Chapter 2
704 Words
Mira didn’t sleep much the first night.
The bed was soft, the room was warm, and the sheets smelled clean not like home, but fresh. Still, her body stayed tense, like it hadn’t realized she was somewhere new.
Somewhere safer.
She woke up early and sat on the edge of the bed for a long time before standing.
The apartment was quiet. She stepped out of her room slowly, barefoot, hoodie zipped up. She passed by Kairo’s door, which was closed, and kept her eyes forward.
The kitchen was sleek, just like the rest of the apartment. Black counters. Silver fridge. Everything in its place. She found the Wi-Fi password stuck to the fridge, just like he’d said, and a box of cereal on the counter. It wasn’t hers, so she didn’t touch it.
Instead, she made instant noodles with water from the kettle and sat at the small table, legs tucked under her. Her eyes scanned the apartment again, taking in every detail.
There were barely any signs of someone living here. No personal photos. No clutter. Just a few books, a black coat hung by the door, and a faint smell of something expensive maybe cologne or a candle. She wasn’t sure.
Her room was the only one that looked lived-in now, and even then, she hadn’t unpacked much. Just enough to get through the next few days. Her suitcase sat by the closet, still full.
You don’t settle when you might have to run again.
She finished her noodles, washed the cup, and went back to her room.
There was a folder on her desk. the one Isabel gave her. Mira opened it and flipped through: university map, class schedule, student card, emergency contact sheet. Her first day wasn’t until Monday, which gave her a weekend to breathe. Or pretend to.
She pulled out her phone and opened a new note, starting a to-do list.
— Buy groceries
— Get notebooks
— Memorize bus route to campus
— Stay invisible
She was halfway through planning what to cook when she heard footsteps. Slow ones.
She looked up just as Kairo walked into the kitchen. He hadn’t seen her yet.
He was wearing black joggers, a plain hoodie, headphones around his neck. He looked half asleep, hair messy, jaw sharp. He reached into the fridge, grabbed a bottle of water, and finally turned around.
Their eyes met.
He paused for a second. “You sleep okay?”
She nodded. “Yeah. Thanks.”
“Good.” He twisted the cap and took a drink. “Let me know if you need anything.”
He turned to leave, but then stopped.
“You’re starting at St. Vincent?”
She blinked. “Yes.”
“I’m guessing Isabel placed you in political science?” he asked casually.
Her eyebrows lifted. “How’d you know?”
He half-smiled. “She does that with all the international scholars. Makes them take something she thinks sounds stable.”
Mira gave a small shrug. “I didn’t mind. I just needed to get out.”
He nodded once. “Makes sense.”
And just like that, he was gone back down the hallway, his door closing behind him.
Mira stood there for a second, a little surprised. He hadn’t said much, but he wasn’t cold. Just quiet.
Still, something about him made her curious. Not just the silence but the way he looked like he was used to hiding behind it.
That night, she stayed in her room, reading and checking her class timetable. She didn’t hear much after dark. Just once, around midnight, she heard his voice on the phone.
Low. Calm. Speaking another language.
Then a name. She caught it clearly through the wall.
“Elena.”
Mira froze.
She didn’t know why that name made her heart skip.
She listened, but the rest of the call was too quiet to make out.
She turned off her light and got into bed, eyes wide open, staring into the dark.
She came to this city to be safe.
To be invisible.
To stay far away from danger.
But something told her Kairo Stone wasn’t just another rich student with a spare room.
He was hiding something, too.
- Writer
