As they stepped into the dean's office, they were met with a chilly atmosphere. The dean was conspicuously absent from her desk, leaving the room empty. The guards instructed them to take a seat and behave while awaiting the dean's return. One guard departed to resume his duties, while the other remained behind to watch over them.
The two refrained from conversing or exchanging glances. They busied themselves with their phones, sitting in silence. It was an unavoidable void, a silence so profound it created its own distinctive sound. They panted for breath after their altercation, their labored breathing breaking the stillness. With no other competing sounds, the most audible noise was the resounding absence of noise itself.
After what felt like an eternity, the door finally swung open,
