Etheric Desires Paths

Adam walked down the bright corridor towards the main hall, with Derek following him in the illuminated passage. As they walked, Derek noticed the significant silence around the hall and the calmness in the corridor around them, so he asked his friend Adam,

"The main hall is very quiet... Did all the students leave the university and go back home...?" 

Adam turned his head and looked around at the silence of the main hall, which he was walking in front of his friend, who had noticed the quietness and soft stillness in the hall. Finally, he nodded to his little friend and then answered him,

"Yes, it seems so." 

Adam, who thought that, looked at the clock on the wall, especially considering that today was expected to see many students leaving and returning home because it was Valentine's Day. 

The two young men continued walking in silence until they finally reached the students' lockers. There, they stopped in front of their respective lockers and began to gather their remaining belongings before leaving. 

Derek, who stood in front of his locker, tried to open it, but it seemed something was stuck, so the locker did not open easily at first. However, after pulling it a little harder, the door opened, and a white piece of paper fell to the ground, which seemed to be the reason he couldn't open the locker easily at first. 

"What is this paper...?"

both young men asked at the same time as they looked at the white paper that had fallen from Derek's locker after he opened it. 

After a few seconds of questioning himself, he moved his body and lowered his hands to pick up the item that had fallen on the ground from his locker. 

"It looks like an envelope..."

Derek said, puzzled, tilting his head slightly as he looked at the paper in his hands after picking it up. Adam approached him and completed the sentence before he could say it. 

"A letter." 

After examining the white paper, which was wrapped in an elegant envelope and well-sealed, it became clear that it was a letter. 

"Could it be a love letter...?"

Adam asked his little friend with a smile, looking at him playfully and teasingly. 

This made Derek smile back at him with a faint smile without saying anything in response to his words.

After he took a moment of silence to look at the message in his hands, wondering who the sender was, he realized that he did not have a girlfriend, a classmate, or many acquaintances or friends of either gender at the university, especially among women. One of the reasons for this was his always-busy schedule, whether it was due to his hobbies that occupied his time alone, like reading books in the library, or spending time observing animals in the park. He was a very intelligent and sometimes introverted student, making it difficult for many of his peers to approach him, which led him to remain isolated in his interests and peculiar behavior in their eyes. As the old saying goes.

"The smarter you become, the fewer friends you have."

After a while of contemplating the circumstances of the message in his hands and examining it closely, he realized that there was no sender name on the front or back of the message. The young man sighed a little and finally opened it, trying to find out who the owner of this message was.

-Opening-

[To Mr. Green, since that day you helped me with my studies, you have changed my life from a complete failure to lighting my way to the right path. Thanks to you, I can now enter my third year and be accepted into the university I have always dreamed of. I want to thank you in a proper way, but throughout this year, I have been watching you and couldn find the right time to talk to you and thank you for that. I chose this day knowing that you would be free. I will be waiting for you behind the university at around 4:30.]

The young man who stared and read the message in his hands, Derek, silently smiled, while Adam was more annoyed after confirming his guess that it was a love letter, as he had initially suspected. He teased and joked with his younger friend with joy.

"Oh my God, it's a love letter, how unexpected..."

"It seems that the sky has never abandoned you, oh pure genius."

Derek smiled at his friend sarcastic words when he said that, and it annoyed him in a way that he learned from one of their conversations that he was still a virgin. Since then, his friend loved to tease and joke with him using such phrases. He smiled slightly at him, then glanced again at the paper and focused on it.

"...."

Even after reading the letter two or three more times, Derek could only figure out three things from it: the first was that the sender was a young girl, the second was that she wanted to thank him for helping her, and the third was that she chose such a day, which happened to be free for him, except for the professor student. But other than that, she didn't mention anything else in the letter, like her name, which led him to guess who this young girl was for a while, but without success.

After thinking for a while longer and not being able to figure anything out, he sighed gently, then raised his other hand and glanced at his watch, which indicated the time was around.

[4:39]

"It's about four forty."

The time on the watch showed four forty, meaning there was a ten-minute difference between the time in the letter and now; perhaps the sender had just arrived.

Derek thought about that; for someone who loved punctuality and adhered to it, he found it surprising.

