3 Restless

"Your second semester is approaching soon," Their teacher points out one day as if she had just realized it but the students knew its a rather impending announcement. The weather is calm and soothing but her heart is not. She already knew where this is leading. "And you will have the whole semester to do your year-end project with a partner."

Groans and excitement filled up the class with the mention of a partner. "I'll let you choose to make sure you're comfortable just promise that there will be no conflicts nor delays in your deadlines."

Her classmates immediately partnered themselves with one another, she looked around her to see if there will be still someone available only to see almost everyone with a partner already. She signs, if she has to do it on his own then so be it.

She is used to being treated like an outcast after all.

"Hey."

She flinched from the deep voice and found a rather intimidating male sitting beside her with a faint smile on his lips as he laid out a hand in front of her. He's pretty charming just like how a social butterfly seems to be with an aura of warmth that a lot of people seems to like and find comfort.

Unfortunately, she's not one of them.

Looking at his hand again, she realized he's aiming for a hand shake. However, she pretended to not notice the hand in front of her much to the other's chagrin "What are you doing here?"

"Uh.." He grinned "I saw you sitting alone so I approached you. I like meeting new people, you see. What's your name?"

She looked at him trying to make him see that she's not interested in saying her name especially with meeting new people like he do.

"Okay I see that you're still shy. I'm Denver." He chuckled seemingly amused, she was not. She suddenly felt him stare at her intensely as if the friendly aura surrounding him didn't exist a few minutes ago.

"Well hello to you too, Eve."

He gave him a small smile as she furrowed his eyebrows, thinking that he is her classmate so it's just normal that he knew her name but why did he have to ask if he does is what baffled her especially when he said it with such intensity "I'm not playing your games."

"But you're my partner."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"You're my partner." He grinned. She glared at him and just like a few minutes ago, his friendly aura is back again as he leans to her and whispers, "I'm really looking forward to doing the project with you. Partner."

He went back to his seat leaving Eve questioning what just happened.

---

Kristof Wu Adams ; the varsity captain, the student council president, a topnotcher and the art club vice president. He's like the best package deal one could offer and the product of everyone's desire where only the best and most fitting could lay its hands to claim.

She started having a little crush in the said guy back when she's a freshman and the captain was still a sophomore. Now that she's a junior in Yuan University and he's a senior graduating in few months, she took a brave step of watching the captain without hiding anymore.

She wants to watch him play clearly before he leaves so she did it during her first month as a junior in the university.

Eve watches him play as he does almost everyday, exactly since two years ago she met him in that winter. The only difference is she's not hiding anymore.

Fixing her glasses and attempting to fix her already crumpled shirt. She continued to stare at the guy who successfully landed another point against the other team. She wants to cheer for him but she decided to stay silent as she knew her presence is enough disturbance already to the people around her.

An outcast, she can already feel the odd stares from the other students. People assumed she got this place as her new spot or as what the rumour said - there's no way that someone like her will get interested in one of the varsity players.

if only they knew.

Eve looked at him again, heart flattering to the way he laughed with his team. To Eve, Kristof was like a light to her dull life. She never knew she would feel like this to someone she barely even knew but here she is admiring him for the past 2 years.

But seeing the strange glances thrown at her and the large amount of people already filling the gymnasium due to the championship being so near, Eve knew she has to go.

And with one last glance, she did.

---

It's so dark. Almost like a cage-like hell awaits him once she sees a light. Pain, trembling fingers trying to put together what's happening as she breathlessly whimpers in defeat.

But how the scene unfolds is so clear to her because no matter what she do, it always haunts her in her dreams.

Gasping and clutching at the wound in her chest, she fought her way to see the image taking place in front of her but she can only see a blurry picture as she falls to the ground.

There she felt two arms hugging her, she remembers the sensation and the connection she felt to the male grasping her in place. She can feel his sorrow, pain and misery.

Who are you?

Are you really him?

She woke up confused and breathless.

Another nightmare.

She doesn't understand why she kept on dreaming the same thing over and over again. The same dream of her dying and someone hugging her tightly as if he also died with her that time.

All that she remembers is that she felt the same connection with Kristof. Almost as if something is pulling her to him without her control and just like the other days, she continued to think about it even that she knew she'll never come up with any answers at the end.

She looked up from the comforts of her bed to her sleeping roommate. It was a relief that her roommate sleeps like a dead log so she doesn't notice her gasps and little whimpers as she gets the same nightmares every night. She felt a little envious of how she could get sleep without any troubles of something so haunting occurring in her dreams.

She looked at the digital clock residing besides her bed. It's already 1:46 a.m. and if Eve could went back to her slumber right now, she can have 5 hours of sleep.

Except once she tries to close her eyes the nightmare still in her mind, She accidentally felt something besides her pillow and that's when she realized something is there.

Focusing on what might it be, She noticed that its green color is illuminating in the dark room making it rather noticeable, she questions as to why she just noticed it now.

Squinting her eyes open and staring at the foreign object, she finally realized it is an emerald that is next to her.

She felt more awake than before.

The image of the nightmare vanishing replaced by the mysterious flower instead.

Seems like it will be another restless night.