Lu trudged along the campus walkway, his backpack feeling heavier with each step, though it was mostly filled with empty notebooks. His lectures had drained every ounce of energy he had left. The afternoon sun hung low, casting long shadows across the courtyard, but its golden rays offered little warmth against the chill creeping in. A soft breeze rustled the trees lining the paths, their autumn leaves scattering across the ground in a lazy swirl of reds and golds.
His feet felt like lead as he crossed the main quad, passing groups of students chatting and laughing, their voices blending into a dull buzz in the back of his mind. Lu barely noticed them. His brain was clouded with exhaustion, the kind of deep fatigue that gnawed at his bones. He hadn't slept well last night, his mind plagued by restless thoughts and unanswered questions—many of them revolving around Lilith and the strange encounter with her father.
I just need to make it to my room. That thought kept him moving forward, step after step, as he navigated through campus. His dorm wasn't far now, just one more set of stairs, and he could finally collapse onto his bed and maybe—just maybe—get some rest.
As he approached the entrance to his building, the familiar sight of the cracked stone archway and the faded ivy creeping along the brick walls brought a small sense of relief. He fumbled with his keys, pushing open the door to the stairwell, his movements sluggish and automatic. The steps creaked beneath him as he climbed, his hand sliding lazily along the cool metal railing.
By the time he reached his floor, the world around him had dulled into a blur of muted colors and sounds. The familiar hallway stretched out in front of him, dim and quiet, only the soft hum of the fluorescent lights breaking the silence. His door was just a few steps away, and his body sagged with relief as he approached it.
But just as his hand reached for the doorknob, his phone pinged from inside his pocket, the sound cutting through his tired haze. He stopped and pulled it out, squinting at the screen.
A text.
From Delilah.
He stared at her name for a moment, the blue light of his phone screen flickering against his tired eyes. His thumb hesitated over the message, debating whether to open it. Eventually, curiosity won out, and he tapped on it.
CALL ME LU - now
The message was short, but it carried a weight that made Lu's stomach sink. He could feel the tension rising in his chest again, that same knot of uncertainty that had been following him since the last time he heard from her. He let out a long breath, leaning his forehead against the door for a moment, feeling the cool wood press against his skin.
He knew he should call her back, or at least reply to the text. But something inside him resisted. It had only been a couple of days since they last spoke, and he still hadn't sorted through the jumble of emotions and confusion that had come from everything that had happened. The way she had looked at him, the uncharacteristic tone in her voice—it all nagged at him.
Not tonight, he thought. His fingers moved on their own, locking his phone screen and slipping it back into his pocket. I'll deal with it later.
He turned the knob and pushed the door open, stepping into the familiar dimness of his dorm room. The small space was cluttered with textbooks, empty coffee cups, and half-finished assignments scattered across his desk. The air was slightly stale, but it felt like a safe haven compared to the storm of thoughts swirling in his head.
Without even bothering to turn on the lights, Lu dropped his backpack onto the floor and kicked off his shoes. The soft thud of his shoes hitting the carpet was the only sound as he moved toward his bed, too tired to care about the mess. His body practically melted into the mattress as he collapsed onto it, his face sinking into the cool pillow.