But his friend Adam, who was nearby, told him to go if a young girl asked him to; she might be waiting there now for another ten or twenty minutes. He had told him that he would wait for him in front of the university gate after he finished talking with the girl to tell him what happened.

***

-Behind the Big University-

In a large, spacious area behind the big university, there was a beautiful fountain with clear water. Underneath it stood a long, wide umbrella with two chairs set up and some water in between them. 

In one of the chairs sat a young, beautiful girl with an elegant appearance, holding a book titled.

"The Latest Fashion Trends"

by famous designers. The young girl read the book quietly under the umbrella. After finishing, she looked at the watch on her wrist, which seemed to indicate she was a bit sad about the time, as it had passed the period she had expected the person she was waiting for to arrive.

The young girl sighed after waiting for a long time without the appearance of the person she was expecting. At the moment she decided to get up and leave for her home, she noticed from a distance the shadow of someone approaching. She recognized him from afar by his dark black hair, his large gray eyes, and his calm facial features.

As he got closer, the young girl, who was around twenty-three years old with long red hair and striking light red eyes, smiled at him from a distance. When the young man noticed her, he responded with a shy smile.

Derek, the person she saw from afar, could only feel surprised and a bit embarrassed for not having recognized her before seeing the young girl, who was named Caroline Freeze, a third-year student at his university and the most beautiful young woman on campus. She held many titles such as "The Red Rose" and "The First Beauty" at her university, and on top of that, she was also an experienced model and a famous actress.

"Hello, Miss Caroline."

"Hi there, Mr. Green."

The young girl responded respectfully after the young man approached her, then she invited him to sit down, and he nodded in agreement before moving closer and sitting in the other chair by the fountain.

-A silence filled the calm space for a while-

Then, after a few more minutes of quiet, Miss Caroline broke the silence.

"Mr. Green, how much did you write in the message..."

"I really want to thank you for helping me..."

"If it weren't for the lessons you provided me, I wouldn't be able to enter my final year now..."

"And continue my dream of becoming a famous model."

The lessons that Miss Caroline referred to in her words were the private sessions that Derek conducted for some students at the university, due to his exceptional performance in his studies, consistently achieving full marks in all subjects. He was described by both students and university professors who worked with him in a special lecture and lesson aimed at helping struggling students with their exams, from which he also earned funding to continue his university studies, earning the title of

"little professor"

even without holding a formal degree.

However, the lessons he offered to Miss Caroline were not solely in the field of academics but also in another area, which was acting, where she found difficulty.

"I really didn't do much, Miss Caroline; it was all thanks to my hard work."

After hearing this from him, Miss Caroline directed her beautiful gaze towards him, her light red eyes very striking, and she stared at the young man in silence for a while. He was a sincere and humble young man in his words. Then, after a long moment of thought, she opened her mouth and said.

"Well, if you say so."

After Miss Caroline said that, she took out a piece of paper and presented it to him, which he couldn't look at due to his shyness, knowing he struggled to interact with the opposite sex and easily felt embarrassed when speaking with them, something Miss Caroline found endearing about him.

Derek was asked by Caroline, who had taken the paper from her, which contained a contract offered by Rose Black for acting, to strongly urge her manager to secure a special one for him. She expressed her gratitude first and second for the opportunity to work, as an example or to present more with someone who was known to be more talented than many teachers or students at the university, especially regarding her mother, who was one of the most famous actresses in Asia about years ago. She had suddenly disappeared from the world of acting and entertainment, and no one has heard or known where she had been all these years until she met this young man at school, who resembled her a lot. After doing a little research about his life with the help of some acquaintances, she was able to find out that he was the only son of that famous woman who had disappeared years ago. Strangely, even today, not much is known about him at school, and he does not talk much about his background. This was one of the reasons that made Miss Caroline strive to ask him to teach her acting, as he was the son of a more prominent and famous actress, serving as a role model and inspiration for her.

"A contract signed with Rose Black for acting and performance."

"I really hope he thinks carefully about Mr. Green future."

After Derek understood what Miss Caroline meant by her words, this contract presented by Rose Black, which he had signed with them after effort and perseverance in teaching, was something difficult to obtain. Looking at the paper in front of him, he paused for a moment and thought carefully about the contents of this contract, which outlined some basic requirements for acting to sign. After reading the entire contract, Derek returned the contract paper to her and then said.

