Lin watched the rain fall for a long time, the soft rhythm lulling her into a peaceful daze. The sky quickly darkened, night coming sooner than expected with the heavy rainfall. She sighed, turning on the lights in her room, casting a warm glow over the quiet space. After washing up, she made noodles for dinner again, sharing the meal with her cat. The simplicity of it made her feel content, and she smiled as Ginapatis enjoyed her portion too.

Feeling the exhaustion of the day weighing on her, Lin decided to head to bed early. She hadn’t slept well the night before, and the promise of a good night’s rest sounded comforting. But as she lay in bed, sleep didn’t come as easily as she had hoped. Her thoughts kept swirling—about the pen, the figure she had seen outside, and the strange sense of familiarity that lingered in her mind. Unable to quiet her thoughts, she reached for her old diary again, flipping through the pages until eventually, her eyes grew heavy, and she drifted off to sleep, the book resting beside her.

The next morning, Lin was startled awake by the ringing of her phone. She fumbled for it, blinking groggily at the screen. It was Kavi. Suddenly, she remembered—the exhibition! "Oh no, I forgot again," she muttered, scrambling out of bed. She quickly answered the call.

"Hello, good morning Kavi!" Lin said, trying to sound more awake than she felt.

"Good morning, Lin. Are you ready?" Kavi asked.

Lin froze for a second. "Ah... yes! I’m getting ready now. I’ll be there soon!" she lied, already panicking.

"Okay, 8:30 at the bus stop. Don’t be late," Kavi reminded her.

"Got it! See you there!" Lin hung up the call and glanced at the clock. It was already 8:00. Her heart raced as she rushed to wash her face, quickly dressing and grabbing the first thing she could find—noodles again—for breakfast. She ate in record time, locked the door behind her, and ran out toward the gate.

But just as she was about to take off toward the bus...