An Encounter That Defies Fate

Lucian's POV:

Standing by the window, my thoughts drifted to that new girl I had heard about earlier from my friends. It was unusual—I wasn't one to fixate on anyone, especially someone I hadn't even seen yet. But from the moment my friends had mentioned her, she'd occupied my thoughts in an unexplainable way.

All day, through classes and on the combat field, my mind kept trailing back to her. No matter how I tried to push the thought away, her presence lingered in my head, an uninvited distraction I couldn't seem to shake. Why was I even thinking about her?

Zane and Ryker were sitting on the other side of the room, talking about something trivial, but I wasn't listening. My gaze was fixed on the world outside, trying to make sense of the inexplicable pull I felt toward her.

"Lucian, you're barely paying attention, man," Ryker said, his voice snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah, what's got you so distracted?" Zane added, leaning back in his chair, looking at me with an amused expression.

I grunted, unwilling to admit that the girl had completely hijacked my mind. I turned my attention back to the window, my eyes scanning the campus grounds.

I wasn't sure what I was searching for, but there was an undeniable urge to see her, to understand why she had become such a focal point in my thoughts.

As if on cue, I caught a glimpse of something—or rather, someone—standing on the balcony of one of the rooms in the North Dormitory, where the air elementals were housed. My heart skipped a beat. There she was, that new girl, standing at the balcony with a faint, almost ethereal glow surrounding her in the dim light.

Zane and Ryker, sensing my shift in attention, both leaned over to look out the window, following my gaze.

"That's her, right?" Zane asked, squinting as he tried to get a better look at her.

I didn't answer immediately, my focus solely on the girl. She was looking in our direction, as though sensing our eyes on her, but the night was too dark to make out any details of her face. I could barely see the outline of her figure, but there was something magnetic about her stance, something that called to me.

"Yeah, that's the new girl," Ryker added, his voice carrying a hint of curiosity. "What's up with you, Lucian? You've been looking out that window for what feels like forever."

I didn't know how to respond, so I just stood there, rooted to the spot. There was something about her—something strange. I didn't know what it was, but it was undeniable.

My friends chatted amongst themselves, but I remained silent, staring out the window as if I were waiting for something to happen. She tried to look at me, but after a few moments, she seemed to retreat, disappearing from view. My heart sank slightly, a feeling of unspoken disappointment settling over me.

"Lucian, are we going to dinner or not?" Zane's voice broke through his reverie.

I finally tore my gaze away from the window. "Yeah, let's go," I muttered, though my mind was still on the girl.

We made our way to the mess hall. As me and my friends entered the mess hall, a familiar hush fell over the room. The students' eyes turned toward us, a mix of awe and curiosity written on their faces, but I wasn't paying attention to them.

My mind was still locked on the girl—the new girl—whose image refused to leave me. I scanned the room, hoping to catch another glimpse of her.

And then, there she was.

She was seated at one of the far tables, her back to me, but I couldn't tear my eyes away. The way she carried herself, the way she seemed unaware of the attention she was drawing—it was different from the other students.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

There was an elegance in her posture, a quiet strength that made her stand out, even when her back was turned.

I waited, barely breathing, until finally, she turned her face toward me. For a brief, fleeting moment, our eyes met.

My heart raced, and for a second, time seemed to slow. Her eyes were wide, like she had seen something unexpected, something that caught her completely off guard.

Before our eyes locked, she had been looking around as if searching for something—or someone. Then, as if her gaze had finally found what it was seeking, it met mine.

I didn't understand why, but her reaction made something shift in me. There was a strange pull in the air between us, something unspoken and heavy.

Her beauty struck me instantly. I had seen many beautiful girls in my life—royalty, noblewomen, and commoners alike—but none of them had this... presence.

She didn't look like a typical student. She was different, set apart by an aura that couldn't be ignored.

It wasn't just her appearance. It was her—her entire being—that had a quality that made her seem... almost royal.

