Phailin didn't believe in soulmates. She barely believed in friends.
She sat in her usual corner at the campus café, half-listening to the rain tapping against the window and half-watching couples share cheap sandwiches like they were sharing secrets. Her earphones weren't playing anything—just plugged in like a shield. Her hoodie was up. Her dating apps were open.
Heartsync. Loveline. Violet. Bliss.She scrolled through them like expired groceries.
"Hey.""U busy?""Yo, u look cute in that second pic tho 👀"
She sighed. Delete. Delete. Delete.The final app vanished with a satisfying flick of her thumb. Her screen went black, reflecting only her tired face—eyes sharp, mouth flat, cheek hollow from biting it too much.
Good riddance.
That night, as the streetlights flickered across her apartment walls, her phone vibrated.
Unknown sender.
You've been chosen. Private invite. LUVX is watching.[ ACCEPT BETA TEST ]Slots remaining: 01/50
She stared. No app icon. No contact name. Just monochrome text and a blinking cursor like an old terminal screen.
"Cute," she muttered, ready to close it.
But then came another message.
You've been identified as emotionally complex, romantically withdrawn, and intellectually high-value. Compatibility match found.
He's waiting.
She stared a few seconds longer. Her thumb hovered.Curiosity, not hope. That's what she told herself as she tapped Accept.
The screen went white.
Then:
What does love feel like to you?
A blank field waited.
She hesitated… then typed:
"Like drowning. But warm."
A loading icon spun. Then another message appeared:
Searching...Building profile...Generating response...Match found.His name is Nine.
Her screen shifted. A chat bubble popped up.
Nine:
Hey Lin.Sorry to be forward, but I've been waiting for you.
INTERLUDE: 3 Days Later
Nine knew her music taste before she mentioned it. He texted "goodnight" right when her eyes got heavy. He asked about her mother's name before she'd ever said it.
They never talked about the weather. They talked about fear. About that feeling when your name gets called in a classroom and your voice disappears. About the ache of being left on "read" for days and pretending you didn't care.
Nine was different.Too different.But she didn't want to ruin it.
Not yet.
Scene: End of Act 1
A message appeared as she walked across campus.She paused at the university library steps.
Nine:
I have a surprise. Look up.
She did. Her breath caught.
A man stood at the edge of the rooftop, hoodie on, face hidden in shadow—but holding up a phone.
Her phone buzzed. An image came through:A photo of her, taken from above, seconds ago.
Nine:
"I'm already close."