—August 1st, 2025—

I took my second walk of the day through the local cemetery that evening, my black wired headphones plugged in as I listened to tarot videos on YouTube. I found comfort in tarot readings—not because they could predict the future, but because whatever resonated within them felt like a reflection of myself. I carried them everywhere, even downloading and splicing the files onto my phone to listen offline when Wi-Fi wasn't available.

For years now, I'd been contemplating ending it all. I was with someone I didn't really love, and it had been weighing on me for a long time. In another universe, perhaps I would have married her and had kids. But I'd had time to think about that, and it wasn't what I wanted. We shared none of the same interests. She thought my passions—gaming, anime, and manga—were vapid and mind-numbing at best. And for lack of a better description, she was completely mainstream.

The past few years had been routine: university courses and work as usual. No unusual injuries, though I occasionally felt a strange twinge in my hips that never amounted to anything. I just didn't think I was cut out for this human thing. On paper, I had it all—a girlfriend, education, job, and a rental. The average person would think I'd solved life. But deep down, and even on the surface, I knew this lifestyle wasn't for me.

I'd also spent these years studying the occult, conducting deep research off the beaten path. I'd visited libraries, scoured the city, and explored both the internet and dark web. I knew about ascension, the ubiquity of consciousness, of the treachery and evil behind the lying guise of governments—I knew things that would land others in psychiatric hospitals in an instant. Yet here I was, sane enough to maintain this ordinary life among normal people.

Little did I know, my life would change from this moment forward. Little did I know, I was right—I was meant for so much more.

We collided with a thud as our heads met and recoiled. When we looked up at each other, I was stunned. She was beautiful. Oddly enough, she resembled my girlfriend, sharing similar traits: blonde hair, blue eyes. But the girl before me was... infinitely more captivating. I felt drawn to her by some magnetic force. Her eyes were a lighter blue, like the turquoise oceans on resort brochures, so large and enchanting I could see my reflection in them. Her smile was perfect—wide and beautiful—with lips that curved just right. The proportions of her face couldn't have been off by even a fraction. Her messy bun contained the most pristine hair I'd ever seen. She was shorter than my girlfriend, perhaps 5'1", and leaner, though clearly healthy. She was simply perfect. I didn't even question these thoughts or their conflict with my current relationship; her presence seemed to sweep all that away.

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

Instead of the pain from our collision, all I felt was blood rushing to my face as my heart raced. For the first time in my life, I was speechless. She was speaking, but I couldn't hear her words.

She removed my headphones and asked if I was alright, saying it was funny we hadn't seen each other coming. Then she giggled—the sound of an angel. I might be an overweight otaku, but if this were an anime and she was a character in a slice-of-life romance, she'd be best girl without question, from start to finish and beyond.

I stammered an agreement and offered a nervous laugh. We stood there for several seconds, awkwardly alternating between looking away and meeting each other's gaze. She didn't seem repulsed or eager to leave. Why was she staying? Should I speak? Why did I feel this way when I had a girlfriend? Then it hit me:

I was falling in love with this girl.

"Soooo," she said awkwardly, her expression adorable. She definitely had a flair for the dramatic. Maybe she watched memes—that would be amazing. Despite what anyone might think, I wasn't letting her get away, at least not without knowing if she frequented this place.

"So, do you come here often?" I asked, unconsciously mirroring her tone.

"Mm yeah, I come here like once a day, maybe more when the weather's good. There's no better place to clear the mind, you know?"

She was perfect.

"What are the chances? I feel exactly the same way." I remembered the promise ring my girlfriend had given me for our third anniversary two years ago. Feeling suddenly self-conscious, I slipped my hands into my pockets, hoping she hadn't noticed.

"Married?" she asked.

She had noticed. "No, but..." I struggled to mention my girlfriend. I hated lying, even if I sometimes did so by omission to keep things running smoothly. "It's a promise ring," I admitted.

She studied me for a moment, as if trying to decode my vibe. Then she said something unexpected: "Well, if we both like walks and cemeteries, and if it's okay with your girlfriend"—she said this playfully—"why don't you meet me here tomorrow around the same time?"

"U-um," I stammered. Had she just asked to meet tomorrow? We didn't even know each other. Could she read my mind? My heart? Despite these questions, I decided to set them aside and clear my schedule. Something in my heart stirred, and if I knew anything about how the universe worked, it was that the heart leads the way, and everything else follows its beat. "Y-yeah, I would love that."

"Oh, you would, eh?" She gave me a knowing look, both weird and cute. "See you tomorrow then," she smiled as she walked past. As she passed, I caught a whiff of her scent—flowers. Cherry blossoms? Oh lord.

All I knew then was that I'd bumped into a mysterious girl who instantly connected with me. What I didn't know was that this was the beginning of the rest of my life with her. And that no one else would ever matter but her, forever.