Chapter 18: Aurora
1210 Words
Returning to university felt like walking into a storm everyone else already knew about.
The moment I stepped into the medical building on Monday morning, conversations lowered around me.
Not enough to be obvious.
Just enough.
I kept my eyes down while adjusting the strap of my bag against my shoulder, moving through the crowded hallway carefully.
The bruise from where I hit the desk after Professor Michael pushed me had faded into pale yellow beneath my sweater sleeve.
But the memory of it still sat heavily inside my chest.
I hadn’t seen him since that day.
Not properly.
And somehow—
That bothered me more than it should have.
Students moved around me loudly while the winter air followed everyone through the open entrance doors. Snow melted slowly across the floors near the lobby, leaving damp footprints everywhere.
Normal campus chaos.
Yet my pulse still felt uneven.
I stopped near my locker quietly and began switching textbooks for my morning lectures.
That’s when I heard a familiar voice behind me.
“Aurora.”
I turned slightly.
Professor Hagset stood a few feet away, holding a single coffee cup in one hand, a dark coat dusted lightly with snow.
He smiled softly when I looked at him.
Calm.
Easy.
“You finally came back.”
I shrugged lightly.
“I didn’t really have a choice.”
“You had people worried.”
Something about the way he said it made my chest tighten faintly.
Because one specific person immediately came to mind.
Professor Hagset held the coffee out toward me.
“You look exhausted.”
I hesitated briefly before accepting it carefully.
The warmth spread instantly through my cold hands.
“Thank you.”
“You should probably sleep more,” he added casually while leaning against the lockers beside me.
A quiet laugh escaped me before I could stop it.
“You sound like my grandparents.”
“That means I’m right.”
For the first time in days, I relaxed slightly.
Not fully.
But enough to breathe normally again.
“I heard Michael’s been impossible lately,” Hagset muttered after a moment.
My heartbeat stumbled immediately at the sound of his name.
“I wouldn’t know.”
Lie.
A terrible one.
Professor Hagset watched me quietly for a second too long before speaking again.
“You still defend him even after what happened.”
I stared down at the coffee cup silently.
Because I didn’t know how to explain the confusion inside me.
How could I still think about Professor Michael holding me gently in dreams after being terrified of him days earlier?
Before I could answer—
The hallway suddenly went quiet.
Not completely.
Just enough for instinct to kick in.
And then I felt him.
My pulse reacted before my eyes even found him.
Professor Michael walked down the hallway toward us, wearing a black coat over dark clothes, one hand holding papers.
Loosely at his side.
Cold.
Controlled.
Beautiful in a dangerous kind of way.
Students moved aside instinctively when they passed.
And the second, his eyes landed on me—
He stopped walking.
The air changed immediately.
Heavy.
Sharp.
Professor Michael’s gaze moved slowly across my face like he was searching for something.
Checking.
Making sure I was okay.
Then his eyes dropped toward the coffee in my hands.
And instantly—
Something dark flickered across his expression.
Professor Hagset noticed too.
Of course he did.
“Morning, Michael,” Hagset said casually beside me.
Michael ignored him completely.
His attention stayed locked on the cup in my hands.
Then suddenly—
He walked directly toward me.
My breath caught.
Without saying a single word, Michael took the coffee out of my hands.
I blinked in shock.
“What—”
“You haven’t eaten.”
His voice came out low.
Firm.
Like that explained everything.
Before I could even process what was happening, Michael handed me a wrapped bread roll from inside his coat pocket.
Warm.
Still fresh.
The hallway fell silent around us.
Students are openly staring now.
I looked between the bread in my hand and Professor Michael, in complete confusion.
“You brought bread?”
Michael finally looked at me fully then.
And the exhaustion in his eyes nearly ruined me.
“You stopped eating properly three weeks ago.”
My heart stopped.
Professor Hagset frowned immediately beside me.
“That’s a little obsessive, don’t you think?”
Big mistake.
Professor Michael’s expression darkened instantly.
But he still didn’t look at Professor Hagset.
Not once.
“She gets headaches when she drinks coffee without food.”
The quiet certainty in his voice stunned me.
Because—
He was right.
I stared at him speechlessly.
“When did you—”
“You think I don’t notice things?”
His eyes locked onto mine while saying it.
And suddenly, the hallway around us disappeared completely.
Heat rushed into my face instantly.
Because Professor Michael knows things about me, I barely noticed myself.
Hagset crossed his arms beside me, irritation obvious now.
“You can’t control every little thing she does.”
That finally made Michael look at him.
And the coldness in his expression nearly made me shiver.
“I wasn’t speaking to you.”
The hallway became painfully quiet.
For one dangerous second, it looked like Professor Hagset might actually say something back.
Instead, he laughed softly under his breath.
“You’re unbelievable.”
Michael ignored him again immediately.
Like Professor Hagset no longer existed.
His attention returned fully to me.
“You missed two assignments.”
The sudden shift caught me off guard.
“What?”
“You’ll stay after class today.”
I blinked in disbelief.
“Professor—”
“No arguments.”
His tone softened slightly after a second.
Barely noticeable to anyone else.
Not to me.
Then Professor Michael’s eyes dropped briefly toward the bread still in my hand.
"Eat.”
The command came quietly.
Possessively.
Something dangerous twisted low in my stomach at the sound of it.
Professor Hagset looked increasingly annoyed beside me.
“She’s not a child.”
Professor Michael stepped closer before I could respond.
Not enough to touch me.
Just enough for my heartbeat to completely betray me again.
“She also forgets to take care of herself when she’s upset.”
My breath caught sharply.
Because the way he said upset—
Like he knew he was the reason.
The tension between them suddenly felt unbearable.
Sharp enough to cut through the entire hallway.
Then Professor Michael looked down at me one last time.
And for one terrifying second—
His expression softened completely.
“I’m glad you came back.”
The quiet confession stunned me speechless.
Before I could respond—
Michael turned and walked away down the hallway without another word.
The scent of his cologne lingered afterward.
Smoke. Winter. Darkness.
Michael.
I stared after him silently while my pulse refused to calm down.
Still holding the bread he brought me.
Still feeling the warmth from where his fingers brushed mine, taking the coffee away.
Beside me, Professor Hagset exhaled sharply.
“That man is insane.”
But somehow—
As I watched Professor Michael disappear down the hallway—
I wasn’t entirely sure he was wrong.
- Writer
