The next morning, the sun was dim.
"Is it going to rain?"
She wondered...
Cleaning the bookshelves.
Stacking books. But her mind,
Ronan. It was always him.
I wonder... then a book:
"I HATE HIM. BUT I END UP WITH HIM."
She picked it up.
"Maybe..."
Then after work, she went in to see him.
Ronan.
"Welcome, Leyla."
He'd been waiting for her, a single rose on her table.
"There. That table is always reserved for you now."
She looked at it, surprised.
Small.
"That's so sweet... thank you."
Ronan smiled.
"You know, maybe that rose will accompany you while you read today."
Then, he sat in front of her.
The coffee was warm.
His eyes, warmer.
"Leyla... I really admire you."
His hand was close to hers. Almost touching.
Yet Leyla didn't pull back.
"Last spring... you took your first step into my café. You looked lost.
As if you were searching for something."
Leyla looked at him.
"Tell me more... What was I doing last spring? I don't remember."
Ronan's eyes widened.
"You were..." he paused.
Leyla looked at him. "What? Do you know the answer?"
Ronan smiled, holding her hands.
"I've been working here for the past three years.
I've seen a lot..."
"I even know your favorite book.
Last Spring, right?"
Leyla gasped. "H-how..."
"I've had a crush on you ever since you stepped in, Leyla..."
Leyla gazed at him. Enclosed in that warmth.
"Yes..." her lips parted.
"Let's go out together..."
Ronan smiled, pulling her hands closer,
And kissed them.
"Thank you... I'll make you happy. I promise."
But somehow, deep in Leyla's heart.
It was heavy.
It hurt.
It wasn't happy.
"What is this feeling...?"
Then,
Lucian stood up.
Silva just watched him.
"Where are you going?"
Facing the other direction, without turning, he said.
"Looking for Maria."
Then he walked away.
Silva smiled.
Yet it didn't feel right.
Outside, Lucian was walking.
Drifting. Somewhere unknown.
"Lucian," Silva called.
"Don't play with your feelings.
You know what happens if you can't control it."
Lucian looked at her.
"Yes... I know..."
Then he stopped. Turned to her.
"Why are you watching me die?
What were you doing there?"
Her eyes began to glow.
And he saw it.
That day.
The day he died.
The truck hit him.
When he opened his eyes for the first time in the different world...
Everything was the same.
He saw a little girl.
Silver hair.
Long, levitating.
Sitting at the back of a truck.
Legs crossed.
A little girl.
Silva.
She welcomed him.
"Welcome to your new world," the little girl spoke,
Then she said softly,
"Don't be afraid, Lucian.
I'm here to guide you."
Then he looked around.
His body was there,
Lying on the ground.
Bleeding.
"Maria," he called.
He saw her.
She noticed him...
Yet she walked away.
Toward the car waiting in front of her.
She didn't look back.
Not even once.
"Maria..."
Silva's vision broke.
She couldn't watch Lucian
Break again and again
On that street corner.
Later, he found himself standing on top of a tall building.
Wind blew through her white hair, floating like threads of light.
She stood, looking at him, waiting.
At the top of the building...
Lucian stood in silence.
Then he asked softly,
"What happens... if I can't find peace?"
Silva didn't look at him.
Her white hair danced in the wind.
"You will be forever bound," she said.
"To the spring.
And to the café..."
Lucian clenched his jaw.
He asked again,
"What happens if I lose control of my feelings?"
Silva turned to him, her voice quiet.
"You will turn," she said.
"You will lose your form...
And become a demon."
"You will lose all your human sense.
You will turn into a monster."
"You will never love... or be loved.
Or worse..." she hesitated.
"You might start to kill
the ones you love."
Lucian looked at her, haunted.
Then Silva looked him straight in the eyes.
Her voice steady. Final.
"I promise you,
If that day ever comes..."
I will send you to the void itself."
"Then what about you?" he asked.
"How did you die?"
She looked ahead.
"I died a different way.
Unlike you, I'm not bound to anything."
"You died...
And you're still searching, still waiting.
So your soul—
It's bound to the memory.
Time date and place.
the spring, That café.
And her."
"But me..."
Her eyes glowed again.
She brought him back.
To when she was five.
Her life was perfect.
Born into a wealthy family.
A mother, a father. Riches.
But wealth comes with a price.
Her parents had enemies.
And one day... she was kidnapped.
They asked for money.
A good amount.
To return her safely.
Her father gave the money.
But then, they broke the promise.
Instead of giving her back, they sold her.
They sold her to another family
For twice the amount.
Her name was valuable.
She was valuable.
A white-haired girl.
Then chaos.
She got killed.
But before she died
She saw her father.
He was trying.
Truly trying to save her.
He failed.
But she didn't blame him.
She was grateful.
"Thank you, Dad,"
She said.
Then she brought Lucian elsewhere.
To a house.
A lively one.
There, a woman stood.
White hair just like hers.
But her eyes were different.
"That's my sister," Silva said.
"Because of me,
My father hired a bodyguard
To keep her alive.
To keep her safe.
And I'm grateful for that."
"Sometimes I come here.
Just to visit them.
To see what might've been.
What my future could've looked like,
If I had lived."
"I don't know what I'd look like grown up...
So I chose to look like her."
She smiled.
Looked at Lucian.
He just stood there.
Listening.
"I live like a normal girl here," she said.
"I play with kids... even though they don't see me.
I'm fine with that.
But sometimes, I feel like they can sense me.
Just a little."
"It gets lonely.
Especially when you've been here
For a hundred years, you know?"
"Lucian..."
"That's how I met you."
"You were little.
Fragile like a worm."
"When you were a baby,
I played with you.
I was there when you were born.
But you don't remember.
That's the law of this world."
"I watched you grow.
I watched you fall in love with Maria.
I saw her cheat on you.
It broke my heart...
But I couldn't do anything."
"And then,
One day,
She broke up with you."
"And when you died...
That's when you saw me."
Lucian's heart grew heavy.
His hands gripped the edge tightly.
Like he wanted to cry.
Or scream in anger.
But instead...
He took a step.
And let himself fall.
From that building.
Silva watched him.
She closed her eyes.
And whispered,
"No matter what you do, Lucian...
You will always end up at the café.
Your soul is bound.
Until you set yourself free."
"But when your heart is ready
Please..."
Back at the café...
The light was dim... already closing time.
No customers. No music.
Just Ronan, checking everything
Before going back.
Then he took off his apron.
Went to Table 24.
Eyes sharp on the glass.
"Hmm... looks like... you never touched it."
He smiled.
"Soon... I'll be able to see you."
To be continued...