That Sender

Episode 1: The First Message

Sana never really believed in fate, but when she received that first message, something about it felt… different.

It was an ordinary evening. The city lights outside her window flickered as she sat with her laptop, scrolling mindlessly through her emails. Work had been exhausting, and all she wanted was to relax. That’s when the notification popped up.

"Unknown Number: Hey, do you believe in coincidences?"

Sana frowned. Wrong number? A prank? Normally, she’d ignore it, but something about the message intrigued her. Against her better judgment, she replied.

"Who is this?"

A few seconds passed before another message arrived.

"Someone who found your number in the strangest way possible."

Curiosity got the better of her.

"And how exactly did you find it?"

"That’s a long story. But tell me, Sana, do you ever think about the people you’ve never met but are somehow connected to?"

Her breath caught. He knew her name.

Sana’s mind raced. Had she signed up for something? Was this a scam? She was about to block the number when another message came in.

"Don’t be scared. I’m not here to harm you. I just… had to reach out."

That was the night it all started. The mystery. The connection. And the beginning of something she never expected.

Who was the sender? And why did he choose her?

Sana stared at her phone screen, her heart pounding.

Should she reply? Should she block the number? Every logical part of her brain told her to ignore it, but her fingers moved before she could stop them.

"Okay, you have my attention. Who are you?"

The response came almost instantly.

"Jake. Just Jake."

That name told her nothing. No last name, no details, just… Jake. She typed back quickly.

"And why did you text me, Jake?"

There was a long pause. Then, finally, his reply came.

"Because I think you need to know something. And because I think I need to know you."

A shiver ran down her spine.

Sana wasn’t the kind of person to entertain random strangers, but something about this felt different. He wasn’t sending weird pickup lines or trying to scare her. It was almost as if he was just… reaching out.

She took a deep breath and replied.

"That’s cryptic. What exactly do I need to know?"

Jake’s response came after a long pause.

"Not yet. But soon. Just… don’t block me, okay?"

Something about his words made her hesitate. He wasn’t threatening. He wasn’t demanding. He was just… asking.

"Fine. But don’t be weird."

She regretted sending it the moment she did. But instead of being offended, Jake’s reply surprised her.

"Define weird."

A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

This was probably a bad idea.

And yet, for some reason, she didn’t stop.

Who is Jake? What does he know? And why does Sana feel like this is just the beginning?

That Sender

The Truth in Pieces

Sana sat on her bed, phone in hand, staring at the last message Jake had sent.

"Not yet. But soon. Just… don’t block me, okay?"

Her instincts told her this was dangerous. Who randomly messages a stranger with cryptic words and vague promises? And yet, something inside her—the part that craved adventure, the part that longed for something extraordinary—refused to end this conversation.

She took a deep breath and replied.

"Fine. But I want answers, Jake. No games."

A pause. Then:

"Fair enough."

"Start with this: How did you get my number?"

This time, the pause was longer. Sana imagined Jake, whoever he was, hesitating, deciding how much to reveal.

When his message finally came, it wasn’t what she expected.

"You won’t believe me."

Sana rolled her eyes.

"Try me."

A few seconds passed. Then another message came in.

"I found it in a book."

She blinked. A book?

"What book?" she typed quickly.

"One I wasn’t supposed to find. One that had your name written inside it."

A chill ran down her spine.

"What do you mean? What kind of book?"

Jake’s reply was almost immediate.

"A journal. But not just any journal. It had entries about you, Sana. About things you’ve done. Things you haven’t done yet."

Her breath hitched.

"Stop messing with me."

"I’m not."

Sana’s fingers hovered over the keyboard. She wanted to call him a liar, to tell him this was ridiculous. But something inside her—the same part that made her reply in the first place—whispered: What if he’s telling the truth?

She forced herself to stay calm.

"Where did you find it?"

Jake hesitated.

"In an old bookstore. It was hidden behind a shelf, covered in dust. When I opened it, the first thing I saw was your name."

Sana’s stomach twisted.

"That doesn’t make sense. How would my name be in some random journal?"

"That’s what I’m trying to figure out."

Silence stretched between them.

Sana closed her eyes, her heart pounding. If this was a joke, it was a well-crafted one. If it wasn’t…

She shuddered.

"Send me a picture of it."

A moment later, her phone buzzed. A single image appeared on the screen.

It was an old, worn-out notebook with a leather cover. The pages were yellowed, edges frayed. But what sent a shiver through her body was the first line written inside it.

Sana Ahmed.

Her full name. In neat, elegant handwriting.

She inhaled sharply.

"Jake… what else is written in there?"

There was a long pause before his next message came.

