The sun filtered lazily through the tall glass windows of Lennox University, painting golden streaks across the bustling campus lawns. The courtyard was alive with laughter, sneakers squeaking across tiles, and the ever-familiar chime of class bells echoing in the air. Amongst this chaos walked three friends Zayna, Fenris, and Harv.

Zayna was the kind of girl people turned to look at twice once for her beauty, and again for her effortless presence. She had waist-length, shiny black hair that swayed like silk with every step. Her skin was porcelain fair, smooth, and radiant even under fluorescent lighting. Sharp, almond-shaped eyes framed by thick lashes made her look like she always knew more than she said. She wore a ribbed top tucked into high-waisted jeans, paired with boots that echoed confidence.

Beside her was Harv, the younger of the Adoni brothers. Harv was a ball of laughter wrapped in chaos. His tousled light-brown hair always looked like he’d just run his hand through it a hundred times, and his warm hazel eyes had a way of making people feel seen. Dressed in a casual grey hoodie and joggers, he didn’t care much for appearances. He was charming, witty, and the master of making every lecture sound like a stand-up show.

Trailing just a few steps behind them quiet but observant was Fenris.

Fenris was every bit the mystery he appeared to be. Twenty-five, calm, composed, and the complete opposite of his brother. His skin had a soft tan that hinted at his mixed heritage, his sharp jawline clean-shaven and precise. He wore a fitted black turtleneck and a long beige coat over dark jeans stylish without being loud. His silky, jet-black hair was neatly combed back, and his eyes deep-set and intense often lingered on Zayna when she wasn’t looking. Though he walked like a man used to silence, his aura spoke volumes.

People called them the Adoni Brothers, a nickname that began as a casual joke in freshman year and turned into a full-blown identity. It had a ring to it mysterious, classy, a little dangerous. Adoni wasn’t even their last name; it came from a blend of "Adonis," the Greek god of beauty and desire because, well... they looked like they walked out of a myth themselves and "Don," for the quiet power Fenris especially held.

The trio reached their usual bench near the fountain where Isaac and Alyssa were already seated. Alyssa and Isaac were the stable, loving couple in the group. Isaac tall, lean, and the kind of guy who wore denim like it was stitched to him greeted them with a nod. Alyssa, with her honey blonde curls and sun-kissed freckles, squealed when she saw Zayna.

“There you are, girl! I’ve been texting you all morning!”

“I left my phone at home!” Zayna grinned, sitting beside her.

“Left your phone?!” Alyssa raised an eyebrow. “Are you finally trying to break free from the Matrix?”

“Hey, I’m just giving the world a break from my genius.” Zayna laughed, plopping down beside her.

“More like giving us a break from your 15,000 unread messages,” Isaac teased, leaning back against the bench with his arms folded.

“Okay, okay, I admit, I’ve been a little... behind,” Zayna said, giving Isaac a playful shove.

“Let’s be honest, Zayna,” Fenris said, appearing out of nowhere with his signature smirk. “You’re probably just overwhelmed by the number of people who need your undivided attention. I mean, you are the queen of our group.”

“I’m the queen of chaos, maybe,” Zayna shot back with a grin.

Fenris chuckled and sat down next to Harv. “Same thing. Anyway, what’s the gossip today?”

The group quickly fell into easy conversation. They joked about their professors.

“Professor Malik’s lecture on quantum physics was like watching paint dry,” Harv sighed dramatically, slumping down beside them. “If I hear ‘theoretical concepts’ one more time, I might just faint.”

Zayna snorted. “Oh please, you just wanted to sleep through it. You probably dreamt you were on a beach somewhere while he was talking.”

Harv’s face lit up. “Honestly, the beach sounds pretty nice right now. Maybe I’ll just skip the next class and go work on my tan.”

“Just don’t get too sunburned, Harv,” Alyssa warned. “We all know you’re the type to look like a lobster after five minutes in the sun.”

Harv groaned. “That’s not fair! My skin’s not that bad—”

Zayna cut him off, smirking. “Yeah, it’s like a human warning sign for sunburn. People see you and think, ‘Oh, I should wear SPF 50!’”

Everyone burst into laughter, and Isaac, who had been quietly enjoying the chaos, added, “Harv, you should just embrace it. You could start a new trend—lobster chic.”

“I’m not sure that’s going to take off, Isaac,” Harv shot back, grinning. “But if it does, you’ll owe me royalties.”

