Neither Elara nor Corrine slept after they returned to their room. They lay in their beds, staring at the ceiling, listening to every creak and whisper the old building made. When the first pale light of dawn finally crept through their window, both girls were already sitting up, hollow-eyed and exhausted.
"Did you hear anything else?" Elara whispered, her voice hoarse from the sleepless night.
Corrine shook her head. "Nothing."
They dressed in silence, both moving slowly like their bodies were made of lead. Elara's hands shook as she buttoned her uniform shirt. Every shadow in the corner of her eye made her jump.
The dining hall buzzed with the usual morning chatter when they arrived for breakfast, but something felt different. The conversations seemed more hushed, more careful. Students kept glancing toward the windows that faced the forest, then quickly looking away.
