Chapter 1 - One Step

Legend has it that there is an invisible red thread that connects people to those they are destined to meet.

It symbolizes friendship, love, protection; no matter how far apart, they will meet.

And fate will be realized.

In this world, there are two types of person that you will meet at the of your red string; platonic twin flame- that one person that’s supposed to be your best friend, and a romantic twin flame- the one that’s supposed to make you whole, your other half. The one that will make you complete; the other half of your soul.

It’s also said that once you meet the person at the other end of your red string, your wrist will light up in the beat of your heartbeat.

Aian wondered what it would be like to find his twin flame.

Would it be a platonic one, an ultimate best friend like his best friends had found in each other?

Would it be a romantic twin flame like his parents? A partner for him in all ways possible?

Or would he stay like most of the world- left wondering, waiting and hoping that he might get his answers.

Some researchers argued that with the amount of people in the world and the need to touch the other person to get the reaction, it was no wonder so few people did. It’s not like you touch every people you meet.

Others suggested that with today’s busy lifestyle, people were less in tune with themselves and The Tug- the legendary feeling of being drawn to another person- is drowned out in a sea of instant and easy entertainment.

Why go chasing a fleeting feeling that you cannot decipher when you have everything you need right here?

Even if you found your twin flame, there’s a good chance that they will just stay as a friend.

It was becoming more of a divided culture, particularly with the younger generations. There were those who had their heart set on meeting that one special person and refused to date anyone else.

Yet others brushed off the idea and continued their life as normal; dating, working, not leaving their little sphere of comfort for such a small chance.

It will happen if it’s meant to be, Aian himself had heard people say.

He wasn’t so sure that was true but then he had yet to meet the person that would light up his wrist. He was a wanderer by nature, no set job, no set working location, ready and able to move on short notice, yet he also had never experienced The Tug.

Aian had never felt like he needed this mysterious other person, never felt drawn to them, never truly felt like he was missing out.

Only on the loneliest of nights when his mind wandered did he question what he was missing and even then, all he felt was a dull ache of what if and maybe.

It had been Aian’s most recent job that set his thoughts on this rather depressing spiral.

He had been commissioned to take the photographs for a magazine piece on an elderly gentleman that had felt The Tug and not just in a small way.

Every day for nearly twenty years, the elderly man sat on the same park bench in a park in a sleepy suburb on the outskirts of Glury City. He sat and waited and felt that tug; that need to be there. Sometimes the time of day when he was drawn to it changed but mostly it stayed the same, early evening, just after dinner.

Then one day, about a month ago, that drawn feeling stopped. Suddenly, that intense Tug never came back. The elderly gentleman had smiled sadly while he told his story, sitting there on that same park bench.

“At my age and after so many years of being drawn here, I think it’s safe to say that my twin flame has passed away. I’ll never know if they were as drawn to me as I was to them but maybe, I’ll meet them in another life. I still come here every day at the same time. It’s been nearly twenty years, you know. It’s become a habit although the feeling is more nostalgic now.”

What chance did he have compared to someone who felt drawn so strongly and yet still never got the chance to meet their twin flame?

The old man could describe all the changes of the park, all the things that went on over the years. He said he could walk there blindly, he knew the path so well. While he recounted his sad story, he traced the grain of wood on the park bench and admitted that the bench itself was like a lifelong friend to him.

Would it be better to never get to meet this destined other person so that in the event of their passing, one wouldn’t have to feel quite so much pain or better to have known and lost than to have not known at all?

The old man seemed to be stuck between the two concepts and his sad smile tore Aian’s heart to pieces.

His best friends, Brent and Sam, had found each other in high school but this was rare, as most people who did find their twin flames found them later in life. His parents were also relatively young, being only a little older than he was now.

How many years would he have to wait? Would he wait in vain?

He wondered if finding that person would remove the feeling that he was only drifting through life.

He wasn’t lonely, didn’t miss this person, but he did sometimes feel purposeless.

Maybe that was his form of The Tug? Did the other person feel it too?

Aian’s dark musings were interrupted by a familiar tone and he fished his phone out of his pocket to check the message. Noting that it was from his mother, he opened it.

Mom : Hi, darling! I hope you are enjoying your day. Remember, it’s your father's birthday soon. I’ll call tonight. Kisses!

Aian shot off a quick reply to say that he had saved the date in his calendar before pocketing the phone.

He needed to get his dad a present, but he still had time to think of something.

He sighed. He felt like a mess. His thoughts still echoed the depressing feelings from his photo shoot but he was glad that his mother wasn’t gushing over twin flames again.

The last thing he needed right now was her well- meaning interrogations.

It wasn’t like him to get melancholy, he was normally the most upbeat and optimistic among his friends, but even he got down in the dumps sometimes.

The story about the old man really weighed on him.

Aian ran a hand through his blonde hair in an effort to calm himself. He had things to do and standing here was not going to get them done.

He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

Feeling a little calmer, he continued to make his way towards the fancy camera shop in the central shopping district.

The camera store, like all the stores here, was well outside Aian’s price range but they serviced high end cameras.

Their prices for the servicing were a little higher than others but they had all the best equipment and did a much better job than any other store Aian had found.

Most importantly, he trusted these guys with his precious camera.

This particular camera had been his for a while now and it was amazing. He had brought it off one of the top fashion photographers for a company he sometimes freelanced for.

They hadn’t liked it as it didn’t suit their style, whatever that meant, and they’re already considering replacing it for an even more expensive model. After seeing Aian’s interest, they had come to a deal and now, it was his most prized possession.

Considering how he used it on a daily basis, he needed to take it in occasionally for servicing. It was working well for now but it was due for a service so he planned to drop it into the camera store and do some window shopping while the techs there checked it over.

He was only a block away from the store when a commotion up ahead caught his attention.

Two rough looking youths stood threateningly over a little old lady. He couldn’t make out what they were saying but the crowd parted around them as people hurried by purposefully ignoring what was happening.

Already agitated after his earlier photo shoot and no stranger to the odd street scuffle, Aian wasn’t about to walk on past. Especially when the woman seemed so desperate for someone to help her.

A quick glance around showed no help in sight so Aian strode up to the group.