Fenris leaned in. “Actually, I’m all for it. Maybe I’ll pitch it to a fashion magazine. ‘How to Look Redder Than a Tomato and Still Be Fabulous.’”

Harv dramatically gasped. “Don’t you dare. I swear if I see that headline in Vogue, you’ll owe me your entire wardrobe.”

Isaac snorted, “Which, by the way, would not be a loss for Fenris. His fashion sense is basically '90s grunge meets ‘I just rolled out of bed’.”

Fenris threw up his hands in mock offense. “Hey! I’ve got layers of depth, alright? It’s called ‘effortless style,’ Isaac.”

Alyssa raised an eyebrow. “More like ‘I forgot to do laundry for a week’ style.”

Fenris shrugged, unfazed. “Takes talent to make it look this good.”

As the laughter died down, they shifted the topic to Aveline.

“I can’t believe how weird Aveline’s been lately,” Zayna sighed, shaking her head. “She’s been so distant, like... she’s got a secret or something.”

“I know, right?” Alyssa said. “The other day, I caught her at the library actually reading—no phone, no distractions. She’s either up to something shady or she’s secretly trying to get into grad school.”

Isaac raised an eyebrow. “Well, if she’s trying to study, it’s not working. Last time I saw her, she was flipping through a book and then Googling ‘how to look smart in public’.”

Harv chuckled. “Maybe she’s just trying to reinvent herself. You know, a whole ‘mysterious new Aveline’ vibe.”

“Well, she’s not fooling me,” Zayna said, crossing her arms. “I’ll find out what’s going on... eventually.”

“I think we’re all just waiting for her to spill the tea,” Alyssa said with a wink. “But you know Aveline—she’ll act like she’s got it all figured out, until the whole thing unravels on her.”

Fenris leaned back with a smirk. “Honestly, I’m betting she’s just secretly planning a dramatic reappearance, like ‘Aveline, now with 100% more mysterious aura.’”

The group burst into laughter again, their voices blending with the soft sound of the fountain nearby. It was a moment of pure, carefree fun, the kind of day they all needed.

Later that afternoon, the group made their way into the university's media lab, a sleek space with blacked-out windows, scattered equipment, and the faint hum of editing machines running in the background. Today was filming day for their final creative project in Visual Storytelling, and their professor had given them complete creative freedom.

The concept? A dramatic short film about a mysterious love triangle.

Zayna stood at the center of the mock set—a dimly lit room decorated to look like a vintage café. Her outfit was soft and romantic: a light blue dress with delicate embroidery, and a side braid that framed her face like it was woven straight out of a period piece.

Harv adjusted his collar, wearing a crisp white button-down under a brown trench coat. He looked like a charming novelist with a secret.

“You ready to confess your undying love for me on camera?” Zayna teased, sipping her coffee prop.

Harv grinned. “I’ve been rehearsing that moment since day one. Want me to freestyle it?”

“Please don’t,” Alyssa laughed, holding up the boom mic. “Stick to the script, Romeo.”

Isaac stood beside Fenris, setting up the reflector as Fenris adjusted the lens of the camera, his face hidden behind the viewfinder—but his eyes? Fixed on Zayna.

“Camera rolling,” Fenris called out, his voice calm but deeper than usual. “Scene three. Action.”

The air shifted.

Harv stepped into character instantly. “You don’t see it, do you? Every time you walk into a room… it feels like I can breathe again.”

Zayna’s expression softened. She leaned in slightly, her eyes vulnerable, voice trembling just enough. “And when you leave?”

“I hold my breath.”

From behind the camera, Fenris’s fingers tightened slightly on the focus ring. His jaw clenched but his camera stayed steady.

Zayna’s gaze faltered—not because of the script, but because she felt something else. Something heavier. Fenris’s presence. Though he said nothing, she always knew when his eyes were on her. They carried a weight, a heat, that no spotlight could match.

“Cut,” Fenris finally said.

But no one moved. Zayna blinked, stepping back out of character with a nervous laugh. “That was… intense.”

Harv smirked. “You okay? You zoned out for a second.”

“Yeah,” she said quickly, brushing a loose strand behind her ear. “Just... really getting into it.”

Fenris set the camera down slowly. “Let’s run it again. One more take.”

Zayna nodded, but her fingers trembled slightly as she picked up the script.

This wasn’t just a university project anymore. There were real feelings bleeding through the lines and someone behind the lens was capturing more than just footage.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After the shoot, everyone headed home, tired but buzzing from the intensity of the day.

