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Alex stood on the balcony, his arms resting against the cold railing, eyes gazing out into the quiet night. The stars twinkled above the sleeping city, scattered like broken memories in the vast sky. The wind brushed past his face gently, carrying the scent of night jasmine from the garden below.

He wasn’t really seeing the city.

His mind was far from the lights and buildings drifting into a memory that always came back when everything else was silent.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Flashback ______Eight Years Ago

He was eighteen then young, wild, full of laughter and dreams that didn’t come with conditions. That night, he and his friends had just left their favorite little cafe down the street. The cold air was filled with the sound of their laughter, echoing through the empty road like music.

It was late. Nearly midnight. The street was dimly lit, quiet, the kind of peaceful only small towns know.

Alex had his hands stuffed into his jacket pockets, grinning at something stupid his friend Jamie had said. He threw his head back in laughter, teeth flashing under the streetlight. The group walked casually, spread out on the side pavement, taking their time to head home.

And then it happened.

Alex’s laughter caught in his throat.

His body paused, stilled like a stone thrown into water.

There, walking toward them on the opposite side of the path, was someone he had never seen before.

A boy. Slightly younger maybe seventeen. Slim, neatly dressed in a dark school uniform, a satchel slung across his shoulder, and white earphones plugged in. His head was slightly down, focused on the path. He wasn’t paying attention to them. He wasn’t even aware of the way Alex was staring at him like time itself had tripped and fallen apart.

Time slowed.

No, it didn’t just slow it shattered. It felt like the world melted into slow motion, like someone had pressed pause on everything except Alex’s heart, which was now hammering in his chest like a drum in a storm.

The boy passed by them, not even glancing their way.

But Alex couldn’t stop staring.

He was beautiful. Not in the usual way no loud hair, no flashy smile but in a quiet, simple way. His skin was soft under the streetlight, his lips were pressed in a gentle line, and his lashes were long, brushing against his cheeks as he blinked to the music playing in his ears.

Alex turned to look at him as he passed.

He couldn’t explain it. The boy hadn't even looked at him, hadn’t said a word. And yet, something inside Alex twisted. A strange feeling bloomed in his chest, like someone had unlocked a door inside him he didn’t even know was there.

He felt breathless.

His friends kept walking, still talking and laughing, but Alex had stopped.

He turned.

He actually turned around, watching the boy walk away head down, steps soft, fading into the distance under the streetlight.

He didn’t even know his name. He didn’t know what school he went to. Nothing.

But Alex’s heart had already made a mistake.

That was the moment.

That exact moment.

When something invisible and undeniable began growing inside him.

He didn’t speak about it that night. Didn’t tell his friends. How could he? What would he even say?

“I think I just saw someone and forgot how to breathe.”

Ridiculous.

And yet, true.

In the days that followed, Alex found himself passing by that same path more often, as if he might see him again. He lingered near the cafe, walked slower past the school area. Hoping. Searching.

The cafe across the street, the newspaper vendor, the smell of freshly baked cinnamon rolls from the bakery everything was the same. But not him. Alex had changed after that one day. That one encounter. That brief moment when his eyes had met his. The boy with the storm in his eyes, messy dark hair, and a voice that had made Alex forget the world for a second.

But he never came again.

Days passed. Weeks slipped through his fingers like sand. His friends had noticed his behavior, of course. How he always insisted on walking that same route after school. How he’d pause and glance across the street, pretending to check his watch or his phone.

“Still waiting for that mysterious guy?” Theo teased one day, nudging him playfully.

Alex rolled his eyes but didn’t deny it.

Eventually, they all knew. He didn’t have to say much. They had seen that strange glow in his eyes every time they passed the spot.

“Maybe it was fate,” Alex mumbled once, sitting on the rooftop with his friends.

“Or maybe it was just a random hot stranger,” josh smirked.

But it didn’t matter.

Because he never came again.

---

A Year Later

Graduation had come like a storm fast and full of emotions. The caps had flown, the gowns tossed aside, and now it was time to celebrate freedom. That night, Alex and his group decided to hit the most talked-about club in the city.

