Episode 3

That Sender

Pages of the Unknown

Sana’s fingers trembled as she zoomed in on the picture of the journal. Her full name was there, clear as day. It was impossible—completely absurd—but there it was.

She quickly typed a response.

"Jake. This isn’t funny. If you’re messing with me—"

His reply came before she could finish overthinking.

"I swear I’m not. I’m just as confused as you are."

Sana swallowed hard.

"Read me the first page."

A long pause. Then, a message.

"Are you sure?"

"Jake."

Another pause.

"Alright."

Sana’s heart pounded as Jake sent the next message.

"September 17th. Today, I saw him again. He doesn’t recognize me, of course. He never does. But I know him. I always know him."

Sana’s breath hitched.

"What? Who is ‘he’?"

"I don’t know," Jake replied. "That’s all it says on the first page."

Sana exhaled sharply, gripping her phone tighter. This was insane. Why was there a journal written about her? And who was this mystery person being talked about?

She typed again.

"Keep going."

Jake hesitated.

"Some pages are torn out, but the next one is from a few weeks later."

He started typing again.

"October 5th. I tried to change things. I really did. But the more I try, the more it happens the same way. I wonder if this time will be any different. Maybe this time, I won’t have to say goodbye."

Sana’s stomach twisted.

"Jake. Stop."

She didn’t want to hear more. Couldn’t.

But he sent one last message.

"October 12th. He finally spoke to me. I shouldn’t be happy, but I am. This is how it always starts. And this is how it always ends."

Sana’s body turned ice-cold.

"This isn’t about me," she typed, almost pleading. "It can’t be."

Jake’s response was immediate.

"Turn your camera on."

She froze.

"Why?"

"Just do it. I need to show you something."

Her hands were shaking as she tapped the video call button. The screen flickered for a moment before Jake’s face appeared.

And when she saw him, her world tilted.

Because she knew that face.

She had seen it before.

Not once.

Not twice.

But in her dreams.

For as long as she could remember.

Jake looked just as stunned as she was.

"Tell me I’m crazy," he said, his voice quiet but intense. "Tell me you’ve never seen me before."

Sana couldn’t speak. Couldn’t breathe.

Because she had seen him before.

She had seen him in every dream where she was running.

Every dream where she was searching.

Every dream where she was saying goodbye.

And she had no idea why.

Who is Jake to Sana? What does the journal mean? And why does this feel like a story that’s already been written?

That Sender

The Forgotten Past

Sana stared at Jake through the screen, her mind spinning.

She had no explanation for it, but she knew him. Not in the way you know a classmate or a familiar face from social media. She knew him in a way that made no sense—like a memory half-forgotten, a dream that refused to fade.

Jake’s expression was unreadable. "Say something."

She swallowed hard. "I… I don’t know what to say."

"You remember me, don’t you?" His voice was low, almost hesitant.

Sana wanted to deny it, to tell him this was all some bizarre coincidence. But she couldn’t.

"I don’t know how, but yes. I think I do."

Jake exhaled, rubbing his face. "That makes two of us."

Silence stretched between them.

It was Sana who finally broke it. "The journal… does it say anything about this? About us?"

Jake hesitated, then reached for the book. Sana could hear the soft rustling of pages. "Let me check," he muttered, flipping through them. His eyes suddenly stopped on something. His face paled.

"What is it?" Sana asked, anxiety twisting in her stomach.

Jake didn’t answer right away. When he finally did, his voice was tight.

"Sana… there’s a date in here. A really specific one."

Her breath caught. "What date?"

He looked up at her through the screen, eyes serious.

"November 3rd. Three days from now."

Sana’s heart dropped. "And what does it say?"

Jake inhaled sharply. "It says, 'On November 3rd, we meet again. And this time, I have to stop it.'"

Her blood turned to ice. "Stop what?"

Jake shook his head. "I don’t know."

Something about those words sent panic through her veins. Three days. Something was going to happen in three days, and she had no idea what.

Sana felt her chest tighten. "Jake… I think we need to meet."