✤ Adrian ✤
I liked to arrive to my morning classes early. Not for any noble reason, it was just habit. Routine steadied me, and after the emotional whiplash of the past week, I needed steadiness more than anything. The hallways were still half-empty when I entered the Humanities building. The sharp scent of floor polish lingered in the air, even though the windows had been cracked open just enough to let in the cool autumn breeze. I walked the familiar path toward my classroom, my satchel over my shoulder, coffee in hand, as I mentally prepared myself for another lecture I already knew by heart. Everything felt normal. Predictable. Quiet.
Until it wasn’t.
As I rounded the corner near the student lounge, two voices drifted toward me, soft but clear enough to catch. I didn’t mean to eaves
