Finding light in the darkest places—through love

Evelyn had always found solace in routine.

The predictability of her daily schedule gave her a sense of control wake up, attend classes, avoid unnecessary interactions, retreat to her dorm, and repeat.

It was simple. It was safe.

But ever since that late-night conversation with Adrian, something had shifted.

She found herself pausing between brushstrokes in her sketchbook, replaying his words in her mind.

"And do you still believe that?"

His look at her, as if he already knew the answer but was waiting for her to say it, lingered in her thoughts longer than she liked.

"Hey, Earth to Evelyn?"

She blinked, realizing Mia had been talking to her.

"Huh?"

Her roommate sighed dramatically.

"I said, do you want to come with me to the bookstore later? There's a sale, and I need someone to talk me out of buying twenty more books."

Evelyn hesitated.

Her usual response would've been a polite decline, an excuse about studying or being busy.

But today, something made her pause.

"…Yeah, sure."

Mia nearly dropped her coffee.

"Wait, really? You never come out with me voluntarily."

Evelyn rolled her eyes.

"Don't make a big deal out of it."

Mia grinned.

"Oh, I will definitely make a big deal out of it."

---

The bookstore was cozy, lined with towering wooden shelves that smelled of aged paper and ink.

Evelyn ran her fingers along the spines of books, feeling a quiet sense of peace.

She had almost forgotten how much she enjoyed being surrounded by stories.

Mia was busy debating between two novels when Evelyn felt a presence beside her.

She turned, only to find Adrian leaning casually against the bookshelf, arms crossed.

"Are you following me now?"

she asked, arching a brow.

He smirked.

"What can I say? You have an aura that pulls people in."

She rolled her eyes but couldn't fight the small smile tugging at her lips.

"What are you doing here?"

"Jake ditched me for a study group, so I figured I'd wander."

He glanced at the book in her hands.

"Didn't peg you for a fantasy reader."

Evelyn glanced down at the book—a well-worn novel with a dragon on the cover.

"I used to love them,"

she admitted, almost sheepishly.

"Before I stopped reading for fun."

Adrian tilted his head.

"So why stop?"

She hesitated.

"Life got in the way."

He gave her a knowing look.

"You say that a lot."

She sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"Because it's true."

"Maybe,"

he mused.

"Or maybe it's just something you tell yourself to avoid looking deeper."

She opened her mouth to argue but found no words.

Instead, she glanced at the book in her hands, tracing the embossed title with her fingers.

Maybe Adrian was right.

Maybe she had been avoiding more than just her art.