"I love you. I hope you won't forget that in your next life."
I woke up gasping for air.
My chest rose and fell rapidly as I stared at the ceiling, my heart pounding as if it were trying to escape my ribs. The same dream. The same voice. Every time.
Why do I keep dreaming about that?
Iria froze mid-toothbrush when she noticed me sitting up on my bed, pale and breathless. Her brows furrowed as she spoke, her mouth still full of toothpaste.
"Are you okay?"
I blinked at her, completely confused.
I just smiled sweetly. "Whatever that means—I'm fine. I just had another weird dream."
She hummed, apparently satisfied, then pointed her toothbrush at me. "Get ready."
I frowned. "Huh? It's only 2:00 a.m."
"Oh, didn't I tell you?" she said casually. "Every Wednesday we have PE. It starts at four and ends at six in the morning."
…What?
"That's way too early!" I groaned.
She laughed. "At least you won't need to worry about dieting. Our teacher will exhaust you until you almost pass out."
My eyes widened. "You're joking… right?"
"Hehe. Joke only," she said, clearly enjoying my panic.
Iria really loved scaring people. And unfortunately for me, I was very easy to scare.
By the time we finished getting ready, we headed straight to the covered court. The place was wide and open, surrounded by trees and empty space—perfect for jogging.
Too perfect.
I stopped short when I noticed a familiar figure from another section.
Sailor.
Why was his section combined with ours?
My heart started beating faster, loud enough that I was sure Iria could hear it. And then—as if he sensed me—he turned in our direction.
I sucked in a breath and quickly looked away, like I'd been caught doing something forbidden.
Get it together, Xanthe. He's just a person.
You don't even like him.
…Or do you?
"Hey, Xanthe!" Iria nudged me with her elbow. "Looks like our sections are together today."
"Yeah," I replied, forcing my voice to stay steady, even though something heavy settled in my chest.
We lined up at the center of the court. Everyone looked half-asleep, sweaty, and annoyed. The PE teacher was busy checking attendance, then instructed us to form a wide circle.
That's when someone stepped closer to me.
A guy bent down to grab the cone in front of me.
Sailor.
"Oh—sorry," we said at the same time.
And then it happened.
Our fingers touched.
The world seemed to slow.
The noise faded, the chatter blurred, and all I could feel was the warmth of his hand against mine. Neither of us pulled away immediately. He looked at me—really looked at me—with an expression I couldn't quite understand.
As if he wanted to say something but didn't know how.
My heart hammered wildly.
Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum.
The feeling was painfully familiar. Not exciting. Not just nervous.
It ached.
Like I had lost something I couldn't remember.
"I—uh—" He let go first.
"Y-Yeah," I replied quickly, pressing a hand to my chest as if my heart might fall out.
We stared at each other for a brief second before he smiled—small and gentle.
That was all it took to completely ruin my morning.
As he walked away, I stared at my hand.
Why does it feel like it doesn't want to let go?
"Hey," Iria whispered, grinning. "Are you okay? You turned red."
"What? No!" I protested. "It's just hot. And early."
A lie.
As warm-ups began, I kept stealing glances at Sailor. And with every glance, one thing became clearer.
This wasn't just nervousness.
This wasn't because it was early.
Something inside me was waking up.
A feeling that whispered—
You've known him before.
And for the first time, a thought I couldn't shake entered my mind.
What if the person in my dreams… was him?
"Hey! You're going to melt Sailor with that stare!"
I jolted at Iria's voice.
"Shh!" I hissed, pressing a finger to my lips. "What if he hears you?"
She laughed.
Sailor had plenty of admirers. If any of them overheard, I'd be dead before lunch.
I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice him watching me.
When I finally did, I quickly looked away, my heart racing again.
What is wrong with me? Am I losing my mind?
A few minutes later, our PE teacher finally arrived.
"Sorry for being late," he said cheerfully. "I had to get permission."
He held up a signed paper from the principal. "Now, why do we even have PE when we already have powers?"
Iria shot her hand up. "Sir! To build stamina so our powers get stronger!"
He nodded. "Correct. But why?"
Another student spoke up. "Because our bodies are the vessels of our powers. If the body is weak, it can't handle the element."
"Exactly," the teacher said. "Power isn't separate from the body. It flows through it. Block the flow, and power either weakens—or explodes."
I stared at my hands.
I remembered my necklace—how it heated up whenever I felt anxious.
Flow…
Something stirred inside me.
"Two laps," the teacher announced. "No powers."
The class groaned.
"Yes, no powers," he repeated. "I want to see how you move as humans—not element users."
We started running.
Somehow, Sailor ended up beside me. Not too close. Not too far. Like it was intentional.
"Relax," he murmured. "I'm not chasing you."
I looked at him, startled. "How did you—"
"I'm not reading your mind," he said, smiling faintly. "You're just obvious."
"Hey," I muttered, annoyed—and amused.
Suddenly, a student ahead of us slipped and stumbled toward me.
Before I could react, Sailor's hand wrapped around my waist—firm, careful, steady.
"Careful," he said quietly.
Electricity shot through me.
He let go immediately, but it was too late. I had already lost my rhythm. I stopped, breathing hard—not from the run.
"Xanthe!" Iria called from afar. "You okay?"
"I'm fine!" I shouted back.
When I looked again, Sailor had already moved ahead.
But just before he disappeared into the crowd, he glanced back.
Just once.
And somehow, that single look told me—
I wasn't alone on that track.
PE class was finally over.
