggest gang of all resided, the police, Ashburn offered a complexity that her sheltered online existence had never prepared her for. This was only scratching the surface of what her hometown had to offer.

Perched in her family's mansion in Eastern Ashburn, Mia had discovered a new passion. The binoculars she had received as a gift years ago became her most treasured possession.

From the top floor of the Monroe Mansion, she could observe virtually anywhere in Ashburn, and she spent hours studying the intricate social dynamics of her community.

What fascinated her most was the seemingly mundane life of a certain young man. Through careful observation, she had learned more about the people of Ashburn than anyone else in town suspected. She had even begun making occasional visits to the gym where her favorite person worked out, always maintaining her distance while studying this person who had unknowingly become her most intriguing subject.

---

Aetherial Haven stood as the pinnacle of luxury in the Western continent. Ranked among the most expensive destinations on Earth, it was the kind of place wealthy people saved for years to experience just once. For the poor, it existed only in advertisements clearly not meant for them, a fantasy they could never hope to touch.

Located in the heart of Nexus Mega-city, it served as a gathering place for the truly elite. Even government officials could only afford to dine there at heavily discounted rates during special occasions.

The Monroe family was the force behind Aetherial Haven's meteoric rise. It had started as a modest restaurant, but when a Saginur Prince happened to dine there one evening, everything changed overnight.

The royal endorsement transformed it into a household name throughout Nexus. Marcus hadn't stopped there, he had invested everything into making it a world-class hotel that attracted international attention.

During particularly boring stretches at home, Mia would fly to Nexus City to experience the cosmopolitan lifestyle and, of course, to practice her newfound expertise with "Sky", the affectionate name she had given her binoculars.

---

The Nexus City skyline stretched endlessly before her, and Mia couldn't suppress her smile of wonder. This metropolis was truly spectacular when viewed from above, its towers reaching toward the heavens like glass and steel mountains.

I can't believe I wasted so many years staring at my phone when I could have been seeing this,

Mia thought as the helicopter gradually descended toward the helipad.

She stepped gracefully from the aircraft, the rotors still spinning lazily overhead. She wore a tailored cream blazer over a silk blouse, paired with dark fitted trousers and knee-high leather boots, the perfect ensemble for a young woman of sophistication who was equally prepared for urban exploration and luxury dining.

A leather satchel containing Sky hung across her shoulder, and her jet-black hair was pulled back in an elegant low ponytail that wouldn't be disturbed by the wind.

The previous day, Mia had spent hours observing her favorite subject through Sky's lenses, and the experience had left her in an unusually cheerful mood. She went to the gym to see him. She never allowed him to suspect she was onto him. She went there for a 'fitness session'. Her mood increased greatly after the session.

She had woken up really happy in the morning, she had even decided to treat herself to a visit to Aetherial Haven, where she could enjoy one of her favorite views: Nexus City Park spread out like a green oasis amid the urban jungle.

He really is fascinating, she mused as the morning breeze played with loose strands of her hair. Especially when he gets mad when he sees me, or when he gets that determined look when he thinks no one is watching. So genuinely... authentic.

She looked absolutely radiant under the gentle rays of the morning sun that bathed the surface of Aetherial Haven in golden light. As she approached the entrance, the doors opened automatically, and two impeccably dressed doormen bowed respectfully as she passed, closing the doors silently behind her.

Mia took the elevator from the fiftieth floor down to the twenty-fourth, where her private suite offered the perfect view of the park below. The grandiose clock on the wall ticked softly, it was exactly 8:30 a.m.

Her morning tea service had been prepared precisely as she preferred it, the fine china arranged on the table beside the floor-to-ceiling windows. She settled gracefully into the cushioned chair and elegantly poured the steaming liquid into her porcelain cup. After adding a single cube of sugar, she took a refined sip, savoring the high-quality tea imported from Afris, the central continent.

From Aetherial Haven's eastern windows, one could see Nexus City Park lying just a few hundred meters away. This had become Mia's favorite observation point during her visits to the city. She came to Nexus periodically to study the serene atmosphere of the park alongside the bustling energy of urban life, a fascinating contrast that never failed to captivate her.

Mia had been watching the typical morning park activities for nearly an hour, joggers following their routes, elderly couples feeding birds, children playing while their parents chatted on benches. The peaceful rhythm of city life unfolded before her like a living painting.

Then she saw something that made her breath catch in her throat.

Down in Nexus City Park, among the morning crowd, she spotted a familiar face. A face that had occupied her thoughts far more than she cared to admit. A face she had been dreaming about for