Chapter 2

"I've got a thing tonight," Ryan said when he called after work. "Emily's going to be there. You should come with me."

I paused for a second. "Are you sure? It's your group. Would it be weird if I came?"

He laughed. "Why would it be weird? My college friends have been wanting to meet you anyway."

I felt hesitant about it, but I said yes anyway.

That evening, I put on a deep blue dress and waited for Ryan outside his place. Emily was coming too, and when she saw me, she came right over like we were old friends.

"Sophie, that dress looks nice on you," she said. She looked me up and down with this little smile. "Very simple. Very understated."

I nodded and thanked her, but something about the way she said it felt off. Her tone was warm enough, but it reminded me of a boss sizing up a new hire. Friendly on the surface, but it made my skin crawl.

The dinner was at a restaurant downtown. When we got to the private room, there were already several people inside. They all stood up to greet Ryan when he walked in.

"Hey, is this the future Mrs. Brooks?" one guy said with a grin. "She's gorgeous, man."

Ryan introduced me to everyone, and I smiled and made polite conversation. Emily sat down right next to Ryan without hesitation, and I got stuck at the far end of the table.

After a few drinks, Emily became the center of attention. She started talking about all her adventures abroad. She'd been skiing in the Nordvik Mountains and watching meteor showers in the Kalhari Desert, and then she shifted to talking about the Northern Lights in the Arctic Circle.

"You guys have no idea how magical it is," she said. She gestured with her hands, and her voice took on this dreamy quality. "It's like green ribbons floating across the sky."

She paused for effect. "But not everyone gets to see it. You need perfect weather conditions."

I watched her quietly and tapped my fingers on the table. Her descriptions sounded beautiful, but some of what she said didn't quite add up.

"Plus, the aurora only appears in specific locations," she continued. She took a sip of her drink and let her gaze drift around the table before landing on me. "Sophie, you probably haven't had the chance to go there, right? But that's okay. At least now you've heard about it."

She smiled, "Oh, and there's this legend that says only two people who are truly in love can see the aurora together."

Everyone laughed, and Ryan's mouth curved into a small smile.

"The Northern Lights are beautiful," I said. I picked up my glass and kept my voice calm. "But they don't appear in fixed locations like you said."

Emily's smile froze. She turned to look at me. "Oh? You know about this?"

"Yeah. The aurora is created when particles from solar wind interact with Earth's magnetic field," I said evenly. "The magnetic field shifts, so the aurora's position isn't fixed. It just tends to happen near the polar regions."

I paused. "But you're right about needing good weather. And it's not that only people in love can see it. The aurora is just a witness to their love, not a requirement for it."

The room went completely silent for a few seconds.

Emily blinked, then laughed lightly. "Oh, really? I guess I remembered wrong."

Her voice didn't carry much emotion, but her smile wasn't as natural as it had been a moment ago.