"Something about a choice you have to make. A life-changing one."

Sana’s hands trembled.

"What choice?"

"I don’t know yet. The entries are written in pieces. Some pages are missing."

She exhaled slowly, trying to process everything.

This wasn’t normal. This wasn’t just some harmless stranger texting her.

This was something else entirely.

And now, Sana wasn’t sure if she wanted to know the rest of the story… or if she was already a part of it.

What’s in the journal? What choice does Sana have to make? And why does Jake have it?

That Sender

Pages of the Unknown

Sana’s fingers trembled as she zoomed in on the picture of the journal. Her full name was there, clear as day. It was impossible—completely absurd—but there it was.

She quickly typed a response.

"Jake. This isn’t funny. If you’re messing with me—"

His reply came before she could finish overthinking.

"I swear I’m not. I’m just as confused as you are."

Sana swallowed hard.

"Read me the first page."

A long pause. Then, a message.

"Are you sure?"

"Jake."

Another pause.

"Alright."

Sana’s heart pounded as Jake sent the next message.

"September 17th. Today, I saw him again. He doesn’t recognize me, of course. He never does. But I know him. I always know him."

Sana’s breath hitched.

"What? Who is ‘he’?"

"I don’t know," Jake replied. "That’s all it says on the first page."

Sana exhaled sharply, gripping her phone tighter. This was insane. Why was there a journal written about her? And who was this mystery person being talked about?

She typed again.

"Keep going."

Jake hesitated.

"Some pages are torn out, but the next one is from a few weeks later."

He started typing again.

"October 5th. I tried to change things. I really did. But the more I try, the more it happens the same way. I wonder if this time will be any different. Maybe this time, I won’t have to say goodbye."

Sana’s stomach twisted.

"Jake. Stop."

She didn’t want to hear more. Couldn’t.

But he sent one last message.

"October 12th. He finally spoke to me. I shouldn’t be happy, but I am. This is how it always starts. And this is how it always ends."

Sana’s body turned ice-cold.

"This isn’t about me," she typed, almost pleading. "It can’t be."

Jake’s response was immediate.

"Turn your camera on."

She froze.

"Why?"

"Just do it. I need to show you something."

Her hands were shaking as she tapped the video call button. The screen flickered for a moment before Jake’s face appeared.

And when she saw him, her world tilted.

Because she knew that face.

She had seen it before.

Not once.

Not twice.

But in her dreams.

For as long as she could remember.

Jake looked just as stunned as she was.

"Tell me I’m crazy," he said, his voice quiet but intense. "Tell me you’ve never seen me before."

Sana couldn’t speak. Couldn’t breathe.

Because she had seen him before.

She had seen him in every dream where she was running.

Every dream where she was searching.

Every dream where she was saying goodbye.

And she had no idea why.

Who is Jake to Sana? What does the journal mean? And why does this feel like a story that’s already been written?

That Sender

The Forgotten Past

Sana stared at Jake through the screen, her mind spinning.

She had no explanation for it, but she knew him. Not in the way you know a classmate or a familiar face from social media. She knew him in a way that made no sense—like a memory half-forgotten, a dream that refused to fade.

Jake’s expression was unreadable. "Say something."

She swallowed hard. "I… I don’t know what to say."

"You remember me, don’t you?" His voice was low, almost hesitant.

Sana wanted to deny it, to tell him this was all some bizarre coincidence. But she couldn’t.

"I don’t know how, but yes. I think I do."

Jake exhaled, rubbing his face. "That makes two of us."

Silence stretched between them.

It was Sana who finally broke it. "The journal… does it say anything about this? About us?"

Jake hesitated, then reached for the book. Sana could hear the soft rustling of pages. "Let me check," he muttered, flipping through them. His eyes suddenly stopped on something. His face paled.

"What is it?" Sana asked, anxiety twisting in her stomach.

Jake didn’t answer right away. When he finally did, his voice was tight.

"Sana… there’s a date in here. A really specific one."

Her breath caught. "What date?"

He looked up at her through the screen, eyes serious.

"November 3rd. Three days from now."

Sana’s heart dropped. "And what does it say?"

Jake inhaled sharply. "It says, 'On November 3rd, we meet again. And this time, I have to stop it.'"

Her blood turned to ice. "Stop what?"

Jake shook his head. "I don’t know."

Something about those words sent panic through her veins. Three days. Something was going to happen in three days, and she had no idea what.

Sana felt her chest tighten. "Jake… I think we need to meet."

Jake’s eyes darkened. "Yeah," he said. "I think so too."

What is going to happen on November 3rd? What does the journal mean by 'stopping it'? And what is the connection between Sana and Jake?