Block 2 of the academy dormitories was unusually quiet that morning.
The long stone corridor stretched ahead in a straight line, its polished floor reflecting faint strips of pale sunlight spilling in through the tall windows along the wall. Normally there would have been the sound of students passing through—footsteps, laughter, soone calling to a friend down the hall—but today it was subdued. Most students had already finished breakfast and either retreated to their rooms to enjoy the rare quiet of a free morning or wandered outside to spend their day off in the open grounds of the academy.
The silence wasn’t absolute.
There were small sounds here and there. The faint creak of a door sowhere far down the hall. The muffled murmur of voices through the walls. The distant echo of footsteps on another floor.
But compared to the usual liveliness of the dormitory halls, the atmosphere felt calm, almost still.
Ariana walked through the corridor alone.
Her pace at first was steady and natural, the familiar path toward Sheila’s dorm room sothing she had taken countless tis before. The hallway, the doors, the small details of the place were all things she knew well enough that she could walk through here without thinking.
Yet today felt different.
With each step she took, the quiet around her seed to grow heavier.
Her footsteps, soft as they were, sounded louder in the stillness of the corridor.
The closer she got to Sheila’s room, the slower her pace beca.
At first it was subtle.
Then gradually more noticeable.
Her steps shortened until she eventually found herself walking almost cautiously, as if approaching sothing fragile that might break if she moved too quickly.
The reality of what she had decided earlier during breakfast was finally beginning to settle into her mind.
Yes, she had spoken with determination in front of the others. She had declared that she would be the one to help Sheila. That she would make sure Sheila didn’t sink deeper into whatever pain she was carrying.
But now that she was actually here...
Now that she was standing in the quiet hallway, only a few doors away from Sheila’s room...
The confidence she had shown earlier was slowly being replaced by uncertainty.
’What if this is a mistake?’ Ariana wondered silently.
Her fingers curled slightly against the fabric of her sleeve.
She had visited Sheila’s room more tis than she could count. Sotis to study together, sotis just to talk late into the evening, sotis simply because one of them had been bored and wanted company.
But this ti felt different.
This ti, she wasn’t coming as a friend dropping by casually.
She was coming because sothing inside Sheila had clearly broken.
And Ariana had taken it upon herself to try and fix it.
Her steps slowed even more as she finally reached the familiar door.
For a mont, she just stood there.
The wooden surface of Sheila’s door looked exactly the sa as always. The small brass number plate. The faint scratches around the handle from years of use. Even the slight gap beneath the door where light sotis spilled through.
Everything looked normal.
Yet Ariana felt strangely hesitant.
’What if she really doesn’t want to talk to anyone?’
The thought crept into her mind quietly.
Maybe Sheila had locked herself inside her room precisely because she didn’t want anyone to see her like this.
Maybe Ariana coming here would only make things worse.
Her hand lifted toward the door... then stopped midway.
For a few seconds, she simply stood there with her hand hovering in the air, caught between knocking and turning away.
But eventually, Ariana drew a quiet breath.
She couldn’t let doubt stop her now.
Slowly, gently, she tapped her knuckles against the door. The knock was soft, almost hesitant. Then she waited.
At first, there was nothing. No sound or movent, just the sa quiet hallway around her.
Ariana’s eyes drifted slightly toward the floor as a small worry ford in her mind.
Maybe Sheila had left after all.
It wouldn’t be impossible. After Ariana and Charlotte had co earlier that morning, Sheila might have decided to step outside for so air.
The thought lingered for a mont.
But just as Ariana was beginning to accept that possibility—
She heard sothing.
A faint movent from behind the door.
The sound was subtle. Almost indistinguishable. But in the quiet hallway it was enough to catch her attention imdiately.
Ariana straightened slightly, her attention focusing on the door.
A few seconds passed.
Then she heard it.
"Who is it?"
The voice was unmistakable.
Even though it sounded slightly tired, slightly quieter than usual, Ariana recognized it imdiately.
"It’s ," Ariana replied softly. "Ariana."
After that, the hallway returned to silence.
Seconds passed. Then more seconds.
Ariana waited patiently, though she couldn’t help feeling the tension growing again in her chest.
Finally, Sheila’s voice ca through the door once more.
"I’m doing fine, Ariana," Sheila said from inside the room. "You don’t have to worry about ."
The words were calm, but sothing about the way they were said felt... distant.
Ariana shook her head slightly, even though Sheila couldn’t see her.
"I didn’t co because I thought you weren’t doing alright," Ariana said gently.
Another pause followed.
Then Sheila spoke again.
"I’m just tired from yesterday’s evaluation test," she said. "That’s all. I just needed so extra rest."
Ariana listened quietly, then she said sothing simple.
"You know, you love breakfast."
The statent hung softly in the air.
"You’ve never missed breakfast before, not even once." Ariana continued, her voice calm and natural. "No matter how tired you were, you’ve missed it."
There was no response.
The silence on the other side of the door stretched longer this ti.
Both girls stood on opposite sides of the wooden barrier, each aware of the other but unable to see one another.
Eventually, Ariana spoke again.
"Sheila, I didn’t co here to force you to talk," she said quietly. Her voice carrying no pressure.
"I... I just ca to sit with you for a bit."
She rested one hand lightly against the door.
"And if you let in and decide you don’t want here after all... I’ll leave."
More silence.
The seconds stretched into what felt like minutes.
Then Ariana heard movent again. This ti, it was closer. They were footsteps, right on the other side of the door.
Ariana’s breath slowed slightly as she realized Sheila was standing just behind it now.
She imagined Sheila standing there, hand on the door, probably debating the exact sa question Ariana had been asking herself earlier.
Should she open it?
Or not?
The hallway remained quiet.
Then suddenly... a click.
The sound of the doorknob turning broke the silence.
The handle slowly shifted, and the door creaked softly as it began to open.
At first, only a narrow gap appeared, then gradually the door opened wider. And finally... Sheila ca into view.
Her appearance imdiately told Ariana everything she needed to know.
Her long hair was slightly ssy, as though she had been running her hands through it repeatedly or had simply not bothered to fix it after waking up. Her eyes were red around the edges, faint shadows resting beneath them from what was almost certainly a lack of sleep.
Or crying.
Maybe both.
Despite that, Sheila still offered a small smile.
"Hi," she said softly.
"Hi," Ariana replied.
For a mont, neither of them moved.They simply stood there, looking at each other. Then Sheila stepped aside from the doorway.
"You can co in."
Ariana nodded gently and walked inside.
The room was dim.
The curtains were only half drawn, allowing thin rays of sunlight to filter through the window and spill faintly across the floor and walls. The soft light gave the room a quiet, muted atmosphere.
It felt like a place that hadn’t been disturbed much since the previous night.
Sheila lingered near the door for a mont before closing it behind Ariana with a quiet click.
"You can sit wherever," she said softly.
Ariana looked around briefly before noticing a chair near the small desk in the room. She walked over and sat down, her movents calm and unhurried.
Sheila turned toward her.
"Do you want sothing to drink?"
"Water is fine," Ariana replied.
Sheila nodded slowly and walked over to a small table where a pitcher and cups sat. She poured a glass of water carefully, her movents slow and deliberate, then brought it over and handed it to Ariana.
"Thank you," Ariana said quietly.
Sheila gave a faint nod before walking back toward her bed and sat down on the edge of it, her hands resting loosely in her lap.
Then the room fell silent.
Ariana held the glass of water gently between her hands.
Sheila stared quietly at the floor.
Neither of them spoke.
And for a long while, the only sound in the room was the quiet breathing of two friends sitting together in the soft, dim light.
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