It had been two days.
And he still hadn't come.
At first, I was angry.
Then confused.
Then… something worse.
Hurt.
Did he really not care?
Not even enough to say goodbye?
I had imagined this moment differently.
Him standing there.
Saying something—anything.
Stopping me… maybe.
But now—
he wasn't even here.
I woke up with that heaviness still sitting in my chest.
A mix of anger and sadness I couldn't separate.
But I didn't let it show.
Not today.
With a small, practiced smile, I said goodbye to my parents.
Mom hugged me tightly.
Dad placed his hand on my head.
"We won't call you during training," he said gently. "You need to focus."
I nodded.
"If I miss you…?"
"You can call," Mom smiled. "We'll always be there."
I didn't trust my voice enough to reply.
So I just nodded again.
And left.
The airport felt… louder than usual.
Or maybe my thoughts were just louder.
My flight was delayed by thirty minutes.
I stepped outside to the small park nearby.
The same place.
Where he said he'd come.
"I'll be there," he had said.
I waited.
Minutes passed.
Then more.
Nothing.
I exhaled slowly and sat down.
My guitar rested beside me.
My fingers moved without thinking.
Strings vibrating softly.
And then—
my voice followed.
"Why does it hurt me…Am I the only one such…Even though I know I can'tSee you anymore now on…"
My throat tightened slightly.
But I didn't stop.
"And you are not waitinganymore here for me…Going round and round…Would we ever be able…to have a new start…"
The last note lingered in the air.
Then faded.
Silence.
I felt it before I saw it.
A gaze.
Someone had been watching me.
A guy stood a few steps away.
Not clapping.
Not smiling.
Just… observing.
When I looked up, he walked over and sat beside me.
"That was… good," he said. "Really good."
I nodded slightly.
"Thanks."
He continued talking.
Compliments.
Questions.
Casual conversation.
But I wasn't really listening.
My eyes kept drifting to the entrance.
Still hoping.
Still waiting.
Nothing.
I checked the time.
Boarding.
"I have to go," I said quickly, grabbing my bag.
He said something—
but I was already walking away.
Five minutes later, I was inside.
Security. Boarding. Seat.
Everything happened too fast.
But just as I stepped toward the plane—
I heard it.
"Rose!"
I turned.
Quickly.
Heart racing.
No one.
Only strangers.
I frowned slightly.
"Hallucination," I whispered.
Or maybe…
wishful thinking.
I took my seat.
Closed my eyes.
Tried to shut everything out.
Then—
someone sat beside me.
I turned.
And froze.
It was him.
The same guy from the park.
"Hey," he smiled. "Looks like we're traveling together."
I forced a small smile.
"Yeah… looks like it."
We started talking.
Nothing serious.
Just enough to pass time.
"So," I asked, "why are you going to India?"
He leaned back casually.
"Training."
My fingers stilled.
"What kind of training?"
He smiled.
"An organization."
My heartbeat slowed.
"Which one?"
He looked at me.
Directly.
"Infinity."
A chill ran down my spine.
"That's strange," I said slowly. "I'm going for training too."
He raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
"Yeah," I continued. "But mine is with—"
I stopped.
Something felt wrong.
"…Aeternum Initiative."
Silence.
For the first time—
his expression changed.
Just for a second.
But I saw it.
Recognition.
Then—
it disappeared.
"Never heard of it," he said casually.
Too casually.
My stomach tightened.
Because I remembered something.
The message.
"We know about Steve."
And now—
two different names.
Two different organizations.
Same training.
Same destination.
That didn't make sense.
Unless—
they weren't different.
Or worse—
they were.
I looked at him again.
More carefully this time.
"Are you sure," I asked quietly,"that we're here for the same reason?"
He smiled.
But this time—
it didn't feel friendly.
"Are you?" he replied.
My breath caught.
Outside, the plane began to move.
Slowly.
Steadily.
No turning back.
And somewhere deep inside—
a thought formed.
This wasn't just a journey anymore.
It was a test.
And I had just stepped into it—
without knowing the rules.