Jimin entered the chaotic classroom, a malicious smirk carving its way onto his face as he caught Anna glancing at him before she quickly pretended she hadn't.
In that moment, Jimin could confidently assume that he had successfully stolen her heart. He walked into the noisy room, masking his annoyance with a cold expression as he made his way to the second-to-last bench in the corner, where Anna sat, a book in her hand.
Jimin approached her, effortlessly sensing the thoughts of the other students pressing against his mind—anger, excitement, boredom, anxiety.
Some students were excited about him, captivated by his otherworldly beauty; others seemed irritated by his aloof demeanor; and some were simply curious. But Jimin hated all these thoughts equally. Reading minds drained him, yet it was an ability he couldn't always control—it was part of his nature.
Taking a deep breath, Jimin pushed the intrusive thoughts aside and focused solely on Anna. He reached her desk and stood there for a moment, his gaze intense yet composed.
"Excuse me," Jimin said, his voice soft but firm. "Is this seat taken?"
Anna blinked, caught off guard. "Uh, no," she said, her voice a little shaky. "It's free."
Jimin nodded and slid into the seat beside her. He set his bag down and glanced at her book. "What are you reading?" he asked, his tone casual but curious.
Anna hesitated, then held up the book so he could see the cover. "It's a fantasy novel," she said. "About a girl who discovers she has magical powers."
Jimin raised an eyebrow. "Magical powers, huh?" he said, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Do you believe in that kind of thing?"
Anna shrugged, feeling a little self-conscious. "I don't know," she said. "It's just fun to imagine, I guess. Like... what if there was more to the world than what we see?"
Jimin studied her for a moment, his gaze thoughtful. "What if there is?" he said quietly.
Anna frowned, unsure if he was joking or serious. "What do you mean?" she asked.
Jimin leaned back in his seat, his expression unreadable. "Nothing," he said. "Just thinking out loud."
The room grew quieter as the professor walked in and started the lecture. Anna tried to focus, but she couldn't help glancing at Jimin every now and then. He sat perfectly still, his eyes fixed on the professor, but there was something about him that felt... different. She couldn't quite put her finger on it.
Halfway through the class, Jimin suddenly turned to her. "You're not paying attention," he said, his voice low.
Anna blinked, caught off guard. "What? How do you know?" she whispered.
Jimin's lips twitched into a small smile. "You keep looking at me," he said. "Not the professor."
Anna's face turned red. "I wasn't—" she started, but Jimin cut her off.
"It's fine," he said, his tone calm. "I'm new. People are curious. I get it."
Anna hesitated, then decided to be honest. "Okay, yeah," she admitted. "I was curious. You're... different."
Jimin raised an eyebrow. "Different how?"
Anna shrugged, feeling awkward. "I don't know. You just... stand out, I guess."
Jimin didn't respond right away. He turned his gaze back to the front of the room, but after a moment, he said, "You stand out too, you know."
Anna stared at him, surprised. "Me? How?"
Jimin glanced at her, his expression unreadable. "You're quiet," he said. "But you notice things. Most people don't."
Anna wasn't sure how to respond to that. Before she could say anything, the bell rang, signaling the end of class. Jimin stood up, slinging his bag over his shoulder. He looked down at her, his gaze steady. "See you around, Anna," he said, then walked out of the room without waiting for a response.
Anna sat there for a moment, her mind racing. She didn't know what to make of Jimin, but one thing was clear—he wasn't like anyone she'd ever met. And for some reason, that both excited and terrified her.
\---
Anna woke up early the next morning. She got ready for the day and walked down the lonely highway that stretched through the forest, leading to her college. Kevin had football practice with his team, so he had left earlier, and Serena had gone with her friends. Anna decided to head to college alone.
The rising sun painted the sky in bright hues of orange, pink, and purple, casting a warm glow over the forest. Golden light filtered through the trees, stretching long shadows across the empty highway.
Anna's mind was consumed with thoughts of Jimin. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop thinking about him. "You're just an ordinary girl," she whispered to herself, feeling unworthy of someone like him. Jimin wasn't just handsome; he came from a wealthy family and seemed to have impossibly high standards. Anna felt small in comparison. She didn't think she was pretty enough, trendy enough, or confident enough to ever catch his attention. Yet, despite knowing the harsh reality, she couldn't shake the memory of his alluring smile.
Anna sighed in frustration. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and inserted her earphones. Just as she plugged them in, she heard something—the same haunting hymn she had heard that night.
Anna quickly removed her earphones and looked around, searching for the source of the melodic voice that seemed to pierce her soul. The lyrics twisted her mind like a fog, clouding her senses, and she began to follow the direction of the hymn echoing from the depths of the forest.
"I rise from the depths, where the cold winds cry,
The ocean's pain runs deep, like the scars in my soul.
You took what was mine, left me broken to die,
But now I return, and the tides take their toll.
The waves whisper your name, they remember your sin,
The water remembers the tears that I shed.
I'll pull you below, where the darkness begins,
And drown you in sorrow, just like you left me for dead.
I feel the storm rising, it burns in my chest,
The anger, the heartbreak, the fire in my veins.
You thought I was gone, but I'll give you no rest,
The sea will avenge you, and wash away your stains.
I sing for the pain, for the love that you stole,
For the trust that you shattered, for the lies that you told.
The ocean will answer, it swallows you whole,
And I'll watch as the water turns bitter and cold.
So hear my voice now, as it echoes through the night,
A song of revenge, of the hurt you caused me.
The waves will reclaim you, they'll drag you from light,
And I'll finally be free, as you sink in the sea."
Anna didn't realize how much time had passed as she wandered deeper into the dense forest. The haunting hymn, a strange melodic whisper, pulled her like a magnetic force. The cool breeze carried the salty tang of the sea, and the trees grew thinner, replaced by jagged cliffs and rocky slopes. Still, Anna kept walking, her senses dulled as if a thick fog had clouded her mind.
When the hymn faded and a serene silence replaced the haunting voice, Anna snapped back to reality. She stood at the edge of the wild Veyrith Sea, a place abandoned by the locals. Her feet ached, and she breathed heavily, her heart gripped by fear. A chill ran down her spine as she glanced around, realizing she was lost in the heart of nature, surrounded by tall trees where birds sang their morning melodies. Yet, Anna felt as though she had stepped into a paradise.
The water sparkled under the sunlight, as if someone had sprinkled glitter across its surface. The waves shimmered with a magical glow, shifting between shades of deep green and blue, like liquid jewels. The sea stretched endlessly, its surface dancing with light, while the foam at the edges looked like tiny stars washing up on the shore.