Chapter 7 Armin sitting in the cafeteria

In the bustling cafeteria of Boston University, Armin Rodríguez sat silently, his thoughts miles away despite being surrounded by the chatter and clatter of lunchtime. The sight of Seraphina's sudden arrival after years had stirred a whirlwind of emotions within him, leaving him with a racing heart and a lost appetite. Armin's best friend, Navin, ever observant, noticed the change in his friend. Curiously, Navin asked, "Who was that beautiful girl?" He ventured, his curiosity piqued by Armin's distant gaze.

Armin sighed, the weight of memories pressing down on him. "Somebody I used to know," he replied, his voice tinged with a mixture of sadness and longing. Navin, sensing a deeper story, pressed on. He asked, "Did she break your heart?" The question, though well-intentioned, only seemed to agitate Armin further, his response a silent, angry glare.

Recalling Monika's earlier words, Navin attempted a different approach. "Your childhood crush, am I right?" he guessed, trying to lighten the mood. Armin's reaction was immediate and intense. "Not crush, she is the only woman I ever loved. I have loved her since she was born. But she betrayed me and left me," he confessed, revealing the depth of his feelings and the pain of perceived betrayal.

Navin, taken aback by the revelation, realized the complexity of their past. "Dude, wasn't Seraphina only 4 years old when her grandfather took her away from your house?" he questioned, hoping to offer a different perspective.

Armin, reminded of the painful departure, felt an old wound reopen. Without a word, he stood up, the need to escape the weight of his memories overwhelming him.

Armin's hands clenched into fists as memories flooded his mind, each one a dagger to his heart. Seraphina's sudden reappearance had ripped open wounds he thought had long since healed, exposing raw emotions he had buried deep within himself.

Navin watched his friend's turmoil with growing concern, realizing that Armin's connection to Seraphina ran far deeper than he had initially suspected. He couldn't fathom the depths of Armin's love and pain, but he knew enough to understand that it was a bond forged in the fires of childhood.

As Armin abruptly stood, his chair scraping against the floor, Navin reached out a hand, a silent gesture of support. But Armin shook his head, his expression a mixture of anguish and determination.

"I need some air," Armin muttered, his voice thick with emotion. Without waiting for a response, he strode out of the cafeteria, leaving behind a confused and worried Navin.

Alone in the bustling halls of Boston University, Armin struggled to contain the storm raging within him. Seraphina's presence had reignited a flame he had thought extinguished long ago, a flame that threatened to consume him whole.

But as he walked, his steps slow and deliberate, a sense of resolve settled over him like a cloak. He may have loved Seraphina with every fiber of his being, but he refused to be consumed by her memory any longer.

With a steely determination, Armin vowed to confront his past head-on, to finally lay to rest the ghosts that haunted him. And as he stepped out into the crisp autumn air, he knew that the road ahead would be fraught with danger and uncertainty.

But for the first time in years, Armin felt a glimmer of hope flicker within his chest. Hope that, perhaps, he could find peace amidst the chaos of his wounded heart.