The first time Aria noticed him wasn’t when he entered the room,
it was when he stayed in her thoughts.

He was always there, just out of focus. A shadow in the background of her days, someone her eyes never truly lingered on. But lately… lately he had started to appear where she least expected him,
in dreams that left behind an aftertaste of calm, in silences that suddenly felt less heavy.

She never meant to notice him. Yet, the more she tried to look away, the more her gaze betrayed her.

It wasn’t loud, it wasn’t sudden.
It was in the rare moments.... the glance that lingered half a second too long, the quiet comfort of his presence, the strange hope of crossing paths again.

Something was happening.
Something unspoken.
Something unsaid.