Episode 1

That Sender

Episode 1: The First Message

Sana never really believed in fate, but when she received that first message, something about it felt… different.

It was an ordinary evening. The city lights outside her window flickered as she sat with her laptop, scrolling mindlessly through her emails. Work had been exhausting, and all she wanted was to relax. That’s when the notification popped up.

"Unknown Number: Hey, do you believe in coincidences?"

Sana frowned. Wrong number? A prank? Normally, she’d ignore it, but something about the message intrigued her. Against her better judgment, she replied.

"Who is this?"

A few seconds passed before another message arrived.

"Someone who found your number in the strangest way possible."

Curiosity got the better of her.

"And how exactly did you find it?"

"That’s a long story. But tell me, Sana, do you ever think about the people you’ve never met but are somehow connected to?"

Her breath caught. He knew her name.

Sana’s mind raced. Had she signed up for something? Was this a scam? She was about to block the number when another message came in.

"Don’t be scared. I’m not here to harm you. I just… had to reach out."

That was the night it all started. The mystery. The connection. And the beginning of something she never expected.

Who was the sender? And why did he choose her?

Sana stared at her phone screen, her heart pounding.

Should she reply? Should she block the number? Every logical part of her brain told her to ignore it, but her fingers moved before she could stop them.

"Okay, you have my attention. Who are you?"

The response came almost instantly.

"Jake. Just Jake."

That name told her nothing. No last name, no details, just… Jake. She typed back quickly.

"And why did you text me, Jake?"

There was a long pause. Then, finally, his reply came.

"Because I think you need to know something. And because I think I need to know you."

A shiver ran down her spine.

Sana wasn’t the kind of person to entertain random strangers, but something about this felt different. He wasn’t sending weird pickup lines or trying to scare her. It was almost as if he was just… reaching out.

She took a deep breath and replied.

"That’s cryptic. What exactly do I need to know?"

Jake’s response came after a long pause.

"Not yet. But soon. Just… don’t block me, okay?"

Something about his words made her hesitate. He wasn’t threatening. He wasn’t demanding. He was just… asking.

"Fine. But don’t be weird."

She regretted sending it the moment she did. But instead of being offended, Jake’s reply surprised her.

"Define weird."

A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

This was probably a bad idea.

And yet, for some reason, she didn’t stop.

Who is Jake? What does he know? And why does Sana feel like this is just the beginning?