The dorm room was dim except for the glow of Lena's fairy lights strung along the wall. The girls sat scattered across the beds and floor, their voices soft but lively, a rhythm of laughter and whispers carrying into the night.
"Okay," Lena said dramatically, flopping onto her back with her sketchpad balanced on her chest. "Confession time. If I fail this art project, I'm changing majors. Who wants to guess what I'd study instead?"
"Sleeping," Clara said without missing a beat, closing her textbook.
"Hey!" Lena threw a pillow at her. "That's a skill, not a career."
Mia chuckled, hugging her knees to her chest. "You'd be a stand-up comedian. You already spend more time making us laugh than drawing."
"I'd buy tickets," Ava added with a smile.
The room filled with laughter again, warm and easy.
One by one, the night pulled them toward rest. Clara was the first to retreat, muttering about her early morning lab. Lena followed not long after, sketchpad still in hand as she disappeared into her room with a sleepy wave.
Soon it was only Mia and Ava, stretched out across their beds in the quiet glow.
"You ever think about… leaving?" Ava asked softly.
Mia turned her head. "Leaving what?"
"This. The name. The shadows. Everything that follows you."
Mia was quiet for a long time. Finally, she whispered, "All the time. But it's not that simple, is it?" She gave a small shrug. "We're tied to them. Whether we like it or not."
Ava's chest tightened, but she didn't push further. The silence between them was heavy but not uncomfortable. Eventually, Mia drifted off, her breathing deep and even.
Ava lay awake, staring at the ceiling. Just as her eyes began to close, her phone buzzed against the nightstand.
The screen lit her face. Uncle Romano.
Her breath caught.
She hesitated, heart pounding, before answering.
"Ava," her uncle's voice came through, low and firm. "We need to talk. Tomorrow."
The line went dead before she could reply.
The room was silent again, but Ava couldn't close her eyes. Not anymore.