Chapter 1: The Encounter
1660 Words
Sarah hurried down the crowded city street, her eyes darting nervously to the towering buildings above. The afternoon sun had dipped low enough to cast long shadows, painting everything in shades of amber. She wasn’t used to feeling so jumpy—there was nothing particularly threatening about the familiar bustle of downtown. Yet, the sensation of being watched had lingered all day, sending shivers down her spine.
Her phone buzzed in her hand, but she didn’t look at it. She needed to focus and not get distracted by another text from her well-meaning friend, Rachel, asking about her plans for the weekend. Sarah wasn’t sure how to explain what she couldn’t put into words herself: something was wrong. It was like the universe had shifted, subtly at first, but now undeniable.
As she crossed the street and neared her favorite café, she glanced around, the sense of eyes following her growing stronger. Her breath hitched. No one stood out, no one suspicious—just the usual crowd of tourists and locals enjoying their late afternoon.
Then, she saw him.
A man stood near the café entrance, leaning casually against the wall, his arms crossed. His eyes, a piercing shade of green, locked on hers the moment she spotted him. Sarah stopped dead in her tracks, her heart skipping a beat. Something about him felt… familiar, but not in the way of a passing acquaintance. It was deeper, older as if she had known him long before she could remember. The sensation was so intense it almost knocked the wind out of her.
He didn’t smile or wave, but his gaze stayed fixed, unyielding as if he had been waiting for her.
What is this?
Suddenly feeling exposed, Sarah quickened her pace, pushing open the café's door and darting inside. The soft chime of the bell above the door was a relief, and the cozy warmth of the space was instantly comforting. She made her way to the counter, eyes scanning the room nervously. The strange man hadn’t followed her inside.
She exhaled, mentally chastising herself for overreacting. Maybe he was just a random guy. Perhaps she was being paranoid for no reason.
“Hey, what can I get you?” the barista asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.
“Just a latte,” Sarah replied, smiling as she reached for her wallet. As she fumbled for her card, she felt a sudden shift in the air behind her, the fine hairs on the back of her neck standing on end.
Before she could turn around, a smooth and calm voice spoke directly into her ear.
“You can feel it, can’t you?”
Sarah froze, her heart slamming in her chest. Slowly, she turned to face the voice, and her breath caught. Standing right behind her was another man, equally as striking as the first, but with dark, tousled hair and eyes that seemed to shimmer like molten gold. He smiled at her, though something was unsettling about how he studied her.
“I—excuse me?” Sarah stammered, taking a step back. Her instincts screamed at her to run, but her feet wouldn’t move.
“Logan, don’t.” The first man, the one from outside, had entered the café without her noticing. He stood just a few feet away, his gaze softening as it landed on her.
Logan chuckled, but he raised his hands in a mock show of surrender. “I wasn’t going to do anything.” He tilted his head, his eyes never leaving Sarah’s. “Yet.”
“I’m sorry, who are you?” Sarah managed to ask, trying to keep her voice steady. She felt a sudden energy pulse between the two men as if the space around them vibrated with unseen power. And both of them… both of them were focused solely on her.
“We’re not here to hurt you,” the first man said, stepping forward. His voice was soothing, yet beneath it was an intensity that sent another shiver down her spine. “My name is Ethan. This is my brother, Logan.”
She glanced between them, her confusion growing. “Your brother?”
Twins. She could see the resemblance now, though their features were strikingly different. Ethan was more severe and composed, while Logan had a wildness about him, a magnetic energy that was almost overwhelming.
“What do you want from me?” Sarah asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Logan grinned. “We’ve been looking for you.”
“For me? Why?” She took another step back, bumping into the counter.
“Because you’re important, Sarah,” Ethan said softly, his eyes searching hers. “More important than you realize.”
Sarah’s pulse quickened, her mind spinning. How did they know her name? And why did they both feel so familiar, like they were woven into her life inexplicably?
