When the Sun End

Chapter 3: The First Conversation

The next few days passed in a blur, but one thing remained the same—Aeris kept noticing Lucian.

She noticed how he preferred sitting alone, always by the window. How he never laughed at the things other guys did. How he watched people, like he was studying them.

And, for some reason, how he always seemed to cross paths with her.

It was purely coincidence, she told herself, when she saw him sitting in the library again during lunch. He was alone, reading a book that looked as old as time itself.

Aeris hesitated, but curiosity won. She walked past him, heading toward the shelves, but before she could grab a book, he spoke.

"You like Camus?"

She turned, caught off guard. "What?"

Lucian held up the book in his hand. The Stranger. "You were staring at it."

Aeris bit her lip. "I wasn’t staring."

"You were."

She sighed, sitting down across from him without thinking. "I’ve read some of his works. They’re... complicated."

Lucian smirked. "That’s the point."

Aeris tilted her head. "You like books that make life seem meaningless?"

He leaned forward slightly, resting his arms on the table. "Not meaningless. Just... uncertain."

Something about the way he said it sent a chill down her spine—not in fear, but in intrigue.

"You’re a strange person," she admitted.

Lucian didn’t seem offended. In fact, he smiled. "So are you."