I slowly entered the cafeteria, looking around, taking in the sights. In the top corner of my eye, I spotted a clock. 12:29. It felt like I had been lost for hours, yet I had only been wandering for half an hour. Now that I’d made it here, I still needed—no, I wanted—to find Nyra.

I walked up and down the rows of tables, checking out each restaurant, wondering which ones I might try later. My eyes scanned the crowds, hoping to spot Nyra. Maybe she had just gone off with some friends. Maybe she hadn’t actually abandoned me.

Why do I care so much about what she’s doing? She’s been kind to me, sure, but I’ve only known her for a few hours. Still, here I am, pacing and scanning like my life depends on it. I’ve always been like this—putting in effort for people who probably wouldn’t do the same for me.

I sighed, stopping in my tracks. My eyes swept the tables again. Not a single glimpse of her. I turned back to glance at the clock. 12:35. Lunch would end in 25 minutes. I needed to find her. I needed her help finding my classes. That was all. No other reason. Nothing more, nothing less.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out she wasn’t here. But where else could she be? I sighed again, on the verge of giving up. Maybe I’d just try to talk to her later—when out of nowhere, I felt a tap on my shoulder.

I turned quickly, half hoping it was her, but it wasn’t. My expectations weren’t shattered, just... adjusted. It was a familiar face, though—not the one I was looking for, but a helpful one, nonetheless.

It wasn’t Nyra. It was Khalid.

“Omari! Hey there,” he said, grinning like he’d been waiting for me. “Looks like you found your way here.”

I eyed him cautiously, wondering if he somehow knew I’d been lost. Or maybe... maybe he was the figure I thought I’d seen in the halls. “Yeah,” I said, trying to keep my tone neutral. “Wasn’t easy, but I made it.”

Khalid chuckled. “Yeah, it took all of us a while to figure out how to navigate this place.”

I tilted my head at him. “What do you mean by that? ‘Figure out how to navigate it?’”

“I’ll explain later,” he said with a dismissive wave. “Did you grab lunch yet? Come eat with me and Zoya.”

I hesitated, Khalid’s offer lingering in the air. But I shook my head. “Not right now. I’m trying to find someone.”

His eyes perked up with interest. “Oh? Who are you looking for? I know a lot of people here, so I can probably help.”

Finally, a break. “Her name—”

“IT’S A SHE?” Khalid’s voice shot up, louder than I’d ever heard it. Heads turned in our direction. My face flushed with heat as I grabbed his shoulder and pulled him to the side.

“Jesus, Khalid, keep your voice down!” I whispered sharply.

He laughed, raising his hands in mock surrender. “Sorry! I didn’t expect you to already have your eye on someone. I mean, you just got here!”

I rolled my eyes. “It’s not like that. She’s just been helping me out since I arrived, and I wanted to say thank you. That’s it.” Nothing more, nothing less.

“Sure, sure,” he said, drawing out the words in a way that made it clear he didn’t believe me. “So, who is she?”

“Nyra. Nyra Graves.”

At the mention of her name, Khalid’s grin dropped. His face paled, and his shoulders tensed like I’d just said something forbidden. His eyes flicked away, avoiding mine.

“What’s with the look?” I asked, frowning. He looked at me like I’d just done something terribly wrong.

“It’s not really my place to say,” he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Look... she’s just not someone you want to get too close to. People here... talk about her.”

“Talk about her how?” I pressed. His reaction only made me more curious.

He shrugged, still not meeting my eyes. “It’s just rumors, man. I don’t have a problem with her personally. But, you know, she’s... different. Just be careful.”

I crossed my arms, my patience wearing thin. “Khalid, I can make my own choices. If you don’t want to help, just say that.”

He sighed heavily, clearly conflicted. “Alright, alright. Look exit the café and go left. Keep going straight until you hit the stairs. I don’t really know exactly where she is, but every day during lunch, I see her heading up those stairs. Probably on the roof.”

I nodded, my resolve solidified. “Thanks, Khalid.”

I checked the clock one last time: 12:45. Fifteen minutes left.

I bolted out of the cafeteria, Khalid’s directions repeating in my head like a mantra: Left, straight, stairs. My legs moved faster than they had all day, my breath coming quick and sharp. Each step felt heavier, but I pushed through it. This wasn’t just about finding my way to class anymore. I needed to find Nyra.

