✤ Adrian ✤
I knew something was wrong the moment I stepped onto campus. It wasn’t one single thing. It was everything. The way conversations dipped when I passed. The way eyes lingered a second too long before sliding away. The way my name felt heavy in my chest before anyone even said it. I had worked on this campus for years. I knew its rhythm, its moods, and its silences. And that was how I knew that this wasn’t normal. By the time I reached the humanities building, my jaw was tight, and my shoulders were locked. I told myself it was paranoia. That maybe it was stress or even lack of sleep. Or maybe it was just too many secrets stacked too closely together. But paranoia doesn’t follow you down hallways and into offices.
But reality does.
When I got to my office, the first thing I not
