The shrill sound of his phone ringing pulled him out of slumber. Without opening his eyes, he reached for it on the bedside table and answered.

"Damn you, Henry! Where are you? Did you forget today’s last day for assignment submission?"

Sofia’s angry voice pierced through the line, jolting Henry fully awake. His sleepiness evaporated like cold water splashed on his face.

"I’ll be there in a few minutes. Please hold off the professor," he stammered, quickly ending the call. Panic surged through him as he scrambled to gather his things.

He shoved his laptop and notes into his bag, hurriedly searching for clothes to change into.

Just as he was about to put his shoes on, a sudden realization hit him. He froze, slowly scanning the room.

It was empty.

Everything came rushing back—Diois, the bed, the kisses, the possessiveness. Henry's heart pounded as the memory flooded his mind.

Where was Diois now? And more importantly, how had he let himself fall asleep next to him?

Henry pushed the unsettling thoughts aside, forcing himself to focus. He quickly put on his shoes, trying to shake off the lingering tension. There was no time to dwell on what had happened, not when he was already running late.

With his bag slung over his shoulder, he took one last glance around the room, making sure he had everything, before rushing out the door.

When Henry arrived at the university, he spotted Sofia pacing back and forth, her arms crossed and a look of impatience etched on her face. The moment she saw him, she marched over, her eyes blazing with frustration.

"Finally!" Sofia huffed. "Do you have any idea how close we are to missing the submission deadline?"

Henry ran a hand through his hair, feeling the weight of her glare. "I know, I’m sorry. Something came up."

Sofia's eyes narrowed. "Something? You look like you’ve seen a ghost."
He forced a weak smile, not ready to explain the whirlwind of his life. "Let’s just get this done."

As they walked together toward the professor's office, Henry tried to focus on the task at hand. Sofia was busy detailing her thoughts on their project, her voice a blend of irritation and urgency.

"I can't believe you waited until the last minute to finalize everything. We had a plan!" she exclaimed, tapping her clipboard. "I mean, what were you thinking?"

Henry nodded, his mind still lingering on the events from earlier. "I know, I know. I just lost track of time. We should have everything we need, right?"

Sofia sighed, glancing sideways at him. "I hope so. If we don’t ace this, we’re going to be in serious trouble. The professor has high expectations."

"Trust me, I won’t let us down," Henry replied, trying to inject some confidence into his tone.

They reached the office door, and Sofia took a deep breath to steady herself. "Okay, let’s just stick to the main points. If we can impress him with our research, we’ll be fine."

Henry nodded, but his heart wasn’t in it. He knocked on the door and pushed it open. Inside, the professor looked up from his desk, a curious expression crossing his face.

"Ah, Henry. Sofia. You’re just in time," he said, motioning them inside. "Let’s see what you’ve got."

When they walked out of the professor's office, a collective breath of relief escaped them.

“Thank goodness that’s over,” Sofia said, leaning against the wall, her shoulders visibly relaxing. “I think we did well.”

Henry nodded, still processing everything. “Yeah, I think we made some good points. The professor seemed engaged.”

“Engaged is good,” Sofia replied with a smirk. “And no one fainted, so that’s a win in my book!”

They shared a laugh, the tension from the presentation finally lifting. As they made their way down the hallway, Henry felt a small sense of accomplishment washing over him.
“Want to grab that ice cream now?” Sofia asked, her eyes brightening.

Henry glanced at her, and seeing her joyful face, he didn’t want to disappoint her, so he nodded slightly.

“Perfect! There’s that new café just off-campus that everyone’s raving about. Let’s check it out!” Sofia suggested, her excitement infectiously.

As they walked toward the exit, Henry found himself smiling. Maybe today wouldn’t be so bad after all. The thought of ice cream and a carefree moment with Sofia felt like the perfect antidote to the chaos happening in his life.

“Hi, guys?” Sofia’s cheerful voice snapped Henry from his thoughts. He followed her gaze, and his heart sank.

Diois? What he...?

Standing in front of them was Diois, accompanied by Dylan and two other boys.

Henry’s breath caught in his throat.

So this Diois was indeed the Diois; they were one and the same. How could he have been so oblivious?

The realization made him feel foolish.

Diois’s expression was icy, his eyes filled with a coldness that sent a shiver down Henry's spine. Instinctively, he looked away, trying to shake off the unease settling in his chest.

“Hi, Henry!” Dylan waved his hand, and Henry forced himself to return a short wave, feeling the awkwardness settle around them.

“Guys, this is Henry, my best friend,” Sofia said, tugging on his arm with a bright smile.

“Henry, this is Leo,” she gestured to the guy standing to Diois’s left, whose casual demeanor seemed friendly enough.

“Aton,” she introduced the boy next to Leo, who nodded in acknowledgment.

“And this is Diois,” she added, her tone shifting slightly as she said his name. Henry caught the excitement in her voice and knew how much she liked him. Sofia talked about Diois constantly when it was just the two of them, and it was hard to ignore the flutter in her eyes when she mentioned him.

Henry nodded in acknowledgment toward Leo and Aton, but he deliberately avoided looking at Diois, not wanting to deal with the tension that had settled like a weight in his chest.

Dylan glanced between Diois and Henry, and Henry could tell he was aware of something unsaid. The smile on Dylan’s face felt loaded with implications, making Henry even more uncomfortable.

“We’re going to have ice cream. Are you guys in?” Sofia asked, her enthusiasm palpable.

Henry’s eyes widened in shock. “Sofia, no,” he whispered urgently, tugging at her skirt. But she brushed him off, not even registering his plea.

Dylan looked at his group of friends. “What do you say, boys?”

“Okay!” Leo and Aton replied in unison, but Diois remained silent, his expression unreadable.

“Alright, then let’s go!” Dylan said, and Sofia jumped with excitement, grabbing Henry’s arm and pulling him along.

“Why are you making that face?” she asked, her tone warning. “Don’t you dare embarrass me.”

Henry shot her an angry look, but she ignored him completely, turning her attention to Dylan and the others. As they walked, the weight of Diois’s gaze bore down on him, making his stomach churn.

Each step felt heavy with unspoken tension, and Henry’s mind raced, battling the desire to escape.

He could feel Diois’s presence looming behind him, like a shadow he couldn’t shake off, and the thought alone made his heart race.

Henry’s heart raced as his phone vibrated in his jacket pocket.

He pulled it out, narrowing his eyes at the unknown number flashing on the screen. But as he touched the text, his stomach dropped.

“Shouldn’t you be resting? Why are you here?” The message felt like a punch to his gut.

Slowly, he turned his head to glare at the person walking behind him.

Diois had his phone in hand, fingers moving swiftly over the screen as he typed another message.

A second text popped up on Henry's mobile. “Are you really going to ignore me?”

Henry’s breath quickened as he locked his phone and shoved it into his pocket, a wave of panic washing over him.

“What’s wrong? You okay?” Sofia asked, noticing his sudden shift in demeanor.

“Yeah, nothing,” Henry nodded, forcing a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

Sofia resumed her conversation, oblivious to Henry’s internal turmoil. He felt completely blank, torn between his instincts and the reality of his situation. If he told Sofia he had something to do and needed to leave, she wouldn’t believe him—she’d only get angry, and he didn’t want to disappoint her.