One fateful Friday, the muted blur of Stella’s world refused to sharpen, even as the drone of the morning lecture faded into silence. She gathered her books with the same listless movements, the concepts discussed still orbiting somewhere far beyond her reach. Her eyes, perpetually shadowed, scanned the bustling corridor, not truly seeing anyone, just navigating the human currents towards the school bus. The thought of returning to the flat, to the quiet solitude magnified by Blessing's respectful distance, was a heavy weight, but it was also the only path she knew to take.
Just as she reached the pavement where the university buses idled, a voice cut through the background hum, surprisingly clear.
“Stella! Hey, Stella!”
She paused, a flicker of recognition passing through the fog. She