Fenris was in his room, the lights dimmed, a soft playlist humming in the background. He lay on his bed, one arm behind his head, the other holding his phone. He wasn’t really scrolling, just hovering. Waiting. Thinking. Then he opened Zayna’s Instagram. She’d posted a photo just an hour ago, a behind-the-scenes shot from the shoot. She was in costume, sitting at the café table, one eyebrow arched with a soft, mysterious smile on her lips. The lighting wrapped around her like it belonged to her, and the caption read:

“Method acting or just feeling it?”

Fenris stared at the screen longer than he meant to. Her braid, the delicate embroidery, the light in her eyes—she looked like she’d stepped out of another world. Not just beautiful, timeless. His thumb hovered over the like button, but something in him paused. He wasn’t just admiring a friend anymore. He was falling and he knew it.

Just then, a knock at his door.

Before he could react, Harv walked in without waiting. Fenris quickly locked his phone and sat up, tossing it aside like it had never been in his hand.

Harv dropped into the beanbag beside Fenris’s bed with a tired sigh. “You good?”

“Yeah,” Fenris replied, trying to sound casual. “Just... reviewing the footage.”

Harv ran a hand through his messy hair. “That scene today was insane, right? Zayna really went all in.”

Fenris nodded, trying to keep his face unreadable. There was a short pause, then Harv spoke again, his tone more serious.

“Listen… there’s something I need to tell you.”

Fenris glanced at him.

Harv took a breath. “I think I’m falling for her.”

Fenris’s chest tightened.

He kept his gaze steady, but inside, it felt like someone had flipped his world upside down. Every beat of his heart echoed in his ears. Her? Zayna?

“I know it’s fast,” Harv continued, “but it’s real. I haven’t felt this way before. She’s just… different.” Fenris forced a smile, nodding slowly "It’s different with her. It’s not a crush. I feel it like deep, real stuff.” Fenris forced a smile, nodding slowly. “Wow… didn’t see that coming. Harv laughed nervously. “Yeah, me neither. But hey, I just needed to say it out loud. You’re the only one I trust with this.”

Fenris gave him a pat on the shoulder. “I’m glad you told me.” Harv chuckled, a bit awkward. “Yeah. I didn’t know who else to tell. You’re my big bro, you always get it.” Fenris reached over, patting his shoulder. “I’m glad you told me.”

Harv smiled, relieved. “Cool. Alright, I’ll let you crash. Night, man.”

“Night.”

As soon as the door closed behind him, Fenris sat in silence, staring at nothing. The image of Zayna still floated in his mind, now twisted with something heavier. His chest felt tight, like something was slipping through his fingers before he even had the chance to hold it. He closed his eyes, the weight of unspoken things pressing down. And just like that, the chapter didn’t end with the camera’s “cut”—but with something far more difficult:

Letting go before anything had even begun.

Morning

Sunlight spilled through the sheer curtains of Zayna’s apartment, soft and golden. She stood in front of her mirror, adjusting the collar of her loose black crop shirt. The fabric hugged her frame just right, half-sleeves loose against her arms. She paired it with flowing white palazzo pants that cinched at the waist, giving her an elegant, commanding presence. Her hair was free above the waist, a silver watch wrapped delicately around her wrist. She looked polished, but she didn’t feel calm.

Her phone buzzed again.

Alyssa (3 Missed Calls)

New Message:

“ZAYNA WHERE ARE YOU. CLASS STARTED. IF YOU’RE DOING A SLOW-MO ENTRANCE I SWEAR—”

Zayna laughed softly under her breath and finally called her back. “I'm coming! I just... needed a second.”

“Girl, what second?! The whole lecture is in chaos. Harv is literally twitching.”

Zayna paused. “Twitching?”

“Yup. Like, weirdly serious and lowkey dramatic. Isaac already made three jokes, and he didn’t even flinch.”

Zayna rolled her eyes with a small smile. “Okay, okay I’ll be there in ten.”

**At University **

The classroom was buzzing with chatter. Their professor hadn’t arrived yet, and the group had turned the lecture hall into a casual comedy club. Harv sat in the second row, stiff as a mannequin. A stack of note cards sat in his lap, and he kept flipping through them then tossing them away then picking them back up.

Isaac leaned back in his chair, whispering to Alyssa, “What's happening to him?”

Alyssa smirked. “That's what i am thinking.”

