Slowly, their steps aligned, heels and sneakers tapping in rhythm down the quiet corridor.
"Uhh… why are you following me?" Zeyn asked.
"Well, I need to head to Building B," Aidera replied, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "And… I'd like to talk to you first."
"Still mad at me for causing a scene?"
"Wait, what? No," she said quickly, then hesitated. "Actually… there's something else I want to ask."
Her sapphire eyes flickered toward him, then away again. The question had been gnawing at her since morning, but blurting it out felt rude. She tried to find the right words, her gaze drifting between the polished floor and the sunlight spilling through the windows.
Finally, she spoke.
"Have we met before, Zeyn?"
"Huh?"
"I mean… before now. Before our current age."
The young man froze mid-step. His expression shifted. Confusion at first, then something heavier, like the weight of a memory he couldn't quite touch.
"Why do you ask?"