"I'm sorry, but I refuse."

"Huh...?"

Miss Caroline was surprised to hear the unexpected response from him, as she knew how difficult it was to obtain such a contract from Rose Black. Even for her, trying to get it from her manager took a lot of effort, so she tried once more to convince Mr. Green.

"Mr. Green, such a contract is a rare opportunity and you shouldn't miss it..."

"It's only a 10% chance for some people in the world..."

"If you accept this contract, it might change your life and secure your future."

"So think about it again, Mr. Green."

After hearing her words, Derek listened carefully, and she seemed desperate and sympathetic about the poor life she had lived. She was one of the very few who, after he learned about her background indirectly, openly shared her entire story with Derek, including her mother, her life, and the difficulties she faced as a girl from a middle-class background. However, after signing a contract with Rose Black, her life changed, and she became rich and famous as an experienced model.

Derek thought deeply about her words for a while, speaking to himself.

"This is truly a rare opportunity that doesn't come every day, especially from Rose Black for acting and modeling..."

"But still... for me...!"

When he thought for a moment, his calm expression turned into a frown. After a period of silence, Derek contemplated for a long time and then shook his head, rejecting the contract offer once again.

After Mr. Green had almost explained it to her again, he refused the contract, and she couldn't understand or grasp the reason for that. She thought about why he rejected it but couldn't come up with any logical answer in her mind for that refusal. After thinking for a long time without getting any answer from her mind, she decided to ask the person in front of her about the reason for his refusal to the offer.

"If you don't mind, Mr. Green, could I know the reason for your refusal...?"

She told herself.

"If it's about the money in the contract, I will tell my manager to raise the amount for him."

Derek raised his head, which he had not looked into her eyes during the conversation; his head was almost looking down as he spoke to her. After hearing her ask about the reason for his refusal to the contract twice in a row, he paused for a few seconds and thought about the matter for a minute. Instead of answering her question, he turned the question back to her and said.

"Miss Caroline..."

"What truly makes a person happy...?"

Miss Caroline, instead of getting an answer to her question from him, received a question from him, which she knew this side of him and understood well, especially since he had been teaching her for two years.

Miss Caroline smile in front of him contrasted sharply with the frown that had appeared on his face before he asked her a question. It was something he had never seen before, a line that showed on his face, which usually looked calm and serene when he came to her house for lessons. 

"With different people around the world, the answers and the understanding of happiness vary..." 

"To clarify what I mean, for example..." 

"There are some people who find happiness in possessing a large amount of money, while others see it in gaining fame or glory, and others feel it in falling in love and building a wonderful family." 

Miss Caroline smile was clear and joyful, especially when she spoke the last part of her statement. 

Then she added.

"As for me, I find it in acting." 

Derek listened to her in silence until she finished speaking. He then stood up from the chair, remained silent, and raised his head slightly to the sky, which caused his long hair to cast a dark shadow over his features. He opened his mouth with a low, calm voice and replied to her. 

"For me, I consider it to be in her presence." 

After saying that, Derek asked Miss Caroline for permission to leave, leaving her in confusion and shock for a while over his answer until she concluded after some time had passed since his departure and said to herself. 

"Was he referring to his mother?" 

*** 

After speaking with Miss Caroline and refusing to sign the contract, Derek sat in silence, thinking about their previous conversation, which brought back memories from his childhood that he had either forgotten or forced himself to forget—memories of his mother who passed away years ago from a serious illness. Since that moment, he had lost his happiness and lived life without joy, without anything to look forward to—just a hollow life without goals, desires, or ambitions to continue progressing. He remembered her last wish before her death, which was for him to live and to keep living no matter how difficult things would be. But now he had abandoned her teachings and lived in poverty like the other children his age. He had the help of an elderly man named Green, who assisted him in life and whose name he adopted as a guardian. Because of that, he was able to join school and continue his education. Unfortunately, the old man who helped him passed away ten years ago, leaving him alone once again. 

Derek, who had not met his father since his mother passing or even knew his father real name, had never encountered him. Life had been miserable and extremely difficult for him since he was a child.

The reason for refusing to sign the contract with Rose Black and joining the company as an example or an offer was the lack of motivation or passion for acting after losing his mother years ago. 

