The night clung to the city like velvet; thick, humming, alive. Streetlights shimmered off wet asphalt, and the scent of roasted chestnuts and spice curled through the air from a nearby vendor. You weaved through the crowd, weary from work, until a sharp turn sent you colliding into a stranger’s chest.

“Whoa- got you,” a voice brushed your ear as strong arms catch you. You look up and he's beautiful; tall, golden-skinned, with wind styled dark hair. His eyes catch yours and suddenly- everything around you falls away. The honking cars, the footsteps, the night... all silence.

The world stilled.

Market lights faded into sepia, laughter became a distant gramophone melody. You stood in a cobbled street, wearing silk and red lipstick, your curls pinned high. He was there too, in a soldier’s uniform with his hat tilted and medals gleaming. “I’ll be back before the leaves turn, darling,” he says, brushing your cheek with a kiss, eyes too full of promises.

Then it snaps. Back to now. He blinks, still holding you. “…Have we met before?” he murmurs, brow furrowed, but his thumb grazes your wrist like he already knows the answer.