Story 1: A Strange Dating App!? (Mystery)

Story 1: A Strange Dating App!?

When Sarah recommended the dating app, I hadn’t expected anything unusual. After all, she met her perfect boyfriend through it, and he seemed, well, perfect. Still, her words echoed in my mind: “The sign-up process is a little strange, but totally worth it.” I laughed it off at the time, assuming it was just a quirky questionnaire or some odd algorithm.

Later that evening, curiosity got the best of me, and I downloaded the app, called Heartcraft. It was sleek, minimalistic, and simple—nothing too weird. As I filled out my profile, though, I noticed some of the questions were… unusual. Instead of the standard "What are your hobbies?" or "What kind of relationship are you looking for?" it asked me to describe my ideal partner in elaborate detail: appearance, personality traits, likes, dislikes, and even flaws. I shrugged and played along, filling out each field as best as I could, describing a man who was caring, adventurous, and full of life.

When I submitted the form, the app sent a brief notification:

"Thank you for signing up! Your match will be delivered shortly."

Delivered? I thought that was just quirky marketing. The next morning, however, I found a small cardboard box sitting on my doorstep. There was no label, no sender, just my name scrawled on the top in delicate handwriting. I hesitated, but ultimately curiosity won. I brought the box inside and opened it.

Inside, nestled in pink tissue paper, was a bizarre assortment of items: a small vial filled with a shimmering pink liquid, a single rose, and a piece of white chalk. My phone buzzed in my pocket.

I pulled it out to see a new notification from Heartcraft: "Follow the instructions to summon your match. Draw a circle on the floor, think of your ideal partner, and drink the elixir."

I stared at the screen in disbelief. Summon? This was getting too weird. For a brief moment, I considered stopping right there. But then I thought about Sarah and her perfect boyfriend. If this worked for her, maybe it could work for me.

So, I did as instructed. I drew a small, neat circle on the floor with the chalk, sat down cross-legged, and held the vial in my hand. As I thought of my ideal partner—the traits I’d described in the app—a tinge of excitement ran through me. Then, without a second thought, I uncorked the vial and drank the pink liquid. It tasted sweet, almost like strawberry candy.

There was a sudden, loud poof, and pink smoke filled the room. I coughed and waved my hand to clear the air. When the smoke dissipated, I saw him—a man, standing in the center of the circle. He looked exactly like I had imagined. He was tall, with dark, tousled hair, bright green eyes, and a warm, charming smile.

“Hello,” he said, his voice soft and soothing. “I’m here for you.”

At first, it felt like a dream. He was everything I had envisioned—charming, attentive, and sweet. Over the next few days, we went on dates, he brought me thoughtful gifts, and he always seemed to know just what to say. But something about him felt... off.

He never seemed to eat much. When we had dinner together, he’d push his food around on the plate, but never take more than a bite or two. He didn’t sleep either. I would fall asleep, and when I woke up, he’d be sitting perfectly still, his eyes open, as though he had been waiting for me the entire time. And when I asked him about his past, his answers were vague.

“Where did you grow up?” I asked one evening over coffee.

He smiled. “Somewhere far away. It doesn’t really matter now, does it? I’m here.”

His responses were always like that—distant, like he had no real history.

Then, one day, I saw it.

I was walking downtown, running some errands, when I passed by a bulletin board covered with flyers. My eyes caught on one poster in particular. It was for a missing person. A man who had vanished weeks ago. His face stared back at me from the poster, his name printed in bold letters.

The face was identical to the man sitting in my living room.

My heart skipped a beat. I stood frozen, staring at the poster. There’s no way. It can’t be.

But it was. The same dark hair, the same green eyes. Except the name on the poster wasn’t the name he had given me. I felt my breath quicken as I tried to process what I was seeing.

Who was this man in my house? And what exactly had I summoned?

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