PROLOGUE
The university cafeteria was exactly as it always was, a chaotic symphony of clinking coffee cups, panicked debates over assignment deadlines, and the heavy hum of campus life. But for one split second, the background noise completely muted.
Mia froze, her fingers tightening around her tea cup.
Through the crowded aisle, near the corner table, stood someone who completely derailed her train of thought. He was tall, effortlessly sharp, and carried himself with an aura that practically demanded a camera crew. Her jaw dropped slightly. No way, she thought, her designer's eye instantly cataloging the perfect drape of his jacket and the way his hair fell with effortless precision. He looked exactly like the lead actor from her absolute favorite show. It was uncanny, the low-key intense vibe, the silhouette, everything.
Before her brain could even process the urge to point him out to someone, the midday rush shifted. A group of students blocked her view, and just like that… he was gone. Like a literal ghost. Or a very vivid hallucination brought on by a severe lack of sleep and too many late-night design drafts.
She spent the next few weeks casually scanning the campus crowds, half-convinced she had imagined him entirely. But he never showed up again.
Eventually, she gave up looking. He was just a random, beautiful winter memory from her second year. A fleeting glitch in her daily routine.
Or so she thought.
