The sun hadn't fully risen when Sera stepped back into her dorm room, her shoulders stiff from the weight of the canvas bags looped over her back. The sky outside was gray and brittle, like it might crack into snow if the wind pushed hard enough, but January had already turned into February, and February was slowly turning into March.
Time was passing, and she didn't know if she was making the best use of it or not.
One thing she had learned was to keep her mouth shut when it came to what happened next.
She shut the door quietly behind her and exhaled, closing her eyes.
The heater in the wall clanked like it always did—too loud, too old—and the dorm's overhead light cast everything in a watery yellow.
She stood still for a moment, letting the quiet settle. The roomie was gone more often than she was there, but that worked for Sera.
Dropping the bags onto her bed, she began to unpack her latest purchases.
Cocking her head to the side, she hummed.
