"she messaged me before she disappeared"

Alex was not someone who talked much. He preferred silence and often kept to himself. Even in a crowded room, he was the kind of person who stayed quiet, observing everything but rarely becoming a part of it. Conversations never came easily to him. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to talk—he just never knew what to say. A few weeks ago, he had moved to Glasgow for college. It was supposed to be a fresh start—a new city, new people, new opportunities. But things didn’t change the way he expected. The city was lively and full of people. The streets were always busy, the lights were always bright, and life seemed to move fast around him. Students laughed together, friends walked in groups, and couples spent time in cafés. Yet somehow, in the middle of all that life, Alex still felt alone. His routine was simple— classes during the day and long hours on his phone at night. Every morning, he woke up, got ready, and went to college. He sat through lectures, took notes, and listened carefully. He was a good student—always focused, always disciplined. But when the class ended, things changed. While others stayed back to talk, laugh, or make plans, Alex quietly packed his bag and walked out. No one stopped him. No one noticed. And maybe… he was used to that. By the time he reached his room, the silence returned. No messages. No calls. No one asking, “How was your day?” So he did what he always did. He picked up his phone. Scrolling had become his escape. Social media, random videos, messages that were never meant for him—it helped pass the time. It made the silence feel less heavy. Sometimes, hours would pass, and he wouldn’t even realize it. That night was no different. His room was dark, and the only light came from his phone screen. Outside, the city was still awake, but inside his room, everything felt still. Alex lay on his bed, scrolling without much interest, just trying to pass the time. He didn’t expect anything unusual. He didn’t expect anything to change. But then… A message appeared. An unknown number. Alex frowned slightly and sat up. It was rare for him to receive messages, especially from numbers he didn’t recognize. For a second, he thought it might be some kind of spam or a mistake. Still, something made him open it. The message read: “Hi… do I know you?” He stared at the screen for a moment, confused. “Probably a wrong number,” he thought. It made the most sense. Maybe someone typed the wrong number. Maybe it wasn’t even meant for him. He almost ignored it. Almost. But instead, he typed a reply—slowly, carefully. “No. Who are you?” He sent the message and waited. A few seconds passed. Nothing. He locked his phone and placed it beside him, thinking that was the end of it. But then, his phone lit up again. A reply. He quickly picked it up. The message said: “Maybe… someone you were meant to meet.” Alex’s fingers froze. That didn’t sound like a normal reply. It wasn’t what someone would say after texting a wrong number. That sounded… different. Strange. Almost like something out of a story. He read the message again. And again. Trying to understand what it meant. Was this a joke? Was someone playing with him? Or was this person serious? Alex leaned back against the wall, still staring at his phone. He didn’t believe in destiny or random connections. He had always been practical—logical. Things happened for a reason, but not like this. Not through random messages from unknown numbers. And yet… For some reason, this message felt different. He couldn’t explain it. It wasn’t just curiosity. There was something about the way the message was written—something that made him pause, something that made him think. His mind told him to ignore it. “Just a stranger,” he thought. “Not important.” But his heart didn’t agree. He stared at the chat again. Should he reply? Or should he just ignore it and move on? It would be easy to ignore. He could put his phone aside, close his eyes, and forget about it by morning. That’s what he usually did with things that didn’t matter. But this time… it didn’t feel that simple. For a second, he placed his phone down. He turned to the other side, trying to sleep. But his mind kept going back to the message. “Maybe… someone you were meant to meet.” The words echoed in his head. He opened his eyes again. Picked up his phone. And looked at the screen. The chat was still there. Waiting. Maybe it was curiosity. Maybe it was loneliness. Or maybe… This was the first time in a long time that something unexpected had happened in his life. Something different. Something that made him feel… something. Alex took a deep breath. His fingers moved slowly over the keyboard. He didn’t know what to say next. But he knew one thing. He didn’t want to ignore this. Not yet. Not this time. Alex started typing again. That night… Something had quietly changed.