Watching the two of them happily head off to the cafeteria, Aurora couldn’t shake the heaviness in her chest.

Seeing her younger self go through that kind of pain all over again felt like the cruelest punishment imaginable. She hadn’t realized how brutal it would be until now.

And now that she had, the ache in her heart was suffocating.

In the end, Aurora didn’t follow them inside.

The two of them were chatting so gently and sweetly–there was no reason for her to intrude.

After they finished lunch, young Aurora and Megan parted ways.

Megan looked a little reluctant when they said goodbye.

Seeing that, Aurora couldn’t help but smile.

“Come on, we’re still going to the auditorium together this afternoon. It’s not like we’re not going to see each other again.”

Hearing that, Megan’s smile returned in full bloom.

“You’re right! I can’t believe I forgot we’ll be meeting again in just a bit.”

Aurora chuckled. “Alright, go to class. I’ll see you this afternoon.”

“Mm–hmm!”

Megan’s bright, cheerful smile swept away the shadows that had been clinging to Aurora’s mood.

These things were always meant to happen.

She’d made it through so much already, what was there to fear now?

Wasn’t that what life was all about? The unknown? The challenge?

Why let it weigh her down?

Her younger self had already been brave enough to face everything.

Could she, as an adult, do any less?

Surely, she hadn’t become weaker with age.

With that thought, Aurora shook her head, then stood outside the cafeteria, eyes lifted to the sky in the distance.

What was meant to come would come.

That disaster, at least, hadn’t taken Megan.

As long as the people around her stayed safe, she could carry the rest on her own.

By afternoon, for some reason, the sky had begun to darken.

Dark clouds loomed overhead, the sky so heavy it looked like it might collapse at any moment.

On one side, the sun still shone; on the other, rain had already begun to fall–two completely opposing weathers clashing in one space.

The sight unsettled everyone.

“What’s going on?”

“This kind of thing never happens. It looks kind of scary.”

“Yeah… is it about to rain?”

“I don’t know, but it doesn’t look like normal rain.”

The chatter grew louder, and some voices even began to tremble.

But not everyone was fazed–some remained calm, brushing it off.

After all, odd weather patterns weren’t unheard of before a storm.

Nothing to panic over.

“Come on, don’t be scared. This is just how it gets before a heavy rain.”

“Exactly,” someone chimed in. “It probably means a thunderstorm’s on the way.”

But then a sigh of regret echoed nearby. “Ugh, seriously? I’ve been looking forward to the Crestford University lecture this afternoon.”

“This is going to ruin my whole schedule."

A few others echoed the sentiment, feeling disappointed.

Still, someone tried to ease the mood. “It’s alright. Don’t worry. The lecture’s indoors–it’s not going to be canceled over some weather.”

That made sense, and most people calmed down a bit.

But Aurora, standing quietly to the side, couldn’t shake the tight feeling in her chest.