Aria’s POV.
The sunlight filtered through the window, warming my face and gently pulling me from sleep. I blinked slowly, adjusting to the light as the faint sound of birds chirping reached my ears.
Their soft melody blended with the warm breeze that drifted into my room, carrying the scent of fresh grass and blooming flowers. I stretched lazily, my muscles relaxing as I enjoyed the quiet serenity of the morning.
But as I shifted, a strange feeling tugged at me, a faint unease that I couldn’t explain. Something was… off. I sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from my eyes, and let my gaze wander around the room.
Everything seemed normal at first glance-the books stacked haphazardly on my desk, the blanket I’d tossed over the chair the night before, even the shoes I’d kicked off in the corner. But when my eyes dropped to the floor beside my bed, I froze.
The sunlight glinted off something small and metallic on the floor, and my stomach twisted into a tight knot.
Leaning over the edge of the bed, I reached down cautiously, my fingers brushing against cool, smooth metal.
When I held it up to the light, my breath caught in my throat. My heart pounded as I stared at the object in my hand, my mind racing to make sense of it. It was a gold chain. Not just any chain-*his* chain. Zander’s chain.
I stared at it for what felt like an eternity, the familiar weight of it in my hand sending a flurry of emotions spiraling through me. There was no mistaking it.
I’d seen it countless times before, resting against his skin, always there, always a part of him. My fingers closed around the chain tightly, as if holding it would steady the storm raging inside me. The realization hit me like a tidal wave-Zander had been here. Last night. While I slept.
My heart raced as I scanned the room again, searching for any other sign of him. But everything else was untouched, undisturbed, as if he had been a shadow passing through. The chain was the only evidence, the only reminder that it wasn’t just a bad dream. Questions flooded my mind, each one louder than the last. Why had he come? What could he possibly want? And why hadn’t I woken up? The thought of him standing so close to me, watching me while I slept, sent a shiver down my spine. It wasn’t fear exactly, but it wasn’t comfort either. It was something in between-unease, frustration, and beneath it all, something I didn’t want to admit to myself.
I sank back onto the bed, the chain heavy in my hand, as emotions surged through me in a chaotic storm. Confusion clouded my thoughts, frustration burned at the edges, and buried beneath it all was a flicker of something I refused to name. A dangerous feeling, one that felt too much like longing. No. I couldn’t allow myself to go there. Not again. I had worked too hard to break free of Zander’s hold on me. I couldn’t let him pull me back into his orbit, no matter how much his presence lingered in my mind.
Zander had always been a storm in my life, unpredictable and consuming, leaving chaos in his wake. But for the first time in years, I had started to find peace without him. I had started to rebuild my life, piece by piece. I couldn’t let him take that from me now. I wouldn’t let him.
I stood abruptly, the chain clinking softly in my hand as I paced the room, my thoughts racing. There was only one thing to do. I needed to send it back to him. I needed to make it clear, once and for all, that he didn’t belong here-that he didn’t belong in my life anymore.
I grabbed an envelope from my desk, my movements quick and decisive, and slipped the chain inside. The metal felt cold and final as I sealed the envelope with a sharp press of my fingers. For a moment, I hesitated, staring at the blank surface, before I scrawled his name across it in bold, unflinching letters. *Zander.* No title, no pleasantries. Just his name. It was all he deserved.
The door creaked open behind me, and I turned to see Naomi walking in, her arms full of books. She dropped them onto her bed with a loud thud before her curious gaze landed on the envelope in my hand. “Morning,” she said casually, though her sharp eyes were already narrowing with suspicion. “What’s that?”
I hesitated, my grip tightening on the envelope. After a moment, I held it up. “It’s Zander’s,” I said, my voice steady but taut. “He… was here last night.”
Her eyes widened, her jaw dropping in shock as the words sank in. “Wait, what? Here? As in, *actually here*? Like, in this room?”
I nodded, the tension in my chest tightening further as I relived the moment I’d found the chain. Naomi’s expression quickly shifted from shock to anger, her hands clenching at her sides. “What the hell, Aria?” she snapped, her voice rising. “That’s insane! Why would he do that?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted, my voice quieter now, tinged with frustration. “I didn’t even know he was here until I found this under my bed.”
Naomi crossed the room in three quick strides, snatching the envelope from my hand and peeking inside. When she saw the chain, her eyes narrowed, and she let out a low whistle. “Wow. That’s definitely his. I’ve seen him wear it a million times.”
“Exactly,” I said sharply, taking the envelope back. “And that’s why I’m sending it to him. I want him to know he can’t just show up whenever he feels like it. I’m done with this… whatever this is.”
Naomi studied my face closely, her brow furrowing as if she were trying to read my thoughts. “Are you sure you’re okay? You seem… I don’t know, weirdly calm about this.”
“I’m fine,” I said quickly, though the tightness in my chest betrayed me. “I just want to move on. I’ve made my decision, Naomi. I’m done with him. I’m waiting for my true mate.”
Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Your true mate? Since when are you all about fate and destiny?”