Logan leaned closer, his golden eyes glowing with mischief. “It’s because we share a destiny. You’re the one we’ve been searching for.”
Sarah’s head snapped toward Ethan, hoping for a logical explanation, but his expression remained grave, confirming Logan’s words.
“This is insane,” she muttered, shaking her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve never met either of you.”
“No, not in this life,” Ethan said gently. “But that doesn’t mean we’re strangers.”
Her heart raced as she stared at the two men, her mind scrambling for an escape plan. But something inside her—something profound and unexplainable—tugged at her. A memory just out of reach, a feeling of recognition that she couldn’t shake.
“I’m leaving,” she said firmly, stepping away from them and toward the door. She couldn’t deal with this, not now. Not ever.
But as she reached for the handle, Ethan’s voice stopped her. “You’ve felt it, haven’t you? That pull, that sense that something’s been missing your entire life.”
Sarah froze her hand still on the door. How could he know that? How could he possibly know about the empty feeling she’d had for as long as she could remember, the gnawing sense that something—or someone—was out there waiting for her?
Slowly, she turned back to face them. Logan’s eyes sparkled with amusement, while Ethan’s were filled with quiet understanding.
“What are you?” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Logan smirked, leaning against the counter. “Now that’s a complicated question.”
“We’re not human,” Ethan said, his voice calm but steady. “Not entirely. And neither are you.”
Sarah’s breath caught in her throat. “What?”
“You’re more than you realize, Sarah,” Ethan continued, taking a cautious step toward her. “You have a power inside you, something ancient that connects you to us.”
“We’re bonded,” Logan added, his voice dripping with dark amusement. “You, me, Ethan—our fates are intertwined.”
The words echoed in her mind, surreal and impossible. She couldn’t believe it. She wouldn’t believe it.
“No,” she whispered, shaking her head. “No, this isn’t real. This is some joke, or—”
“It’s real,” Ethan said softly, his gaze holding hers with a sincerity that left no room for doubt. “You know it is. You’ve felt it all your life.”
Sarah’s chest tightened, her hands shaking. She wanted to scream, run, and pretend this wasn’t happening. But the truth was, some part of her had always known something was different about her. She just never imagined it could be this.
“You’re lying,” she said, though her voice wavered uncertainly.
Logan’s grin widened, his golden eyes gleaming. “You know we’re not.”
Ethan moved closer, his presence calm and reassuring despite the turmoil swirling inside her. “We’ve been searching for you for a long time, Sarah. We didn’t know where you were but knew you were waiting for us.”
Sarah blinked, her mind struggling to comprehend what he was saying. “Why me?”
“Because you’re our soulmate,” Logan said, his voice lowering to a seductive purr. “The missing piece of us. Without you, we’re incomplete.”
Her breath hitched, the weight of his words crashing over her. This was too much. Too fast. Too impossible.
“I can’t—” she stammered, backing away. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just… I’m just Sarah.”
Ethan’s expression softened, his voice gentle. “You’re more than that. You don’t remember.”
Logan’s smirk faded, his tone growing severe. “And the longer you fight it, the more dangerous it becomes—for all of us.”
“What do you mean?” Sarah asked, her voice barely a whisper.
“There are forces at work that you can’t even begin to understand,” Ethan said, his eyes darkening. “Forces that will stop at nothing to keep us apart.”
“And if we don’t bond with you,” Logan added, his voice grim, “we’ll lose everything.”
Sarah’s heart pounded in her chest, the weight of their words pressing down on her. She didn’t understand any of this and didn’t want to. But something inside her—something deep and primal—was screaming at her to listen, to accept what they were telling her.
“We need you, Sarah,” Ethan said softly, his voice filled with a quiet urgency. “And whether you like it or not, you need us too.”
Sarah’s mind swirled with confusion and fear, but beneath it all, a strange sense of inevitability began to take root. This was happening. It had always been happening, even if she hadn’t realized it until now.
She didn’t know what was coming next but knew one thing: her life would never be the same.
To be continued...
- Writer
