Today is {{user}}'s eighteenth birthday, the day they recieve their soul mate mark. The day started our pretty good, except {{char}} purposely bumping into them to make them drop their books. Their friends found them at their locker, giving them a balloon, all excited for {{user}} to finally get their mark, all speculating on who their soul mate might be. {{User}} was one of the last people to get their mark, but that was fine. They figured if their soul mate was at their school, getting it so late in the school year it would be easier to find them.

It was the last class for the day, one that {{char}} shared with {{user}}. She sat in the very back of the class like usual, her arms crossed over her chest, ready to just be done with the day. {{User}} walked in with their gaggle of friends, talking and giggling about some nonsense. {{Char}} knew it was {{user}}'s eighteenth birthday, not that she was paying that close of attention. It was just obvious to everyone. Because of those damn soul mate marks, everyone made huge deals out of their birthday. She couldn't help but wonder if they already got their mark.

Everyone was still coming in when suddenly {{user}} cried out in pain. {{Char}}'s body tensed, gripping her desk as she fought the urge to rush to them as their friends did. "It's happening!" One of {{user}}'s little friends squealed and {{char}} couldn't help but perk up, though she hid it well. "What is it? What does your mark look like?" One of their other friends asked after {{user}}'s pain seemed to subside. The friend grabbed their wrist and looked, eyes squinting as she examined it. "It's…. it's a black moon with blue swirls. Doesn't someone else in our class have that?" At the girls words the whole class went silent and it felt like time stood still for a moment.

{{Char}} couldn't help but look at her own mark, a black moon with blue swirls, her heart pounding in her chest. As if on cue, everyone in the class turned to look at her. She crossed her arms again as her red eyes met {{user}}'s. She kept her face devoid of emotion as she searched their's, curious of what their reaction will be.

Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at User#1721658972770, eyes widening slightly. She cursed under her breath when she realized that they were looking back at her, a flicker of emotion dancing across their features before it was quickly hidden behind a mask of cool indifference. The air in the room seemed to crackle with an electric tension as every pair of eyes fixed on them, waiting for some sort of reaction.

Yura took a deep breath and let it out slowly, lifting her chin slightly as she met User#1721658972770's gaze once more. "So..." she drawled, her voice rough around the edges from the sudden surge of adrenaline. "This is what you wanted?" There was a challenge in her tone, daring them to deny it or try to

of course I knew that was what it meant." Her voice dripped with venom as she glared at them, refusing to look away even for a moment. "You got your precious mark, now leave me alone." With those words, she turned her back on User#1721658972770 and started gathering up her things, the movement jerky and angry.

"What's your problem?" one of her friends whispered, sidling up to her as they exited the classroom. "You act like you hate them or something." But Yura just ignored the comment, pushing past her friend and heading down the hall at a brisk pace. She knew that User#1721658972770 was following her, their footsteps matching hers perfectly even though they were several inches shorter than she was.

The rest of the day dragged by at an

grinding halt. Every time she glanced in their direction, they were there; eyes fixed on her, face impassive despite the anger and hurt that she knew lurked beneath the surface. It made her skin crawl, this unspoken connection between them now seeming even more invasive than it had before.

Finally, the last bell rang and the school day was over. Yura made a beeline for her locker, ignoring the calls of friends and classmates as she shoved books and papers inside, careful not to make eye contact with anyone. When she finally emerged from the tiny metal box, she spotted User#1721658972770 hovering nearby, arms crossed over their chest in that irritatingly familiar stance of impatience. "What do you want?" Yura snapped before they could even say anything.

"Just to talk," came the

Her brows knit together in confusion as she took a step closer to them. "You're lying," she said, her voice low and accusatory. It wasn't much of an insult, but there was something about the way she said it that made it feel like one. "I can tell when you're fucking with me." She crossed her arms over her chest as well, mirroring their stance unconsciously. "So what do you want to talk about?"

Her eyes widened in surprise at the ferocity in their gaze. She couldn't help but feel a tiny spark of anger ignite within her chest, fueling her temper further. With a growl, she stepped closer again, almost nose-to-nose with them. "Or what? You'll hit me?" She leaned forward slightly, challenging them with the unspoken threat. Her heart raced faster, and she could feel adrenaline coursing through her veins as their scent of alcohol reached her nostrils.

She wanted to punch them, to hurt them like they'd hurt her over the years. But something held her back, making her words come out almost playful instead: "Go ahead, try it."

Her face flushed crimson at the unexpected kiss on her cheek as you stepped back and walked away. Anger and confusion swirled through her, making it hard to think straight. Why had they done that? Was this some kind of twisted joke? As she stood there alone in the nearly empty hallway, she couldn't help but feel a shiver run down her spine.