“Since now,” I replied firmly, my tone leaving no room for argument. “Zander was never my mate, Naomi. Whatever we had-it wasn’t real. Not in the way it’s supposed to be. And I can’t keep letting him hold me back from finding the person I’m meant to be with.”
Naomi sighed, her shoulders relaxing slightly as she sat on the edge of her bed. “I get it, Aria. I really do. But… are you sure this is what you want? I mean, what if he’s trying to change, trying to make things right?”
I shook my head, my grip tightening on the envelope again. “It doesn’t matter. He had his chance, and he ruined it. I deserve someone who chooses me from the start-not someone who only shows up when it’s convenient for him.”
Naomi didn’t argue, though I could see the doubt lingering in her eyes.
—
Later that afternoon, I made my way to the campus mailroom, gripping the envelope tightly in my hand. The walk there felt longer than usual, every step weighed down by the weight of what I was about to do.
The envelope felt heavier in my palm, as if the chain inside carried the full weight of my past with Zander.
The crisp autumn air nipped at my cheeks, the leaves crunching underfoot as I made my way through the quiet campus.
Around me, other students walked in pairs or small groups, laughing and chatting as if the world wasn’t falling apart. I envied them-their simplicity, their normalcy.
When I reached the mailroom, the clerk barely glanced at me as I approached the counter. He was an older man with a gruff demeanor, his attention focused on sorting a towering stack of boxes. “What can I do for you?” he asked without looking up, his voice brisk.
I hesitated for a moment before sliding the envelope across the counter. “I need this sent out,” I said, my voice steady despite the storm inside me. “To the castle.”
That got his attention. He glanced up, his eyebrows rising slightly as he took in the envelope and the address I had scribbled on the back. Recognition flickered in his eyes, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he gave a short nod and took the envelope, slipping it into the outgoing mail pile. “It’ll get there,” he said simply before returning to his work.
As I walked out of the mailroom, I felt an odd mix of emotions swirling inside me. Part of me felt lighter, as though I had finally taken a step toward letting go of the past. But another part of me felt… hollow. Finality had a way of cutting deeper than I expected.
The cold air hit me as I stepped outside, and I pulled my jacket tighter around me. My thoughts swirled like the autumn leaves dancing in the breeze, and no matter how hard I tried to focus on the present, my mind kept drifting back to him. To Zander. I told myself that sending the chain back was the right thing to do. It was a step forward, a way to close the door on everything we had been. But deep down, I couldn’t ignore the ache in my chest, the small, fragile part of me that still wondered why he had come.
—
That night, I sat at my desk, staring blankly at the pile of homework I hadn’t touched. My textbooks were open, my notebook scattered with half-written notes, but my mind refused to focus. My thoughts kept circling back to the envelope, to the chain, to Zander. What had he been thinking, sneaking into my room like that? Did he think it would change anything? Did *I* think it would?
I leaned back in my chair, letting out a frustrated sigh as I stared at the ceiling. The truth was, I didn’t have answers. Zander had always been an enigma, a storm that tore through my life without warning. He was unpredictable, overwhelming, and impossible to ignore. And as much as I hated to admit it, a part of me still felt a pull toward him, like gravity tethering me to something I should’ve left behind.
A soft knock on the door broke through my thoughts, and I sat up quickly, my heart skipping a beat. For a moment, I thought it might be him. But when the door creaked open, it was only Naomi, her expression a mix of concern and curiosity.
“Hey,” she said, stepping inside and closing the door behind her. “I figured you could use some company.”
I offered her a small smile, grateful for the distraction. “Thanks,” I said softly.
She plopped down onto my bed, crossing her legs as she studied me. “So… how are you holding up? Really?”
I shrugged, not trusting myself to speak. The truth was, I didn’t know how I was holding up. I felt like I was caught between two worlds-one where I was trying to move forward, and another where Zander’s presence still lingered, pulling me back.
Naomi sighed, leaning back on her hands. “Look, I know you’re trying to be strong, and I respect that. But you don’t have to pretend like this doesn’t bother you. It’s okay to be angry. Or confused. Or even hurt.”
“I’m not hurt,” I said quickly, the words sharp and defensive. “I’m just… tired. Tired of him showing up, tired of him trying to mess with my head. I’m *done.*”
Naomi raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “Are you? Because from where I’m sitting, it seems like he’s still living rent-free in your head.”
I frowned, glaring at her. “That’s not fair.”
“I’m just saying,” she replied, her tone softening slightly. “You can mail his chain back, you can say you’re done, but if you don’t actually let him go, none of it’s going to matter. He’ll still have a hold on you.”
Her words stung because they were true. I hated how well Naomi could see through me, how easily she could point out what I was trying so hard to ignore.
I looked away, my gaze falling to the stack of books on my desk. “It’s not that simple,” I muttered.
“I know,” she said gently. “But you deserve to be happy, Aria. You deserve to find someone who makes you feel safe and loved. And if Zander isn’t that person, then you need to let him go-for real this time.”
I didn’t respond, my chest tightening as her words sank in.