The Last Encounter

The sun cast long shadows over the grand, historic Trinity College, Dublin, as Arin and his friends walked through the cobbled pathways, their eyes scanning every face in the crowded courtyard.

He had come all the way to Dublin, chasing a hope that felt foolish yet irresistible. She studied here—at least, that’s what he had heard. It had been months since she had disappeared from his life, leaving behind only unanswered texts and a silence that gnawed at him.

His friends, though supportive, grew tired as the search stretched from the library to the central square, from the old bookshop to the bustling café near the campus gates.

"Maybe she's not here," one of them muttered.

Maybe she was never meant to be found.

Disappointed, Arin turned away, his heart sinking. They had spent hours searching, and he was ready to leave behind this foolish pursuit. The streets of Dublin blurred into a haze as they walked toward the tram station.

And then—he saw her.

She was sitting at an outdoor café, bathed in the golden hue of the setting sun. A soft breeze played with her hair as she laughed at something her companion said. Someone else. A stranger, a man he didn't recognize.

Arin stopped, his breath hitching.

She noticed him. Their eyes met. A flicker of recognition. A moment too short to hold on to.

He walked up to her, heart pounding like a war drum.

"You disappeared," he said, his voice steady but cold.

She hesitated, searching for words that never came. The man beside her glanced at Arin, sensing the tension.

"You should go," she finally whispered.

A storm raged inside him, but the battle was already lost.

Without another word, Arin turned and walked away, the sounds of Dublin fading behind him. His friends followed in silence. No words were needed—this was the end of a chapter that should have closed long ago.

As he stepped onto the tram, the city lights flickered to life. Somewhere behind him, she still sat with someone else, a life no longer tied to his.

The journey home felt longer than ever.


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