The campus was buzzing with energy as students hurried about, preparing for the long-awaited fresher's party. It had been delayed for a month due to the senior class working on a major project, but now, the air was filled with excitement and anticipation.

"She’s as beautiful as ever." That’s what everyone was saying about me, Freya. I could feel their eyes on me, even on my first day at the university. It wasn’t a feeling I enjoyed. I never asked for this kind of attention, yet it seemed to follow me wherever I went.

As I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the final details of my outfit for the night, a strange sense of déjà vu washed over me. **Why am I remembering my first day of college?** I wondered. **Maybe today, something good is going to happen.**

It had been two months since I started living on my own in this new city, and one month since I joined this university. My parents were reluctant at first, but I somehow convinced them to let me move far away from home. I needed the space, the freedom to breathe and figure out who I was without their constant worry and watchful eyes.

Tonight’s party was supposed to be our introduction to university life, but with the delay, it felt like we were all veterans by now. Still, it was a chance to unwind and, hopefully, meet some new people. **“Well, it’s a good thing the seniors won first prize for their project,”** I thought as I grabbed my keys and headed out. **“At least now we get to have our party.”**

I drove to the venue, my car weaving through the city streets as I mentally prepared myself for the night ahead. The moment I stepped out, a small crowd gathered around me, boys eager to impress and girls whispering behind their hands, eyes full of jealousy. I plastered a polite smile on my face, but inside, I was already bored. **It’s always the same,** I mused. **Boys all over me, girls making rumors. Nothing new.**

But then, something—or rather, someone—caught my attention. I felt a gaze, intense and almost tangible, fixed on me. I turned around, searching for the source, and my eyes locked onto a boy standing across the room. He was staring at me with a look I couldn’t quite place.

His friend nudged him forward, pushing him to introduce himself. He walked over hesitantly, and when he finally stood in front of me, he couldn’t meet my eyes. He stuttered through his introduction, barely looking up, his shyness almost endearing. **"He’s nervous,"** I realized, hiding a small smile. **"Why is he so nervous?"**

When I introduced myself, he finally looked up, his eyes meeting mine. There was something in those eyes—something familiar, as if we had met before. It was unsettling, yet I couldn’t look away. **“Why does it feel like this isn’t our first time meeting?”** I thought, but quickly dismissed it. **Who knows? It’s not like I’ll see him again.**

As I drove home that night, I couldn’t shake the feeling of those eyes, the way he had looked at me like he was seeing a ghost. **“It’s probably nothing,”** I told myself, trying to focus on the road. **“But then again… why can’t I forget those eyes?”**

The morning sun streamed through the curtains as Freya stirred from her sleep. The events of the previous night still lingered in her mind, particularly the strange encounter with the boy who seemed oddly familiar. As she got ready for the day, she pushed the thoughts aside, focusing on the routine ahead.

By the time she arrived at the campus, the usual buzz of students filled the air. Freya made her way to the cafeteria for lunch, hoping for a quiet meal. But as soon as she entered, she felt that same gaze on her again—the intense, almost inquisitive stare that had unnerved her last night. She turned to find the boy, Orion, sitting with a group of friends. To her surprise, one of them waved her over.

"Hey! Freya, right?" the girl in the group called out. "Why don't you join us for lunch?"

Freya hesitated for a moment but then nodded, deciding to go along with it. As she approached, the girl moved aside to make space for her.

"I'm Jia," the girl introduced herself with a grin. She had short hair, wore jeans and a T-shirt, and carried herself with the confidence of someone who didn’t care much about appearances. Freya was slightly shocked, having initially assumed Jia was a guy based on her demeanor.

"Nice to meet you," Freya replied, trying to hide her surprise.

"And I'm Shone!" another boy piped up, his broad smile revealing an easygoing nature. "I'm the funny guy around here, so if you ever need a laugh, just let me know!"

Harry, the quiet one in the group, gave her a nod but didn’t say much. He seemed more interested in observing his surroundings, his sharp eyes missing nothing.

Finally, her gaze returned to Orion, who was still avoiding eye contact. She could feel the tension radiating from him. When their eyes finally met, he quickly looked away, turning his attention to his food. It was almost as if he was trying to hide something—something that made Freya's heart beat a little faster.

The group began eating, but it wasn't long before Orion, clearly distracted, started to choke on his food. Freya noticed it immediately and quickly offered him her water bottle.

