The Beginning,

Dear Readers,

I'm Thara Elowen.

If you have ever wondered about love and found yourself asking questions like these:

How does love even exist in this world? What does love truly mean? Can love be explained in words, or must it be experienced? How do I know when I am genuinely in love? Is love a feeling, a choice, or both? Can someone become my home without being related to me? Why does everyone describe love differently? Is love always supposed to be easy? Can love exist without trust? Do all love stories need a happy ending to be meaningful?

Then this book is for you.

........................

The night was painted in shades of blue and silver beneath the moonlight. The air felt soft and calm, carrying a gentle breeze through the silence.

I stood before him, my white dress swaying lightly.

He looked at me.

The reflection of the moon shimmered in his eyes, stealing every word he seemed ready to say.

Slowly, he stepped closer.

"You look like a dream," he whispered.

A shy smile appeared on my lips.

He reached for my hand.

Warm.

Trembling.

Real.

His fingers intertwined with mine, and something unspoken bloomed between us.

My breath caught.

The world slowed until all I could hear was my heartbeat.

His hand tightened around mine ever so slightly.

"It feels like I've held your hand before," he murmured.

Heat rushed to my cheeks.

"I wish this could be real," I whispered.

He held my hand gently, our fingers fitting together as though they belonged there—as though we were two pages from the same story finally meeting.

For the first time, the night didn't feel cold.

It felt like home.

Then everything began to fade.

The moonlight dissolved.

The air disappeared.

The world around us slowly vanished.

Suddenly, a loud voice shattered the silence.

"Tharaaa! Wake up!"

I opened my eyes.

He was gone.

The dream had disappeared like mist in the wind.

A small smile formed on my lips.

"I'll meet you one day..." I whispered to myself.

I quickly got ready for college.

It was my first day, and being late was the last thing I wanted.

After rushing to catch the bus, I finally arrived on time.

Relieved, I entered my classroom and took a seat on the fourth bench.

The seat beside me was empty.

For some reason, that made me feel a little lonely.

A few minutes later, the class began.

The classroom door opened, and a woman walked in with calm confidence.

She was dressed professionally and carried a folder along with several books. Her appearance reflected both elegance and discipline, while her composed expression immediately commanded the attention of the room.

Reaching the front of the classroom, she greeted everyone with a polite smile.

"Good morning, everyone. I am your class advisor, and I look forward to working with all of you this academic year."

After briefly explaining the subject and classroom expectations, she looked around the room.

"Before we begin, I'd like each of you to introduce yourselves. Tell us your name, your interests, and a little about yourself."

One by one, students stood and introduced themselves.

Eventually, her gaze landed on me.

"Your turn."

My heart instantly skipped a beat.

Slowly, I stood up and walked to the front of the class.

My palms felt sweaty.

My heartbeat grew louder with every step.

Taking a deep breath, I began.

"Hello, everyone. My name is Thara Elowen, but you can call me Thara. I'm from the main town, and I'm happy to meet all of you."

As I finished speaking, a knock echoed through the classroom.

Knock. Knock.

Everyone turned toward the door.

The classroom door opened.

A young man stepped inside, slightly out of breath from rushing.

Dark, tousled hair framed his sharp features, while a calm yet confident expression remained on his face despite arriving late.

Dressed in a neatly pressed light-colored shirt, he carried himself with effortless elegance.

The entire classroom fell silent.

The teacher folded her arms.

"You're late."

"I'm sorry, ma'am," he replied politely.

Whispers immediately spread across the room.

Some students looked surprised.

Others couldn't stop staring.

Several girls exchanged excited glances, while even a few boys seemed impressed by his confident presence.

The teacher sighed.

"Since you've interrupted the class, why don't you introduce yourself?"

The young man nodded and turned toward everyone.

"My name is Ethan Everhart. I'm good at soccer. I hope we'll get along well."

It was a simple introduction.

Yet somehow, it was enough to fill the classroom with curiosity.

After receiving permission from the teacher, he walked toward an empty seat near the window.

Then he stopped.

The only vacant seat left was beside me.

My breath caught.

He pulled out the chair and sat down.

The moment he settled beside me, my heartbeat became impossible to ignore.

Lub-dub.

Lub-dub.

Lub-dub.

And for some reason...

it felt strangely familiar.

To be continued.....