But Fenris, sitting two rows behind, wasn’t laughing. He watched Harv silently, elbows resting on his knees, fingers loosely interlaced. His sharp black henley clung to his arms as he leaned forward just slightly, brows furrowed. He knew that look on Harv’s face.

It wasn’t nerves.

It was intent.

Later – At the Café

After class, the group wandered into the café as usual. The day had warmed up, sunlight dripping through the glass windows and painting their table gold. Zayna sat near the window, sipping her iced latte, half-listening to Alyssa talk about an influencer who’d gotten banned for editing clouds into every selfie. Fenris sat alone again not too far, not too close. Watching Zayna who didnt noticed his appearance. Harv wasn’t there yet. Until suddenly—he was.

He wasn’t his usual bouncy self today. He walked toward them with slow, confident steps. Gone was the playful energy. His outfit matched his mood: a fitted charcoal turtleneck under a tailored navy blazer, black jeans, and clean white sneakers. Sleek. Intentional. Almost too put together. Zayna looked up, surprised by his serious face. “Hey—”

But he didn’t say hey. Instead, he stopped right in front of her, glanced once at Alyssa and Isaac, then turned fully to Zayna. “I know this is a weird place to say this,” he began, voice steady, louder than usual enough for nearby tables to notice, “but I can’t keep it in anymore.”

The café gasped. Someone audibly said, “WHAT?!” Zayna’s eyes went wide. Her face flushed instantly a deep pink that crept up her cheeks to the tips of her ears. She blinked.

Alyssa leaned forward with a soft “Oh my God.”

Isaac muttered, “No way...”

“I like you, Zayna,” Harv said clearly. “I like you, Zayna. Not like… joking or maybe or kind of. I really like you. I think about you constantly. You make everything better.......louder, funnier, warmer. I had to say it. I couldn’t keep pretending.” The café fell into a soft hush. Zayna froze. Cheeks flushed, lips parted, eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights. Her hands fidgeted in her lap. She could feel the weight of everyone’s attention on her but none more than the one burning from across the room.

At the other side of the café, behind his coffee mug, Fenris sat alone. He wore a black full-sleeve henley shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, paired with slate-grey chinos. He looked sharp, unreadable, calm, except for his eyes. His gaze was fixed on Harv. His jaw was tight. The coffee in front of him remained untouched. A single, faint smile curved on his lips, but it wasn’t friendly. It was the kind of smile a storm wears before it breaks. Inside, Fenris was raging. His blood boiled with the kind of anger that doesn’t shout—it simmers. The kind that clenches fists under the table. The kind that imagines flipping that table over. He confessed. Publicly. To her. To Zayna.

Back at the table, Zayna finally blinked and found her voice, though it was quiet, unsure. “Harv... I—I didn’t expect this.”

“I know,” Harv said softly, a faint hope in his eyes. “But I meant every word.”

"So… yeah. I like you. A lot. And I don’t care who hears it.”

The room exploded. Tables banged. Girls squealed. One guy near the coffee machine dropped his sandwich.

“IS THIS REAL?”

“She’s literally the main character!”

“Zayna, you’re LIVING the dream!”

“Marry him!” someone yelled from the corner.

Alyssa had her hands over her mouth. “I can’t breathe. I actually can’t breathe.”

Zayna sat frozen for a second, lips parted, blinking like she was trying to wake up.

A soft gasp echoed from somewhere nearby. Alyssa bit her lip, barely whispering to Isaac, “This is so intense.” Zayna sat perfectly still. Her eyes locked on his. Her face flushed, not just from shock but from how public it all was. Then, slowly, she stood. Her voice was calm but clear. “Harv…” He looked at her, hope all over his face. She glanced around at the eyes staring. And then—to Fenris.

Zayna swallowed. “I…” she started, then stopped, heart pounding in her ears. “Harv, this is—wow, I wasn’t expecting this!” She chuckled in nervousness

He waited, hands folded behind his back like a soldier waiting for orders.

“I don’t know what to say right now,” she admitted honestly, her voice a little shaky. “But… thank you for being honest......hmmmmm ........Really!”

Harv smiled, a small sigh of relief escaping his lips. “Take your time. I just wanted it off my chest.”

She nodded, still a bit overwhelmed. “Yeah.......I will.”

The mood at the table shifted. Everyone returned stopped cheeringand shifted to their drinks and whispered conversations, but Fenris?

He didn’t say a word. He simply stood up, walked outside, and lit a cigarette he didn’t even finish. He wasn’t heartbroken!

He was furious!