The dorm room was quiet except for the hum of the old ceiling fan. Luiz lay on his back, staring at the cracked plaster, phone pressed to his chest. The call had ended hours ago, but her voice refused to leave him.
He rolled over, tugging the blanket tighter even though the night wasn't cold.
Her words replayed in his mind like a forbidden song.Not yet. But soon.
A knock at the door made him jolt upright.
"Yo, you asleep?" His roommate, Kevin, pushed the door open without waiting for permission. A tall guy with easy confidence, Kevin always carried an air of careless curiosity.
Luiz forced a smile. "Yeah. Just… tired."
Kevin eyed him. "You've been acting weird, bro. Sneaking around with your phone, staring at walls like you're in a drama show." He dropped onto his bed, smirking. "Don't tell me you finally got a girl?"
Luiz's throat tightened. His fingers curled around his phone until his knuckles turned pale.
If I tell him… if he finds out who she is—no. Not now.
"Nah," Luiz muttered, shoving the phone under his pillow. "It's nothing."
Kevin raised an eyebrow, but let it drop. For now.
Still, long after Kevin's snores filled the room, Luiz stayed awake, haunted by a voice the whole world admired… but which only whispered to him in the dark.