THE FIRST ENCOUNTER
203 Words
Chapter 3: The First Encounter
A week later, Adrian walked along a quiet street, reviewing plans in his mind.
His first small business idea was already in motion.
Everything was going smoothly.
Too smoothly.
And that made him cautious.
As he passed by a roadside corner, something caught his attention.
Books scattered across the ground.
A girl knelt beside them, hurriedly trying to gather everything while people walked past her without a glance.
Adrian stopped.
For some reason—
He couldn’t ignore it.
He walked over and picked up one of the books.
“You dropped these,” he said calmly.
The girl looked up, slightly startled.
Her eyes were clear.
Honest.
“…Thank you,” she said with a small smile. “Most people just ignored me.”
Adrian paused.
There was no hidden motive in her expression.
No deception.
No calculation.
Just sincerity.
Something unfamiliar.
Something… real.
He handed her the last book.
“It’s nothing.”
She adjusted the books in her arms.
“I’m Elena Rivers,” she said.
Adrian hesitated for a brief second.
Then—
“Adrian Vale.”
She smiled again.
And for the first time since his rebirth—
Something in his chest felt… lighter.
- Writer
