CHAPTER FOUR_ The Name He Didn’t Know
1010 Words
Elowen arrived at her next lecture hall a few minutes early and chose a seat near the window. The natural light softened the room, making it feel calmer than the crowded corridors outside.
She placed her bag on the chair beside her and took out her notebook, flipping to a fresh page. Around her, students began to trickle in, some in pairs, others alone. A few greeted each other with easy familiarity, while others settled quietly into their seats.
Elowen remained focused on her own space.
She preferred it that way.
There was less to think about when she wasn’t trying to keep up with conversations or expectations she didn’t fully understand yet.
She wrote the date at the top of the page, her pen moving steadily.
The room gradually filled, voices blending into a low, steady hum.
The door opened again.
Sebastian walked in.
He didn’t belong to this class.
That much was obvious.
A few students immediately noticed him, whispers spreading quietly across the room.
“What is he doing here?”
“Isn’t he—?”
“He doesn’t take this course…”
Sebastian ignored all of it.
His gaze moved across the room once, searching without hesitation.
He found her almost immediately.
Near the window.
Exactly where he expected.
There was no uncertainty in the way he moved. He walked past a few empty seats and took one a short distance behind her, close enough to observe without drawing attention to himself.
Lachlan followed more slowly, stopping beside him with a look that was equal parts curiosity and disbelief.
“You’re actually staying?” he murmured.
Sebastian didn’t look at him. “Sit down.”
Lachlan let out a quiet breath but did as he was told.
The lecture began, and the room settled again.
Elowen focused on the professor, listening carefully as the syllabus was explained. She wrote down the important details, pausing occasionally to make sure she understood each point before continuing.
There was something deliberate about the way she worked.
Careful.
As if she couldn’t afford to miss anything.
—
Behind her, Sebastian tried to do the same.
Tried—and failed.
His focus kept shifting.
Back to her.
The way she sat.
The quiet rhythm of her writing.
The small, absent movement when she brushed her hair back from her face.
The way she paused slightly before writing certain points, as if making sure she understood everything clearly.
It was grounding.
Real.
Different from everything he was used to.
And for reasons he couldn’t quite explain, it held his attention.
Time passed quickly.
When the lecture ended, the room came back to life as students began packing their things and moving toward the door.
Elowen closed her notebook and slipped it into her bag before standing. She adjusted the strap on her shoulder, waiting a moment for the crowd ahead to thin before stepping into the aisle.
As she turned slightly—
She noticed him.
Just for a second.
Her gaze rested on him briefly, not with recognition, but with simple awareness. There was a faint crease in her expression, as if she was trying to place something that didn’t quite register.
Then the moment passed.
They moved toward the door at the same time, the space between them closing naturally as students filtered out of the room.
For a brief moment, they stood facing each other.
“Hi,” Sebastian said.
His voice was calm, unforced.
Elowen hesitated slightly, more out of surprise than anything else.
“Hello,” she replied.
Her tone was polite, steady.
Uncomplicated.
“You’re new,” he said.
“Yes.”
A short pause followed.
It wasn’t awkward, but it wasn’t inviting either. Elowen didn’t offer anything more, and Sebastian didn’t immediately continue.
There was nothing rehearsed about the moment.
No expectation.
Just a simple exchange that didn’t seem to hold any weight for her at all.
“I have to go,” she said gently.
And just like that—
She walked past him.
There was no hesitation in her voice, no apology, just a quiet certainty.
Sebastian remained where he was for a second longer than necessary, watching as she disappeared into the corridor.
Lachlan stepped up beside him, unable to hide his reaction this time.
“She just walked away from you.”
Sebastian exhaled slowly, his gaze following Elowen as she disappeared into the hallway.
“Yes,” he said quietly.
There was no frustration in his tone.
If anything, the moment had sharpened something.
Made him more interested.
Out in the corridor, Elowen slowed slightly.
The interaction lingered—not because of what had been said, but because of how it had felt.
There had been something deliberate in the way he looked at her and the way he spoke. Not forceful, not intrusive—just certain.
As if he had already decided to speak to her before the moment even happened.
She wasn’t used to that.
Most people hesitated. Or they tried too hard.
This had been neither.
She pushed the thought aside.
It didn’t matter.
She had more important things to focus on.
Behind her, however, the moment carried more weight than she realised.
From the far end of the corridor, three figures had seen everything.
Arabella’s expression darkened slightly, her arms folding across her chest.
Isla’s easy composure slipped, replaced by something sharper.
Celeste remained still, her gaze steady as she watched the space Elowen had just walked through.
“This isn’t random,” Isla said quietly.
“No,” Arabella replied. “It isn’t.”
Celeste’s voice was calm, but certain. “Then we deal with it early.”
That was enough.
Back near the classroom, Sebastian finally looked away from the corridor.
A faint smile touched his lips, subtle but unmistakable.
He still didn’t know her name.
But that wasn’t going to last.
And for the first time since arriving at Westbridge—
Elowen Hartley had been noticed in a way that wouldn’t fade quietly.
Whether she realised it or not…
Something had already begun.
- Writer