I exhaled sharply the moment I stepped inside the dorm room and let myself collapse onto my bed, limbs aching, lungs still burning. Freedom. Actual, blessed freedom.
"I told you," Iria said from her side of the room, arms crossed as she leaned against her desk. "That PE class was only going to destroy you. That teacher's insane."
I shot her a look. She immediately raised both hands and flashed a peace sign.
"Kidding! Don't report me, okay?"
I groaned. "I'm taking a nap. Wake me up when it's time."
She gave me a thumbs-up and went back to her desk, already opening her books.
Honestly, it was embarrassing how diligent she was. Iria studied like her life depended on it—focused, disciplined, brilliant. And me?
Pretty. That's it.
I wanted to study. I really did. But exhaustion always won.
I closed my eyes.
"I love you."
The words felt heavier than they should have.
I looked at him and saw it—the sadness in his eyes. Deep. Ancient. It hurt to see him like that. It hurt because I knew, deep down, that I would never be able to choose him.
"When will you stop?" I asked softly. "Looking for me in every lifetime. Aren't you tired?"
He didn't answer.
"Aren't you afraid," I continued, my voice trembling, "that one day… I'll forget you completely?"
He kissed me.
It wasn't sudden—it was desperate. Fragile. As if he was afraid I'd disappear if he didn't hold onto me.
When he pulled away, tears were already slipping down his cheeks.
"You know I won't give up on you," he said. "I'll wait. No matter how many years it takes."
Everything stopped.
The kiss lingered on my lips—sad, aching, filled with a love I couldn't return. I wanted to speak. To apologize. To explain. But nothing came out. Only my heartbeat screamed in the silence.
"Please…" he whispered, resting his forehead against mine. "Just one memory. One reason to stay."
I wanted to cup his face. To tell him I was here.
But there was a wall between us.
A wall I had built.
"I'm tired," I whispered. "I don't know why… but it feels like I'm always the one who leaves first."
He smiled. Broken. Gentle.
"That's okay," he said. "If you leave first… I'll be the one who follows."
The world began to brighten.
The air pulled away from us, like the scene was being erased. His hand slowly slipped from mine no matter how tightly I tried to hold it.
"Don't," I begged. "Don't leave me."
"I'm not leaving," he replied softly. "I'm just looking for you."
One last look—filled with longing—
And then he was gone.
"Xanthe!"
I jolted awake, gasping for air, drenched in sweat. I sat up abruptly, clutching my chest as pain tore through me—sharp and hollow, like something had been ripped away.
"Are you okay?" Iria asked, standing beside my bed. "You were shaking. Did you have a nightmare?"
I nodded, unable to speak.
My fingers closed around the necklace at my throat.
It was warm.
No—hot.
Almost like it had a pulse.
"Just a dream," I whispered to myself. It was just a dream.
So why could I still feel his lips?
Why did my chest ache like a promise left unfinished—like a name refusing to leave my mind?
I turned toward the window.
Outside, the sun was slowly sinking below the horizon.
There was something about that eclipse.
Something wrong. Something connected.
"Is something wrong, Xanthe?" Iria asked. "Why are you staring like that?"
I blinked, pulled back into reality by the sound of my name.
"N-No. I was just thinking."
I stood up quickly and grabbed my bag. We were running out of time—if we didn't leave now, we'd be late.
"I should've dropped PE," Iria complained as we walked. "That class is a crime against humanity."
I sighed. "You'd still have to take it next year. Same suffering."
"Hate. School."
"You never listen to me, Sailor."
We stopped abruptly.
A boy stood in front of us—angry, tense, dangerous.
Iria immediately ducked behind me.
"Huh?" she whispered. "Why is Maelis here?"
Maelis Thornwyck.
The young assassin.
"You're doing it again!" Maelis shouted at Sailor. "You're hurting yourself!"
But Sailor didn't respond. It was like he couldn't hear him.
"You know I love them," Sailor said quietly. "No matter what I do, I can't stay away."
My skin went cold.
I love them.
I didn't know who he meant—but the words struck me like they were meant for me.
"Don't you understand?" Maelis snapped, gripping Sailor's arm. "Every time you get close, things that should stay asleep start to move."
Sailor finally looked up.
And his gaze landed on me.
The world seemed to dim.
I didn't know why he was looking at me like that—like I was sorrow and hope tangled into one. I swallowed hard and took a step back without realizing it.
"Xanthe…" Iria whispered behind me. "This feels dangerous."
"Stay away," Maelis said sharply, now staring at me. His eyes were sharp, calculating. "For your own good."
"Maelis," Sailor said coldly. "Don't."
"How long?" Maelis demanded. "Until you disappear completely?"
Sailor clenched his jaw. "If that's the price for keeping them safe… I'll pay it."
Something shattered inside me.
I didn't know why I wanted to scream, or stop him, or ask questions—but I did nothing. I just stood there, a stranger trapped in a story that had begun long before I arrived.
Maelis shook his head, defeated. "You're both fools," he muttered. "When the eclipse comes… don't say I didn't warn you."
Then he vanished—like a shadow swallowed by the wind.
Silence followed.
"Are you okay?" I asked softly. I didn't know why I was the one speaking.
Sailor turned to me, guarded now, a wall back in place. "I'm sorry," he said. "You shouldn't have been dragged into this."
"Into what?" I asked. "What's happening?"
He hesitated, then smiled—a smile full of secrets.
"Some things are too big to explain," he said. "And some moments… are better felt than understood."
Before I could reply, he turned and walked away.
Leaving me with the feeling that the eclipse wasn't coming.
It was already here.