Ashcroft University had a heartbeat of its own.
It pulsed through the rustle of pages in its ancient library, the distant hum of student voices under red-brick arches, the warm smell of espresso from the quad café. Even the wind felt intelligent here—cool and deliberate as it slid through the ivy-covered halls.
Arian Vale had always loved mornings on campus. He loved the feeling of being part of something bigger—something he could belong to.
But lately, he felt like a ghost in it all.
---
It started the moment he stepped into Room 3B.
Professor Aldren stood at the front, organizing lecture notes with his usual half-grumpy, half-brilliant scowl.
"You're early, Vale," he said without looking up. "Trying to make up for all the days you were emotionally absent?"
A few students chuckled.
Arian gave a small smile. "Trying something new."
He took his usual seat in the back—next to an empty chair that used to always, without fail, belong to Damon Rye.
That space had been theirs since the start of the semester. Damon would usually slide in late, smelling like cologne and leftover coffee, nudge Arian's arm, mutter a flirty insult, and drop his phone on the desk like he ruled the world.
Today, the seat stayed empty.
Arian glanced at the door more than once. Pretended to check his pen. His phone. His notebook.
Ten minutes passed.
Then the door creaked open.
Damon entered.
But something was different.
He didn't smile. Didn't search for Arian. He walked straight past him and sat next to Trina Langford instead.
Arian's heart skipped.
Trina—perfect hair, cherry lip gloss, fake laugh. His academic rival, and someone Damon used to call "a walking filter."
Now she was laughing at something on Damon's phone. And he was letting her.
Arian stared at the empty seat beside him like it had betrayed him too.
---
After class, Arian barely noticed the end-of-lecture buzz. His thoughts swirled as he packed his things slowly.
"Brooding again?" came a voice beside him.
Jude Elric, Arian's sharp-eyed best friend, leaned against Arian's desk with a knowing look.
"What's wrong? Damon ditch you for his new favorite?"
Arian looked up sharply. "Mind your business, Jude."
"Touchy," Jude said, backing off with a smirk. "You know, Trina's not that into poetry. Wonder what they're really studying together."
---
Arian stepped outside, the sunlight too bright for his mood. His phone buzzed.
Jude Elric: Where are you? Lunch. Now. No excuses.
He made his way to the student center, where Jude was waiting with two iced coffees and his usual half-smile.
"You look like a Victorian widow," Jude said, handing him a cup.
"Thanks," Arian muttered.
"I saw Damon. And Trina," Jude added. "In the arts hallway. He was leaning in pretty close."
Arian sighed. "They're in the same psych project group."
Jude arched an eyebrow. "And you're still lying to yourself."
He stirred his coffee quietly. "He hasn't said anything's wrong. He's just... distant."
Jude leaned forward. "Ari. You're dating a guy who used to text you if you sneezed during class. Now he doesn't reply for hours. He used to brag about holding your hand. Now he won't even sit near you."
Arian bit his lip. "I don't want to be clingy."
"You're not. You're scared," Jude said softly. "And that's different."
---
Later that day, Arian stopped by Professor Aldren's office. Not for anything serious—just an excuse to kill time and not think.
"You okay?" the professor asked, looking over the top of his glasses.
Arian nodded. "Just feeling off."
Aldren didn't smile. "Don't let someone else ruin the fire you've finally built back up."
Arian blinked. "I'm not sure what you mean."
"I do," Aldren said simply. "You started this semester with light in your eyes. Don't lose it chasing someone who won't even walk beside you."
Arian left quietly, the words sticking like thorns in his chest.
---
Evening came, and Arian wandered the halls, unsure why. He passed the art wing, paused outside the psychology lab.
That's when he saw it.
Damon.
Leaning against a wall.
Trina was there too.
She touched his arm, laughing softly. Damon smiled back.
Not his usual smirk—the one Arian used to get when Damon was about to say something dirty—but a soft, real smile.
Arian's breath caught.
He took a step back, unnoticed.
And for the first time that day… he let himself wonder if he was no longer Damon's favorite anything.
---
The corridor felt colder as Arian stepped away, his chest tight. But suddenly, his mind drifted back—like a faded photograph brushing his fingertips.
---
It was a late spring afternoon, a few months before everything started to change.
The sun filtered through the stained glass of Ashcroft's old library, casting splashes of color across the dusty shelves.
Arian sat cross-legged on the floor between stacks of poetry books, his notebook balanced on his knee.
Damon was beside him, smirking.
"Bet you can't write a poem about me," Damon teased, flicking a stray lock of hair from his forehead.
Arian rolled his eyes, but the smile tugging at his lips was honest. "Watch me."
He bent down and scribbled quickly.
Damon leaned closer, reading over Arian's shoulder.
"In shadows deep, your laughter rings,
A whispered flame that softly sings..."
Damon's eyes flickered with something tender.
"You're such a nerd," Damon said softly.
"Maybe. But you like it."
Damon's hand brushed Arian's, fingers curling just so.
"Don't get used to it," he warned, voice low.
Arian laughed, heart lighter than it had been in weeks.
---
Later, under the wide open sky on the campus lawn, Damon pressed a messy kiss to Arian's temple, his breath warm.
"I'm yours, you know," Damon whispered.
Arian's smile faltered—because he wanted to believe it.
And for a while, it had felt real.
---
The memory faded like mist.
Arian blinked, standing alone in the quiet hall.
The warmth was gone.
He didn't know how long he stood there, caught between hope and heartbreak.
Finally, his phone buzzed.
Jude: You coming back? We're grabbing dinner.
Arian typed a quick reply.
"On my way."
But his mind stayed tangled in Damon's smile—the real one, not meant for him.
He wasn't sure how to face Damon anymore.
Or if he even wanted to.
---
End of Chapter One
What's next?
Arian will confront Damon — or will he? The cracks between them grow deeper, and new feelings surface. Stay tuned.