"Let's drink!" someone called out, handing Ryaan a bottle.
He barely reacted, eyes still on the door.
He was waiting.
The party lights flashed over laughing faces and loud music, but his focus stayed fixed — until he saw her.
Kaisi entered first, grinning wide, her energy as bright as always.
Addie followed beside her, silent. Dressed in a simple white short dress, hair down, eyes low. As if she wasn't sure she belonged here.
Ryaan's expression softened instantly. He walked straight to her.
"You look beautiful," he said, his voice low as he pulled her into a hug.
She hesitated, then hugged him back.
"You missed me?" she asked playfully, trying to tease — just a little.
Before he could answer, one of his friends coughed loudly, stepping between them. "Ahem! Guys, I'm here. Maybe wait till after the party to start the honeymoon?"
They laughed.
Ryaan didn't let go of Addie's hand. He pulled her closer, pointing to the night sky.
"Look at the stars. Aren't they beautiful?"
"More than me?" Addie raised an eyebrow, teasing him again.
He smiled. "Not even close."
She smiled back.
But it didn't last long. Her fingers brushed against the pendant in her pocket — the feather. It pulsed faintly, almost warm.
She looked up at Ryaan. "I'll be back in a bit."
Before he could respond, she turned and walked out quickly into the night.
---
The old church wasn't far. Just five minutes from campus, down a quiet lane where yellow leaves carpeted the ground and the streetlights barely worked. No one really went there anymore — except old people… or people running from noise.
For Addie, it had always been the one place where her thoughts didn't scream.
She pushed the heavy wooden door open. It creaked like always.
Inside, the space was dim, filled with the soft flicker of candlelight. Dust hung in the air, floating like ash.
Near the front, a man in a grey robe was sweeping the floor.
"Father Daniel?" Addie called softly.
He turned and smiled gently. "Addie. It's been a while."
She walked slowly down the aisle, the feather clutched in her hand.
"Can I talk to you?"
"Of course, child."
They sat on an old wooden pew near the altar. The silence between them wasn't uncomfortable — just heavy.
After a pause, Addie opened her hand and showed him the feather.
"Does this mean anything to you?"
Father Daniel leaned forward, examining it. His smile faded slightly.
He didn't answer right away.
Finally, he asked, "Where did you find this?"
"In the garden. But… I've been seeing it in my dreams for years. It's always there. And there's a little girl. And a man with silver eyes."
The priest looked at her closely.
"Do you believe in other worlds, Addie?" he asked softly.
She blinked. "You mean like Heaven?"
"No," he said quietly. "I mean… before Heaven. Beyond Earth. Realms that exist but can't be seen with human eyes."
She didn't reply.
Because deep down, something inside her already believed it.
He went on. "Some children are born carrying traces of where they came from. A past life. A sealed memory. Sometimes, the soul remembers what the body forgets."
Addie stared at him, her voice low. "Are you saying I've lived before?"
"I'm saying… you may not be who you think you are."
Her throat tightened.
Suddenly, the candle beside them flickered — violently.
Addie glanced down. On her wrist, something shimmered. A faint golden mark — shaped like a wing. It glowed for a second, then vanished.
She gasped, quickly tugging her sleeve down.
But Father Daniel had seen it too. His eyes widened, but he didn't panic.
"Have you told anyone else about your dreams?" he asked.
She shook her head. "No."
"Keep it that way," he said calmly. "Not everyone would understand."
---
What he said stayed with her long after she left.
She stepped out of the church feeling colder than when she had entered. The clouds above were heavier now — as if they had heard everything.
The wind whispered through the trees, carrying silence like a warning.
And deep in her chest… something bloomed.
Not anger. Not sorrow. Something quieter. Something darker.
Fear.
---
Later that night, back in her dorm room, Addie sat on her bed with the feather resting on her palm.
She stared at her wrist. The mark hadn't come back. Her skin looked normal.
But she knew she hadn't imagined it.
She closed her eyes.
And then… the little girl's voice echoed once more in her mind.
"I miss you more than the stars, Mommy…"