Chapter 2:Delusion
1105 Words
The moment we stepped into the faculty courtyard, the air felt different.
Colder.
Heavier.
As if it were trying to wake me—brushing against my skin more harshly—but instead it made me feel even more vulnerable. Inside the building, everything had been noise and panic. Out here, the world was quieter—far too quiet compared to what had just happened.
Students were scattered across the yard in small groups. Some sat on benches, others stood near the trees; everyone was talking at once. The fountain beneath the statue in the center kept flowing, calm and indifferent.
I stopped walking.
My head still felt strange. Not exactly painful—just full. As if something inside was gently pressing, waiting.
Mabel: You’re still very pale.
Arinna: But I’m better.
I didn’t know why I said that. I didn’t feel better, but I didn’t want to explain something I couldn’t even understand myself.
Mabel guided me toward a bench beneath a large tree.
Mabel: Sit. Please.
I sat.
For a few seconds, I focused on my breathing. In. Out. Slow. I tried to convince myself that what happened in class had a scientific explanation, that it was sudden and already over.
Then I turned my gaze to the left.
And my chest tightened instantly.
Near the fountain, standing slightly apart from the others, was someone I hadn’t seen in years.
At first, I thought my mind was playing another trick on me. After everything that had happened today, that wouldn’t have been surprising.
But then he turned his head.
And I recognized him.
Eren.
His name surfaced in my mind before I could stop it.
He looked different. More mature. Taller. His shoulders were broader, his posture more controlled. The softness of childhood had been replaced by something hard and measured. But his face—his face was unmistakable.
I stood up.
Mabel: Arinna?
I didn’t answer.
I took a step.
That’s when I noticed his hand.
His left hand was bandaged. Unevenly, as if it had been wrapped in a hurry. Pale stains of blood marked the fabric. He held it close to his body, barely moving it.
Without allowing myself to hesitate, I walked toward him.
He was speaking with another student, his expression neutral. Then he turned.
Our eyes met.
For a brief moment, recognition flickered across his face.
Then it vanished.
His expression closed—polite but distant. Like a door shutting softly, yet firmly.
I stopped a few steps away.
Arinna: Eren.
He looked at me again, as if making sure I was really there.
Eren: Yes?
Just that.
He didn’t say my name.
Didn’t look surprised.
I swallowed.
Arinna: I didn’t expect to see you here.
A brief pause. His jaw tightened—just slightly.
Eren: Neither did I.
The words were neutral. Automatic.
Arinna: It’s been a long time.
Eren: It has.
No how are you.
No where have you been.
I searched his face for something familiar. Something that might crack.
It didn’t.
My gaze drifted to his hand.
Arinna: Your hand… I saw it. Are you okay?
For a moment, his eyes followed mine to the bandage. He flexed his fingers slightly—then stopped.
Eren: It’s nothing serious.
His lips pressed together. A controlled breath.
Eren: I’m fine.
Not sharp.
But final.
I hesitated, then spoke anyway.
Arinna: You don’t have to sound like that. I was just asking.
His eyes flicked to mine—briefly. Something unreadable passed through them.
Eren: I know.
A pause stretched between us.
Arinna: So… you’re studying here now?
Eren: Yes.
One word. Carefully chosen. Carefully closed.
I nodded slowly, more to myself than to him.
Arinna: I’m glad you’re okay.
That earned me a longer look. Almost searching.
Almost.
Then whatever it was disappeared.
Eren: I need to go.
He stepped past me.
Eren: Take care, Arinna.
And then he was gone.
Just like that.
No hesitation.
No pause.
No looking back.
I stood there, frozen. I felt something heavy settle in my chest. It wasn’t anger. Not exactly heartbreak either.
It was disappointment.
The quiet kind.
I turned and walked back to the bench.
Mabel watched my face carefully.
Mabel: Childhood history?
Arinna: Looks like it stayed in childhood.
She didn’t comment.
I sat down again, staring at the ground as I tried to collect my thoughts. I told myself it wasn’t important. People change. Time passes.
Still, the ache inside me didn’t fade.
Then I felt it.
That familiar sensation.
Someone was watching me.
Slowly, I lifted my head.
At the far end of the courtyard, near the iron fence, stood the man from the classroom.
He was leaning against a stone pillar, arms crossed over his chest, his posture relaxed. From a distance, he looked ordinary. Easy to overlook.
Except for his eyes.
His eyes were fixed directly on me.
Not casually.
Deliberately.
My pulse quickened.
I didn’t look away.
Neither did he.
The sounds of the courtyard seemed to dim, the space between us thickening. Under his gaze, I felt far too exposed, as if he could see things he wasn’t meant to see.
Arinna: Mabel?
Mabel: Yes?
Arinna: Do you see the man by the fence?
She followed my gaze.
Mabel: The one leaning against the wall?
I let out a slow breath.
Arinna: Never mind.
My eyes drifted back to him.
At that moment, someone stepped up beside him.
A woman.
She was tall, with sharp features; her movements were quick and tense. Suddenly she grabbed his arm, her fingers digging into the fabric of his jacket. Her mouth moved rapidly, her voice low but filled with urgency.
The man stiffened.
Their exchange was clearly heated. His jaw clenched, his posture turning rigid as he responded. The woman shook her head, tightening her grip.
This wasn’t an ordinary argument.
It was serious.
Urgent.
There was fear in her movements.
Then—
She looked at me.
Just once.
And the expression on her face changed.
Not curiosity.
Not indifference.
Alarm.
The pressure behind my eyes surged suddenly—sharp and unbearable. The courtyard tilted slightly, colors blurring at the edges.
I pressed my hands to the sides of my head.
Mabel: Arinna?
My breathing became shallow.
Mabel: What’s happening?
I tried to answer.
I couldn’t.
The man pulled his arm free from the woman’s grip.
Our eyes met again.
This time, there was something undeniable in his gaze.
As if he knew.
The ground beneath my feet wavered.
Mabel: Arinna—!
My knees gave out.
The last thing I felt was the cold stone beneath my palms.
Then darkness swallowed everything.
- Writer
