Prologue: The Night Everything Almost Changed

I wasn’t expecting anyone at this hour.

The knock came suddenly, sharp against the quiet of my room.

It echoed louder than it should have, like it didn’t belong in the stillness.

My heart skipped.

For a moment, I just stood there, staring at the door, wondering if I had imagined it. No one ever came here this late. No one ever came looking for me.

Then it came again.

Knock. Knock.

Slowly, I walked to the door and opened it just a little.

“What are you doing here?”

Charles didn’t answer immediately. He just stood there, a small smile playing on his lips—like he knew something I didn’t.

Like he had been waiting for this.

Then he stepped inside, brushing past me as if he had every right to be there.

“I missed you.”

I blinked. Once. Twice.

My mind completely blanked.

“Huh?!”

He chuckled softly and poked my nose. “Gotcha.”

I frowned, trying to ignore the heat rising to my cheeks. “That’s not funny.”

“Maybe not to you,” he said lightly.

“I was hiding,” he added, glancing around my room like it belonged to him. “Kitchen duty. Long story.”

“At this hour?” I crossed my arms. “That sounds suspicious.”

“Relax,” he said, already dropping onto my bed. “I just needed somewhere to crash.”

He stretched like he had no worries in the world, like he wasn’t casually turning my entire night upside down.

“It’s okay… make yourself at home,” I muttered under my breath.

His eyes landed on the book beside me.

“Studying?” he asked, picking it up before I could stop him.

“H-hey! That’s—” I rushed forward and grabbed it. “It’s my journal.”

“You write?” He raised a brow, clearly amused. “Didn’t know that.”

“It’s personal.”

“Alright,” he said, lifting his hands slightly. “Didn’t mean to invade.”

I hugged the journal to my chest, my fingers tightening around it.

For a second, I wondered how much he had seen.

He smiled faintly, like he noticed my reaction but chose not to comment.

“Your room suits you… it’s quiet.”

I looked away. “Do you want something to drink?”

“Lemon soda, if you have it.”

I nodded quickly, grateful for the distraction, and grabbed one from my mini fridge, handing it to him.

“Thanks.”

Our fingers brushed.

Just for a second.

But it was enough.

My heart raced instantly, faster than it should have, faster than I could control.

He took a sip, completely unbothered, while I stood there trying to act normal.

And without meaning to…

I found myself staring.

The way he leaned back so comfortably. The way his hair fell slightly into his eyes. The way he looked like he didn’t care about anything—and yet somehow noticed everything.

“Hmm,” he said suddenly. “Are you staring at me?”

“N-no!”

He laughed. “Relax. I’m joking.”

“H-hey!” I threw a pillow at him, more embarrassed than annoyed.

He caught it easily, like he had expected it.

“Aww… that’s how you treat guests?”

“You should go,” I said quickly, turning away so he wouldn’t see my face.

“Or…” He leaned closer.

Too close.

Close enough that I could feel the shift in the air, the way everything suddenly became quieter, heavier.

“…I could stay.”

My breath caught.

“Charles…”

But he didn’t stop.

For once, he wasn’t teasing.

His eyes softened, and something in them changed—something I couldn’t quite understand, but couldn’t look away from either.

The space between us disappeared slowly… dangerously.

My heart pounded so loudly I was sure he could hear it.

Every second stretched longer than it should have.

And for a moment—

I didn’t want him to stop.

Then—

The door burst open.

“Warren! You’re the head cook, remember?!”

The sudden noise shattered everything.

We both froze.

Charles clicked his tongue and leaned back, clearly annoyed.

“Floyd,” he muttered.

I sat there, still frozen, my heart refusing to slow down, my thoughts tangled in something I didn’t know how to name.

Nothing felt the same anymore.

That night…

everything started to change.

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