"She's not like the others, is she?" Ryker's voice broke through my reverie, his tone unusually serious.

Zane, too, had noticed, his eyes narrowing as he leaned in. "Yeah, she has this... presence. Almost like she's a princess or something."

Ryker's gaze flickered back to me. "No girl has the audacity to meet your eyes like that, especially for so long. She's either fearless... or she doesn't know who you are."

Zane raised an eyebrow, watching me closely. "And you, Lucian... you're actually focused on her. What's so special about her?"

I didn't respond immediately, my mind still trying to make sense of the strange connection I felt. What was it about her that made my attention snap back to her over and over?

She had caught me off guard, and that feeling... that pull in the air... it lingered. It wasn't like anything I had ever experienced.

My thoughts swirled. Princess? Could that be it?

The idea stayed with me, nagging at my mind. I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to her than met the eye.

Something about the way she carried herself, the way her eyes had widened when they locked with me—it was like she had been expecting something. Or perhaps even sensing something she couldn't understand.

I shook my head, trying to dismiss the thoughts that were swirling too quickly in my mind.

She was just another student, wasn't she?

Yet, something inside me whispered that she wasn't. Something about her was different—and I had a feeling that, no matter how hard I tried to ignore it, this would be the start of something that would change everything.

As my thoughts continued to spiral around the mysterious girl, I barely noticed someone approaching from behind until a voice rang out, cutting through my reverie.

"Lucian!"

I turned, my eyes narrowing slightly as I recognized the voice. It was none other than Celeste, my on-and-off girlfriend. She had an undeniable confidence about her, a presence that demanded attention, but at that moment, my mind was still elsewhere.

Celeste had a tendency to appear at the most inopportune times, and her bright, expectant smile now seemed to clash with the thoughts I was having.

She stopped in front of me, her arms crossed casually, as if they were picking up a conversation from just moments ago. "You're awfully quiet today, Lucian. Did something happen?"

I forced a smile, trying to push my thoughts of the new girl aside. "Nothing, just lost in thought."

But even as I spoke, my gaze shifted, almost involuntarily, back toward the girl. She was still sitting at the same table, but this time, her back was fully turned to me. Her posture had changed—she was tense, like she was upset about something.

The way her shoulders slumped slightly, her head lowered just enough to suggest disappointment—it was subtle, but I noticed it instantly.

She seemed... troubled.

Something in me stirred. Why was she upset? What had happened in such a short time?

My attention wavered again as Celeste continued speaking, her voice light and full of energy. "You've been acting strange lately. Maybe it's time we..." She trailed off as she noticed my distracted demeanor.

I wasn't listening anymore. My focus was entirely on the girl. I could sense her emotions from where I stood, a deep, unexplainable tug pulling at me.

Something about her sadness intrigued me. I couldn't shake the feeling that it had something to do with me. Why had she looked at me like that earlier?

"You're really not paying attention, are you?" Celeste's voice snapped me back to the present, her tone now tinged with a slight annoyance.

I blinked, my eyes still flickering toward the girl, who had now shifted her gaze downward as if she didn't want to be seen. I tore my gaze away, feeling the weight of Celeste's stare.

"I'm sorry, Celeste," I muttered, though my mind was still elsewhere.

She huffed, clearly not convinced. "Whatever," she said, rolling her eyes. "Just don't let it interfere with our dinner, okay?"

I nodded absently, but I could barely focus on anything as I glanced back toward the girl. There was something about her—a mystery, a pull that was both alarming and strangely captivating.

I couldn't quite explain it, but my curiosity about her was only growing.

And as I watched, I saw her turn away, disappearing into the shadows of the dormitory hallway.

What was it about her? What made her stand out so much, even amidst all the noise of the mess hall?

My thoughts spiraled as I stared at the empty space she had just occupied. The strange feeling in the pit of my stomach was undeniable.

She was a mystery—a puzzle that was just waiting to be solved.

And for the first time in years, I was eager to discover the answer.