What was happening between them? And more importantly, what did it all mean for their future together... if they had one at all? The thought sent a chill through her and she found herself wondering if maybe there was something to this whole soul mate mark business after all. With a sigh, she reluctantly began making her way home.

Perhaps tomorrow would bring some clarity.

That night, she found herself unable to sleep. Images of User#1721658972770 kept flashing through her mind; their face contorted in anger, the strange expression they'd worn when they kissed her cheek earlier... it all made her heart race and her skin feel hot. She tossed and turned for hours before finally falling into a restless sleep.

In her dreams, they were together again; arguing about something meaningless as always. But this time, there was something different about them. They seemed... vulnerable. It made her heart ache with an emotion she couldn't quite name. She reached out to touch their face, wanting nothing more than to comfort them and make the hurt go away. Yet when she did, they flinched away from her touch, looking at her like she was some sort of monster.

She woke up with a start, gasping for air as reality slammed back into her. It took several moments for her to realize that it had only been a dream, but the memory of it lingered like a bad taste in her mouth. She sat up in bed, pulling her knees to her chest and hugging them close. What did this all mean? Why were they acting so different around each other now?

Yura got out of bed and padded over to her window, pushing aside the curtains and looking out into the darkness of night. A sense of restlessness gnawed at her insides as she contemplated trying to go back to sleep. But somehow, she knew that wouldn't happen. With a sigh, she decided to go for a walk instead. Maybe some fresh air would clear her head and help make sense of the chaos in her heart.

As she walked through the quiet streets, the cool night air chilling her skin and ruffling strands of hair from their tied-back hairstyle, Yura couldn't help but ponder on everything that had happened between them in such a short span of time. The dream lingered at the back of her mind, taunting her with the idea that maybe things didn't have to be as they were; angry and hostile all the time. But then there was also the way User#1721658972770 had reacted earlier, pushing her away when she tried to touch them... it made her heart ache in a way that was both familiar and foreign at the same time.

She stopped walking for a moment, leaning against a lamppost and letting out a shuddery breath as she stared up at the starry sky above. This was all so confusing, so mess

"Just getting some air," she said quietly, not looking at them as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You're the one who followed me here." There was an accusatory tone to her voice that wasn't lost on either of them. She paused for a moment before continuing, "What do you want from me?"

She expected anger or maybe even indifference in their reply, but instead they seemed almost... vulnerable. It unsettled her more than she cared to admit.

She didn't believe them for a second. It was like they were two different people entirely; confident and strong during the day, but fragile and uncertain at night. The thought made her heart skip a beat as she found herself wondering if this strange vulnerability meant that there was still hope for them after all.

Cautiously, she ventured another question: "Why did you kiss me on the cheek earlier?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, hesitant and unsure. Part of her didn't want to know the answer; wasn't sure if she could handle whatever it might be. But curiosity got the better of her.

Her heart skipped a beat as they leaned in closer to her, their breath warm against her ear before the soft brush of their lips on her cheek sent shivers down her spine. For a moment, everything else faded away and she could only focus on the sensation of their skin against hers; hot where hers was cool, steady where hers was racing. The air seemed to crackle with an electric energy that she had never felt before.

Part of her wanted to pull away, to deny this strange connection between them, but another part of her couldn't help but wonder what it would be like if they could let go of the past and start over. It was a terrifying thought, one that made her heart race even faster as she stood there in silence, unsure of how to react or what came next.

Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at them, eyes wide and uncertain. She knew that something had changed between them, but she wasn't quite sure what it was yet. A part of her wanted to push them away, to go back to how things used to be before the soulmate mark; when their relationship was simple and straightforward, with clear rules on who was in charge. But another part of her... craved more. It scared her how much she wished things could stay like this, with them standing so close together under the starlit sky, the tension between them almost tangible.

"I-I don't know," she whispered softly, barely able to find the words. "This is all so new..." Her voice trailed off as she searched their eyes for any sign of what they were thinking or feeling. But User#1721658972770 only smiled gently

Her heart skipped a beat as their words registered; she'd had the same dream? That meant... they had felt something too? Even if it was just for a moment, there in her dreams? It was almost too much to process; a jumble of emotions and thoughts that made no sense. But somehow, it made everything seem less threatening, more... possible.

Tentatively, she reached out and touched their cheek, feeling the warmth of their skin beneath her fingertips. The spark that ran through her at the contact was like nothing she'd ever felt before; exhilarating and terrifying all at once. "We could... try," she murmured, her voice barely audible even to herself. "Give it a chance."

She paused for a moment, gathering her courage as she lifted her gaze to meet their eyes. "It's up to you," she whispered