I made the turn down the hallway, my heart pounding louder than my footsteps. The stairs came into view, rising endlessly above me. Without breaking stride, I lunged forward and started my ascent.

One flight, two flights, three—I skipped steps in twos and threes, barely feeling my feet touch the ground. The adrenaline carried me forward until I hit the final set. I stopped at the top, leaning on my knees, chest heaving as I tried to catch my breath. The door to the roof stood ahead, simple yet imposing, like it was daring me to cross the threshold.

For a moment, I hesitated, my hand hovering over the handle. What if she wasn’t up here? What if Khalid’s warning was more than just schoolyard rumors? My mind flickered back to the strange figure I’d seen in the hall earlier. Should I tell her about that? The thought twisted my gut, and I pushed it aside. Not now. Focus.

I grabbed the handle and pushed the door open.

Blinding sunlight spilled in, hitting me full force. I squinted, raising a hand to shield my eyes. When the glare cleared, I saw her.

Nyra was seated on a blanket, cross-legged with her lunch spread out beside her. The sunlight bathed her in a soft, golden glow, her hair catching the light in a way that made her look almost unreal. She was chewing on something when she noticed me, her eyes going wide.

“Omari? What are you doing here?” she asked, startled. She coughed mid-sentence, choking on her food as she quickly reached for a drink. “Better question—how did you even find me?”

I walked toward her, still winded from the run. “I was looking for you,” I said between breaths. “I didn’t see you after class, and... well, I got lost.”

The memory of the figure in the hall crept back into my mind, tugging at my thoughts. I hesitated, unsure if I should mention it. What if it sounded stupid? I mean I am but that’s beside the point. Or worse—what if it meant something I didn’t understand yet?

Nyra’s eyes narrowed slightly, like she noticed my pause. “And?”

I cleared my throat, shaking my head as if to physically dismiss the thought. “And... I got a tip you might be here,” I finished, trying to sound casual.

Nyra stood, brushing crumbs off her lap. She walked toward the edge of the roof, her steps slow and deliberate. She leaned against the railing, resting her chin in her hand as she stared out at the view. The city stretched out in the distance, but it wasn’t just the skyline—it was everything beyond it. Rolling fields, specks of green, and patches of gold that seemed to stretch forever.

She glanced at me, her eyes silently signaling, Come over here.

“It’s beautiful,” I said, joining her at the railing.

“Yeah,” she said, her voice soft. “This is my place. Where I can get away from it all.”

“What do you have to get away from?” I asked before I could stop myself.

She didn’t answer right away. Her gaze stayed fixed on the horizon, her expression unreadable. When she finally spoke, her voice was quieter, almost distant. “You shouldn’t hang out with me, you know," she said, her voice quiet but firm. "I’m not really the kind of person people around here like to be around or be associated with, and besides ill be gone soon enough.”

Her words hung in the air like a challenge, laced with something I couldn’t quite pin down—bitterness, maybe.

“Good thing I’m not from around here, then,” I said, trying to lighten the mood.

She turned to look at me, her lips curving into a small, almost reluctant smile. “Yeah. Good thing.”

"I'm sorry for not coming to grab you after lunch. I hope you were able to find your way without too much trouble," Nyra said, her tone laced with genuine concern.

The scene of the shadowy figure replayed in my mind, making my stomach twist. I hesitated before brushing it off, forcing a casual smile. "No biggie, everything was fine," I replied, my voice steadier than I felt.

"I'll come get you tomorrow," she offered, her voice softer now. "And I'll bring you a lunch, so you don’t have to wait in line."

"Thanks," I said simply, turning my gaze back to the horizon, hoping it would still my restless thoughts.

For a while, neither of us spoke. The silence between us wasn’t uncomfortable, but it wasn’t exactly easy either. It felt... heavy. Like there was something unspoken lingering in the air.

My mind wandered back to the figure in the hall. The image burned into my memory, the way it felt like it was watching me, waiting for something. I opened my mouth to bring it up but stopped myself again. What was I even going to say? That I saw something weird and thought it might mean something? No way.

Nyra shifted, breaking me out of my thoughts. She looked over her shoulder at me. “You should probably get to class. I’ll come find you downstairs.”

Her words felt like a dismissal, but her tone wasn’t harsh. If anything, it was almost... protective. Like she was trying to put distance between us for my sake, not hers.

“Okay,” I said, my voice quieter than I intended. I lingered for a second longer, as if there was something else, I should say or do, but nothing came to mind.