"Here, drink some water," she said, her voice calm despite her racing heart.

Orion looked up, his eyes wide with surprise. He took the bottle with a slightly shaky hand, his cheeks tinged with a faint blush. "T-Thanks," he mumbled, taking a sip.

"Did you get home safely last night?" Freya asked, genuinely concerned.

Orion's friends burst into giggles. "That’s a question he should be asking you!" Jia teased, nudging him playfully.

"Uh, yeah, I did," Orion stammered. "And…what about you?"

"I did too," Freya replied with a smile. She noticed how Orion quickly turned his face away, his discomfort evident. It was endearing, and for a moment, she found herself wondering if he might have a crush on her.

After lunch, they all parted ways for their next classes. Freya and Orion were in different majors, so they wouldn't see each other again until the next break. Still, Freya found herself looking forward to spending more time with them. She didn't have many friends here, and their company, particularly Orion's shy but kind presence, was a welcome change.

As she walked away, she couldn't resist glancing back one last time. To her surprise, she caught Orion staring at her again. But just like before, he quickly turned away as if he had been caught doing something he shouldn't. Their eyes met only for a second, but it was enough to stir something within her. **Those eyes…they're the same as last night at the party.**

She shook her head, trying to make sense of the growing familiarity she felt toward him. **Have we met before?** she wondered, but before she could dwell on it further, she realized she had arrived at her class.

During her next lecture, a girl named Sophia sat next to her. Unlike many of the other girls at the university, Sophia seemed genuine—kind and unpretentious. They quickly struck up a conversation, finding common ground in their interests, and by the end of the class, they had exchanged numbers.

As the day came to a close, Freya returned to her room, took a shower, and settled down to study. She ordered takeout for dinner, trying to focus on her notes, but her thoughts kept drifting back to Orion. The way he blushed when she spoke to him, the way he looked at her when he thought she wasn’t watching…it all felt so oddly familiar.

Finally, as she lay in bed, sleep eluding her, one thought surfaced: **Orion…right?** She smiled at the memory and, for the first time in a while, felt a strange sense of comfort as she drifted off to sleep.

The night was thick with silence, and the air in Freya’s room felt heavier than usual. She tossed and turned in bed, unable to shake the uneasy feeling that clung to her thoughts. Sleep finally claimed her, but it wasn’t the peaceful kind she longed for.

In her dream, Freya found herself in a dimly lit hallway, the walls echoing with distant whispers. The fluorescent lights flickered, casting eerie shadows that danced in and out of her vision. She was back in high school, a place she had tried so hard to forget. Her heart pounded as she walked down the hallway, her footsteps echoing loudly in the emptiness.

Suddenly, the whispers grew louder, more sinister, surrounding her from all sides. She tried to move faster, but her legs felt like they were trudging through thick mud. The voices became clearer, cruel laughter and mocking tones that sent shivers down her spine.

**"Freak."**

**"Ugly."**

**"You’ll never be good enough."**

The words hit her like sharp daggers, each one cutting deeper than the last. Freya’s chest tightened as the voices grew louder, overlapping and drowning out her thoughts. She couldn’t see where they were coming from, but she could feel the presence of people around her—faceless shadows looming closer, closing in on her.

Her breath quickened as panic took hold. She stumbled forward, desperately trying to escape the voices, but they followed her relentlessly. And then, out of nowhere, she felt a sharp pain in her side. She looked down to see her uniform stained with blood, the fabric torn where something sharp had pierced her skin.

**"Please…stop,"** she whispered, her voice trembling, but the words were swallowed by the laughter that surrounded her. The faceless figures moved closer, their outlines becoming clearer, yet their features remained shrouded in darkness.

One shadow stepped forward, towering over her. It was different from the others, more solid, more real. It reached out, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her down. Freya tried to scream, but no sound escaped her lips. She was trapped, helpless, as the darkness closed in around her. The figure leaned in, its face finally coming into focus, but just as she was about to see it clearly—

Freya jolted awake, gasping for air. Her heart was pounding, and her skin was slick with sweat. She sat up, trying to steady her breathing, but the remnants of the dream clung to her mind like cobwebs. She couldn’t remember the face—she never could—but the fear, the pain, those were all too familiar.