The lights were wild. The music pounded like a second heartbeat. And the place was packed.

Alex wasn’t really into clubs. But he had promised he would try to be more present, try to move on from that fleeting fantasy he had held onto for over a year.

Drink in hand, he laughed at one of Theo’s bad jokes when suddenly

“YOU MOTHERFUCKER! DO YOU EVEN KNOW ME?!”

The shout was sharp, cutting through the bass and strobe lights like a knife.

Heads turned.

“You FUCKING BASTARD!” the same voice yelled again.

“Sir, please, you're creating a scene,” one of the staff tried to intervene.

Alex turned instinctively toward the voice and froze.

His heart skipped It was him.....The boy.

Disheveled hair. Dark eyes that burned with rage. That wild energy. The sharp jawline. It was him. Standing there in the middle of a mess, yelling and furious.

“Guys,” Alex whispered, tugging on Theo’s shirt.

“Guys! It’s him....it’s HIM!”

“What are you talking about?” Josh said, annoyed at first, but then followed Alex’s gaze.

“Oh my god,” Theo muttered, eyes wide. “No way.”

“That’s really him? The same guy?” Josh asked.

Alex’s face lit up with excitement. “YES! I told you I wasn’t hallucinating!”

Theo laughed. “Well… looks like your fairytale boy is more of a dragon.”

Suddenly, a crack echoed through the room. Someone must’ve hit a table or thrown something.

“You FUCKER! Do you even know my name?! I’m Zayn Alaric! I’ll destroy you standing here in just TWO MINUTES!”

The air shifted. A few people backed away.

Zayn looked furious. Unhinged. His chest heaving, fists clenched.

Alex’s heart was racing not just from seeing him but from the chaos that surrounded him. Was this really the same boy he had dreamed about? The one he had imagined a future with?

Another boy taller, calmer rushed to the scene. He grabbed Zayn’s arm.

“Zayn, let’s go! You’re drunk!” the boy said firmly.

“Let me go, Rhys! I’m going to KILL this bastard.”

“Zayn. ENOUGH.” Rhys didn’t yell, but the power in his voice was clear. It was enough to make Zayn stagger back, eyes wide and dazed.

Rhys pulled him away from the scene, the crowd slowly calming.

Alex stood frozen.

He felt like the floor had vanished under him.

That name Zayn Alaric. He finally had a name to the face. But the name wasn’t sweet like he imagined.

his friends were all looking at him with serious expressions.

“Alex…” Josh began.

“What?” he asked, still dazed.

Theo leaned in. “You don’t know, do you?”

“Know what?”

“Zayn. That guy. He goes to our rival school.”

“So?” Alex asked, confused.

“He’s… not who you think he is,” Theo said slowly. “He’s got this… reputation.”

Alex frowned. “What kind of reputation?”

Josh sighed. “He’s a player. Like, THE player. He sleeps around with alphas and uses them as his playtime .and never sticks to anyone. Never gets serious.”

Alex’s heart sank.

“Okay… people change,” he said weakly, still clinging to some hope.

But Theo didn’t stop. “He’s worse than that, Alex. We heard… a rumor. That last year, some kid he bullied he killed himself......he commit Suicide because of him.”

Alex felt his stomach drop.

“No,” he whispered.

“Yeah,”Josh nodded.

He remembered how he used to imagine that boy’s voice reading poetry. How he pictured holding hands under the stars, sharing coffees, talking about dreams. And now…

Now all of it was shattering like glass.

Was I really crushing on someone like him? he thought, horrified.

The music no longer sounded exciting. The lights felt dizzying.

He stepped outside the club, needing air. Cold wind hit his face. He leaned against the wall, breathing deeply.

Rhys’s words echoed in his head:

“Zayn, let’s go. You’re drunk.”

And Zayn’s:

“I’ll destroy you. I’m Zayn Alaric!”

He was a storm. Beautiful and dangerous.

And Alex… he was just a boy who had hoped.

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