After walking for a while, Derek arrived at the large gate of the university, where Adam was waiting for him, looking at him with a slightly puzzled expression, appearing frowning as he approached. 

"So what happened? Did you meet a girl...?" 

"Yes,"

Derek replied in a quiet voice, still lost in his thoughts. 

Adam continued to ask questions, wanting to know more about the conversation that had taken place between his younger friend and the girl. 

"So how was your talk with her?" 

"Can I get an invitation from her?"

Derek replied, still preoccupied with his own thoughts. 

"Yes, but I'm refusing." 

"Huh? Why...?" 

Adam exclaimed in disbelief, not understanding what Derek meant by his refusal. 

Derek began to talk about women and Valentine Day in a strange and unique way for someone who was an expert in this field. 

This made Derek raise his head and look at his friend in silence, realizing that he had misunderstood what Derek meant by the invitation he had refused due to his unclear wording. However, Derek did not try to correct that mistake because he understood his friend's dreamy and romantic personality, which interpreted any word in a peculiar way. 

After a moment of their conversation, a young girl approached them, who was Miss Caroline. 

"Mr. Green, I forgot to give you this..." 

Miss Caroline approached with grace and handed him an invitation envelope for a party she was hosting that night at her house.

"Derek, who is this beautiful young girl...?"

Adam asked in astonishment as the beautiful young girl approached and invited his friend. Derek replied in a soft, calm voice, his expression strange as he looked at Miss Caroline Freeze.

"She is the girl who rejected his offer."

Miss Caroline smiled in a peculiar way when she heard Mr. Green words, but she was not bothered by them. Hearing this, she smiled at the other young man and then said.

"Sorry for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Caroline Freeze."

The woman responded calmly in a kind and gentle voice, with a beautiful smile on her face.

"Huh...?"

But contrary to the calmness and beauty of her smile when she introduced herself, Adam was stunned by the name he heard to the point that he couldn't speak well afterward. "Freeze...?"

"Are you the famous actress Caroline Freeze, known for the most popular and beautiful shows at Rose Black Company...?"

"The actress who rejected a love proposal from the most famous musician in the industry?"

"Yes, they say some strange things about me these days."

Miss Caroline replied with a nod, as she had not attended university except on certain days, which led to many strange rumors and odd stories about her, some of which were true and others purely fictional.

"And you are Adam, Mr. Green's friend, right...?"

"Mr. Green has talked a lot about you."

"I hope you can come with him to the party tomorrow evening; I want to talk with you for a longer time..."

"Until then, I'll see you at the party tomorrow."

After saying that, Miss Caroline smiled and sent a beautiful wink from her eyes to Derek, which made Adam feel confused as he watched Miss Caroline walk away and get into her car.

"Since when do you know each other?" 

After Miss Caroline Freeze walked away from them, Adam asked his little friend who was near the lake. 

"About two years, I guess," 

Derek replied in a calm voice. 

"And why didn't you tell me that you were talking to Miss Caroline today..." 

"I wanted to get her signature..." 

Derek turned his head to his friend, puzzled by the question. 

"You didn't ask me about the girl name." 

"Yeah, you little rascal." 

Adam complained to his little friend, who told him that he would try to ask her for a signature at the party for which he had received an invitation, and he was happy about that. 

After that, Derek stared at the clear sky, where some clouds were appearing, and said to his friend beside him, 

"It looks like it's going to rain soon." 

"Huh?" 

Finally, Adam returned to reality from his imagination and fell silent, then looked at the sky and said in confusion, 

"Rain...?" 

"That can't be. The weather report said that the sun would be clear today and suitable for Valentine Day this year." 

- Drop, drop, drop - 

Just after Adam finished his sentence, a moment later, some raindrops began to fall on his face, which changed his expression from cheerful to strange, and Derek beside him smiled a little and then joked, 

"Didn't I tell you..." 

"That's why they say you can't trust the weather forecast these days." 

Adam smiled at his friend, then turned his gaze to him and said strangely, 

"Do you have a sixth sense about the weather or something like that?" 

But Derek didn't respond, instead he said quietly, 

"Let's hurry back before the rain gets heavier." 

After saying that, Derek started running, which made Adam shout behind him in panic, 

"Wait for me, Derek...!"