**"Not again,"** she whispered, burying her face in her hands. She had been having this dream for as long as she could remember. It was always the same, a shadowy memory of something terrible that had happened in high school, but the details were always just out of reach.

Freya wiped the sweat from her brow, her hands trembling slightly. She glanced at the clock—it was 5:00 AM, far too early to be awake, yet she knew there was no going back to sleep now. The fear from the dream had burrowed deep into her bones, leaving her feeling cold and unsettled.

With a resigned sigh, she got out of bed and walked to the bathroom. As she splashed cold water on her face, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her reflection looked pale, her eyes wide with the lingering traces of fear. She hated seeing herself like this—weak, scared, vulnerable. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t shake the feeling that those dreams were more than just figments of her imagination. They were memories, twisted and distorted by time, but memories nonetheless.

After taking a few deep breaths, Freya made her way back to her bedroom. She opened the drawer of her nightstand and pulled out a small bottle of pills. The label was faded from years of handling, but the instructions were etched clearly in her mind.

**"Take one at night to help with sleep."**

She had been prescribed these pills years ago, after the nightmares had first started affecting her sleep. They didn’t stop the dreams, but they made it easier to fall asleep afterward. Freya hesitated for a moment before closing the bottle and setting it aside. She hadn’t needed them in a while, but maybe tonight would be different.

The next day, Freya went through her morning routine mechanically, still haunted by the remnants of her nightmare. The campus was as lively as ever, but she couldn’t shake the heavy feeling that clung to her like a second skin. By the time lunchtime rolled around, she felt too drained to socialize.

She found a quiet spot in the cafeteria, away from the usual crowd, and sat down with her lunch. It was strange not seeing Orion and his friends there. She had grown accustomed to their company, especially after yesterday’s lunch. But today, they were nowhere to be seen.

**"Maybe they’re busy,"** she thought, trying not to dwell on it. She didn’t want to seem too eager, too interested. After all, she barely knew them. **"It’s just one day,"** she told herself, though a small part of her missed the easy conversation and light-hearted banter.

As she picked at her food, she was startled by a familiar voice.

"Mind if I join you?"

Freya looked up to see Sophia standing there, a tray in her hands and a warm smile on her face.

"Of course," Freya replied, grateful for the company. Sophia sat down across from her, and they quickly fell into conversation.

They talked about their next lecture, exchanging notes and helping each other with revision. Sophia was easy to talk to, her kindness making Freya feel at ease. For a while, Freya managed to push the nightmare to the back of her mind, focusing instead on the here and now.

But even as they chatted, the memory of the dream lingered like a shadow at the edge of her thoughts. She couldn’t stop thinking about it, replaying the fragmented images over and over in her mind. It was as if her subconscious was trying to tell her something, but she couldn’t figure out what.

Sophia must have noticed her distraction because she asked, "You okay? You seem a little out of it today."

Freya forced a smile, not wanting to worry her new friend. "I’m fine, just didn’t sleep well last night."

Sophia nodded sympathetically. "Nightmares?"

Freya’s smile faltered. "Yeah…something like that."

Sophia didn’t press further, for which Freya was grateful. Instead, they continued their conversation, and Freya tried her best to focus on the present. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t escape the nagging feeling that something was wrong.

After lunch, they went to their next class together, exchanging notes and discussing the lecture. Sophia’s company was a welcome distraction, and by the time the day ended, Freya felt a little more at ease.

Back in her room that evening, Freya prepared for bed, her thoughts still swirling with the events of the day. She hadn’t seen Orion at all, and for once, she hadn’t spent much time thinking about him. Instead, her mind kept drifting back to that dream, to the feeling of being trapped in a memory she couldn’t quite remember.

As she climbed into bed, Freya reached for the bottle of pills on her nightstand. She hesitated for a moment, then decided to take one. **"Maybe this will help,"** she thought, swallowing the pill with a sip of water.

Within minutes, she felt the familiar drowsiness wash over her. As she drifted off to sleep, she found herself hoping that tonight would be different—that she wouldn’t be haunted by the same painful memories.

And for the first time in a long while, she slept soundly, the nightmares kept at bay by the gentle pull of the medication. But even in her dreams, a name lingered on the edge of her consciousness: **Orion.**

She smiled softly in her sleep, unaware that the past she had tried so hard to forget was slowly creeping back into her life.