First Person POV

Color smeared across the scenery outside—layers of lines, shades, and shadows. The mountains and the huge mansion kept their shape well enough for me to study them from the window.

My new school. The private academy I’d been accepted into for reasons I still didn’t understand. Pretty from a distance, sure... but something told me its cracks would show once I got closer.

The parking lot was almost empty, just a few cars scattered around—probably the teachers’. They looked expensive. Of course they did. It was an elite school. I still couldn’t shake the feeling that my acceptance letter had been meant for someone else.

The mansion stretched wide and tall, its inner courtyard surrounded on all sides by the building itself. It reminded me of The Secret Garden—peaceful in theory, eerie in execution.

The car that dropped me off didn’t even wait for me to grab my bearings. The driver barely helped with my luggage. If I slowed down, he probably would’ve driven off with my suitcase.

Inside, the air felt heavy. The climb to my room was brutal—four floors up these narrow, steep staircases that seemed older than the school itself. The view from each landing was beautiful, but dragging my luggage ruined any chance to enjoy it.

My room was small but cozy—just enough space to study, change, sleep, and maybe sit on the floor if I wanted to think. Honestly, it felt more welcoming than the rest of the campus. I opened the window to let in some air. The sky was a deep blue, fading into a pale baby blue near the horizon.

That was when I saw him.

A figure stood on the nearest tower, wearing a long coat and holding a suitcase. His silhouette looked strange—old-fashioned, like he belonged in another century. For a second, I thought my exhausted brain was playing tricks on me.

But panic hit anyway.

Without thinking, I shoved the window open and yelled, “Don’t move! Please don’t do anything reckless! Stay there—I’ll get help!”

Before I could grab my phone, he turned toward me and smiled. A warm, gentle smile that didn’t match the situation at all.

Then he jumped.

I gasped and leaned out the window, heart pounding. I wasn’t even sure what I expected to see—his body? A miracle? Anything? But the worst answer waited for me at the base of the tower.

There was nothing. No one.

The rest of the day slipped by in a fog. I couldn’t focus on anything, not even the fact that I was running on barely two hours of sleep after arriving at 4 AM and being thrown into paperwork at dawn. My mind kept replaying the tower, the smile, the fall. I kept wondering if I’d imagined him.

By my last class—literature—I was half-asleep and fully miserable. Then the heavy clunk of boots echoed in the hallway, sharp enough to snap me awake. I looked up.

A figure in a long coat walked in, calm and confident. His smile was the same as before.

It was him.

By the time I made it back to my room, my head was spinning. I dropped onto the bed, but my heel hit something hidden underneath. I leaned down and pulled it out.

The suitcase from that morning.

My hands shook as I opened it. Inside, there was only a single note:

“At the library within 80 breaths.”

SHE/HER

Color smeared across the scenery outside—layers of lines, shades, and shadows. The mountains and the huge mansion held their shape well enough for her to study them from the car window.

This was her new school. The private academy she’d been accepted into for reasons she still didn’t understand. It looked pretty from a distance, but she already sensed its cracks would show once she got closer.

The parking lot was almost empty, with only a few cars scattered around—most likely the teachers’. They looked expensive. Of course they did; it was an elite school. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that her acceptance letter had been a mistake, intended for someone else.

The mansion stretched wide and tall, its inner courtyard surrounded completely by the building. It reminded her of The Secret Garden—peaceful in theory, eerie in execution.

The car that dropped her off didn’t linger. The driver hardly helped with her luggage, and if she’d moved any slower, he might’ve driven away with her suitcase still in the trunk.

Inside, the air felt heavy. Her climb to the assigned room was brutal—four floors up narrow, steep staircases that seemed older than the school itself. The view from each landing was beautiful, but dragging her luggage ruined any chance she had to appreciate it.

Her room was small but cozy—just enough space to study, change, sleep, and maybe sit on the floor if she wanted to think. Oddly enough, it felt more welcoming than the rest of the campus. She opened the window to let in some air. The sky was a deep blue, softening into baby blue at the horizon.

That was when she saw him.

A figure stood on the nearest tower, wearing a long coat and holding a suitcase. His silhouette looked strange—old-fashioned, like someone pulled straight out of another century. For a moment, she wondered if exhaustion was playing tricks on her.

But panic rose in her anyway.

Without thinking, she pushed the window open and shouted, “Don’t move! Please don’t do anything reckless! Stay there—I’ll get help!”

Before she could reach for her phone, he turned toward her and smiled. A warm, gentle smile that didn’t match the situation at all.

Then he jumped.

She gasped and leaned out the window, heart hammering. She wasn’t even sure what she expected to see below—his body? A miracle? Anything? But the worst possibility waited for her at the base of the tower.

There was nothing. No one.

The rest of the day drifted past in a fog. She couldn’t focus on anything, not even the fact that she’d arrived at 4 AM and had been thrown into paperwork only two hours later. Her mind kept replaying the tower, the smile, the fall. She kept wondering if she had imagined him entirely.

By her last class—literature—she was half-asleep and running on fumes. Then the heavy clunk of boots echoed in the hallway, sharp enough to snap her awake. She looked up.

A figure in a long coat stepped inside, calm, steady, confident. His smile was exactly the same as before.

It was him.

By the time she returned to her room, her thoughts were spinning. She dropped onto the bed, but her heel knocked against something hidden underneath. She crouched down and pulled it out.

The suitcase from that morning.

Her hands trembled as she opened it. Inside was only a single note:

“At the library within 80 breaths.”