Armin

DANIELA

My third year at university was my first taste of true solitude. I’d wanted to rent, but my parents insisted on buying the apartment. It was their non-negotiable condition for letting me leave our small town.

I agreed. Frankly, I was relieved. The alternative was a part-time job just to afford rent. This way, I could actually focus on my degree.

I was close. And in a town like Percy—a place that had once been a kingdom, where the air itself seemed to whisper of old secrets—a little quiet was exactly what I needed. The last few months had been peaceful.

I hoped it stayed that way. All I wanted was my freedom, my degree, and my friends.That was it.

ALEX

It was almost dark by the time I trudged home from the Center. Difficult clients. All I wanted was a cigarette, a scotch, and a shower.

I usually smoked on the walk, but tonight the wind snatched at every match. Giving up, I finally got inside, took that first deep drag—and noticed the voicemail.

From an old friend. The kind you once called a brother.

“Hi Alex. I’ve got a favor. Remember the Griece family? Decent people, always close to the Royals. Their daughter’s in Percy now, studying psychology. They’d appreciate if you kept an eye on her. Keep her safe. And Alex… be discreet. Bye.”

A babysitting job. For some sheltered princess. I liked the Grieces, respected them, but this? I stubbed the cigarette out, hard. The shower didn’t wash the irritation away. Susanne and Rob were good people. I’d known them since I was a kid. Never met their daughter.

Fine. I’d check in. From a distance. No need to be friends. Just make sure she was okay.

The next day, I pulled her class schedule. She had a seminar with my old professor during a gap between my clients. Perfect.

I slipped into my old seat at the back of the lecture hall.

“What brings you back? Forget something?” My old professor didn’t even turn around.

“How’d you know it was me?”

He finally glanced back, tapping my shoulder. “No one else sits there. Stay after, tell me how you’re doing.”

“Can’t. Client meeting. But, do you know Daniela Griece?”

He gave me a long, curious look. “Fifth row, third from the left. Sharp. Quiet. She’ll make an excellent therapist. You two would complement each other. She’s got what you’re missing. And you might have something she needs.” Then he walked off to start his lecture.

I couldn’t let that last line go.

And when I saw her—she wasn’t what I expected. Not tall, not loud, not draped in arrogance. She wore light makeup, her hair in a messy bun, dressed in jeans and a hoodie, trying to be invisible. But she came from one of the most influential families in Apamnia. My own father used to seek their counsel.

Here she was, hiding in plain sight.

I left before the lecture ended. But all evening, my professor’s words echoed. She’s got what you’re missing. Daniela Griece was no longer a favor. She was a mystery, and I intended to solve her.

DANIELA

The first month of winter semester was over, and assignments were already piling up like the autumn leaves outside. I spent my days divided between the library and the campus café—my two safe havens. I was at my usual table, nursing a coffee and a stubborn headache, when an old friend slid into the seat across from me.

“Hello, stranger. Long time.”

“Peter?” I couldn’t hide my surprise. “What are you doing here? Is something wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. Just wanted to see how you’re settling in. Everything okay?”

Besides my parents, Peter was the only one who knew what I really was. He’d always been my shadow, my protector.

“Just the usual. Lots of studying.”

“Made any friends? Or… a boyfriend?” He winked.

I shook my head, smiling faintly. “Just friends.”

I started to speak, then stopped, waving a hand as if to erase the thought.

“Ah! So there is someone,” he said, leaning in.

“No. Not really. He doesn’t even know I exist. I don’t even know if he’s a student or a teacher. And it doesn’t matter—it’d be a distraction. He’d probably just break my heart.”

“Maybe he’d surprise you. But it’s your call. Just… follow your heart sometimes, Daniela. Not everything has to be a strategic decision.”

I nodded silently.

“If you ever need to talk—about anything—I’m here.” He stood to leave. “Say hi to your parents for me.”

“I will. Thanks, Peter.”

He was gone, and I was alone again with my coffee and my foolish heart. How could I be so drawn to a man I’d never spoken to? Lately, he was everywhere. Buried in books, serious-faced, with perpetually messy hair that made me want to smooth it down. If he was a teacher, he was the kind who made you think. If he was a student, he was probably arrogant.

Maybe it was better if we never spoke.

ALEX

After a while, I knew all her patterns. Her favorite table, her study hours, the way she tucked her hair behind her ear when she was concentrating.

That day, she was in the café again when a man approached her table. They knew each other well. With him, her posture changed—shoulders relaxing, a real smile. It hit me then:She’s from Apamnia. She has a gift, like all of us.That’s why her parents wanted a watcher. Living with a secret like that was its own prison. For a moment, I felt a pang of genuine sympathy.

I finished my cigarette and headed inside for coffee just as her companion was leaving. She sat alone, head in her hands. In pain. I could feel the ache radiating from her. Before I could stop myself, I was at her table.

“Migraine?”

Her head snapped up, cold gray eyes locking with mine. Instantly, I knew I’d been too blunt.

“Excuse me?” Then, a flicker of recognition. Did she know me?

“Your head. You looked like you were in pain. Can I get you some water?”

She shook her head, already gathering her things. I’d spooked her.

“No, thank you. I’m fine. I— I have to go. Sorry.” She grabbed her bag and fled.

And just like that, I wanted to know her more. Fragile, but fierce. She was waking something in me I hadn’t felt in years.

DANIELA

What just happened?

My mind raced as I hurried away from the café. He wasn’t supposed to notice me—not like that. How did he see through me so easily? Panic, sharp and familiar, tightened my chest.

I made it back to my apartment and stepped straight into the shower, letting the hot water pound the fear away for a solid half hour.He was just being polite. He couldn’t possibly know.

After a few days, I’d almost convinced myself it was nothing. I hadn’t seen him anywhere. Then I literally walked into him in the library.

His hands shot out, firm on my arms, steadying me.“I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you there.” My voice was a breathless whisper. I knew him instantly.

He smiled, his brown eyes warm. “It’s fine. No harm done. You okay?”

“I’m fine. Thanks. And… sorry again.” He held me a second longer than necessary before letting go. I sank into the nearest chair, my legs unsteady.

What is happening to me?I can’t let this get into my head. He’s not interested. Not like that. And I’ve got enough trouble already. He could have anyone. Why would he look twice at me?Even if he did, it would only end in heartbreak. I need to forget him.

ALEX

She literally fell into my arms.

I’d finally caught a break after days packed with new clients at the Center. I knew she’d be in the library, just not in this aisle. I was browsing for myself when she drifted in, scanning the shelves, utterly lost in her own world.

I wondered when she’d notice me.She didn’t.

Head turned, she walked straight into my chest. My hands shot out on instinct, catching her. She blushed when she apologized. A flush of pink that made my breath catch,and then she was gone, vanishing between the bookshelves.