When I got back to my dorm, the hallway was eerily quiet, the kind of silence that only settled this late at night. My feet dragged slightly as I turned my key in the lock, pushing the door open with my shoulder.
The room was dark, lit only by the faint glow of the streetlamp filtering through the blinds. Maya wasn't here. I flicked the light on and dropped my bag by the desk.
**"Maya?"** I called out, my voice cutting through the silence. No answer.
It wasn't unusual for her to be out late—Maya had a full schedule of classes, study groups, and her social life that kept her busier than most people. Still, I pulled my phone from my pocket and sent her a quick text:
*Hey, just got back. You good?*
Satisfied with that, I grabbed my towel and headed for the shower. The day had been long, emotionally draining, and I needed a moment to let the heat and water wash away the heaviness.
When I stepped out, the dorm was still quiet. My hair dripped as I padded barefoot back to my side of the room, the towel wrapped snugly around me. I reached for my phone to check if Maya had replied.
Instead, I was met with a flurry of notifications:
- **Aiden:** 4 missed calls.
- **Aiden:** *Raven, you okay?*
- **Aiden:** *Let me know when you get this.*
- **Aiden:** *Raven?*
- **Aiden:** *Seriously, you're worrying me.*
My stomach sank. I hurried to type a response.
*Sorry, Aiden. I'm fine. Just got back. I'll call you.*
I barely had time to set the phone down before it vibrated in my hand. Aiden's name flashed across the screen.
I answered quickly. **"Hey."**
**"Raven, are you okay?"** His voice came through, slightly hoarse but steady. **"I sent you, like, a hundred texts. You didn't answer. I was…"** He hesitated, and I could hear the faint rustling of movement on his end. **"…worried."**
I winced, guilt pooling in my chest. **"I'm so sorry. I wasn't ignoring you. I just…"** My voice trailed off as I searched for the right words. **"I lost track of time. I was hanging out with Elias."**
**"Elias?"** A pause, and I could hear the frown in his tone. **"Oh, you mean the guy.... Tyler and I saw you with earlier? At the café?"**
Heat rose to my cheeks, making me glad he couldn't see my face. **"Yeah… him."**
**"Oh."** There was another pause. **"Never mind then. You were in good hands."**I could almost hear the smirk in his voice
I wasn't sure how to respond to that. There was something in his tone, light yet sharp, that made me shift uncomfortably on the bed. **"I'm really sorry for missing your texts and calls,"** I said quickly, hoping to change the subject. **"I didn't mean to worry you."**
**"It's fine,"** he replied after a moment, his voice softening. **"Just… next time, let me know, okay? I know you're not exactly the type to vanish, but still."**
**"I will,"** I promised.
**"Good."** He let out a breath, the tension easing from his words. **"Anyway, see you tomorrow?"**
**"Yeah,"** I said. **"Goodnight, Aiden."**
**"Night, Raven."**
The call ended, and I stared at the phone in my hand for a moment before setting it down. The weight of his concern lingered in the back of my mind, mingling with the hazy warmth of Elias' smile.
I shook my head, pushing those thoughts aside. Maya still hadn't texted back, but I wasn't too worried. She'd probably show up soon, or maybe crash at a friend's place.
Sliding under the covers, I placed my phone on the nightstand, but Aiden's voice echoed softly in my mind: *"You were in good hands."*
*"You were in good hands."*
What did he mean by that?
I rolled onto my side, staring at the glow of the streetlamp outside. The words felt harmless on the surface, but the way he said it made something in my chest tighten.
Was it a relief? Sarcasm? A little bit of both?
I chewed the inside of my cheek, replaying the scene in my head. Aiden and Tyler had seen me at the café earlier. With Elias. I didn't know why, but the idea made me squirm. I hadn't done anything wrong, yet somehow it felt like I owed Aiden an explanation.
The worst part was the weird look he gave me when he said it. Not that I could actually *see* his face over the phone, but the way his tone had shifted made it feel like he was mad at me.
Or maybe I was overthinking it.
I groaned, burying my face in my pillow. Why did I even care? Aiden was just my friend. A good friend, sure. A close one. Someone who worried about me, who texted me if I disappeared for half a day, who said things like, *"You were in good hands."*
It wasn't a big deal. It couldn't be.
So why did it feel like it was?
Frustrated, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, deciding I needed water or a change of scenery to clear my head. The quiet hum of the dorm building seemed amplified at this hour—doors firmly closed, the faint shuffle of footsteps from other floors barely audible. Maya still hadn't texted me back, but it didn't seem unusual. She'd probably fallen asleep somewhere, which wasn't unheard of.
I grabbed my empty water bottle and stepped into the hallway. The fluorescent lights buzzed softly overhead, casting long shadows along the tiled floors. The vending machine near the common area was my destination, though I wasn't even sure I wanted anything from it. My thoughts felt too loud, swirling with fragments of the day: Elias's playful grin, Aiden's concerned voice, everything else.
As I reached the common area, I paused. Something didn't feel right. The familiar warmth of the space—the couches strewn with forgotten jackets, the faint scent of leftover takeout—was replaced by an eerie stillness. It wasn't that something was *wrong*, necessarily, but there was a weight in the air, like stepping into a room just after an argument.
I moved toward the vending machine anyway, chalking it up to my overactive imagination. My fingers brushed the keypad as I debated whether to actually get a drink when I heard it—a soft, muffled noise, like a door closing down the hall.
I froze, my breath hitching. The dorms were usually so quiet at this time that even the faintest sound felt magnified. I turned my head slowly, glancing down the darkened corridor that led to the stairwell. The fluorescent lights flickered once before steadying, throwing the hallway into an unsettling stillness.
"Hello?" I called out, immediately regretting how loud my voice sounded.
No response.
I stood there for a moment longer, every instinct screaming at me to turn back and lock my door. But curiosity tugged at me, even as a shiver ran down my spine. I moved toward the stairwell cautiously, my footsteps muffled against the tile.
The door to the stairs was slightly ajar. It wasn't unusual—students sometimes propped it open to avoid the creaky sound it made when closing—but tonight, it felt out of place. I peered through the gap, seeing nothing but the empty stairwell spiraling up and down. The air smelled faintly of cleaning supplies and metal.
Shaking my head, I turned back toward my dorm. It was probably nothing—just a coincidence, a moment blown out of proportion by my frayed nerves. But as I walked back, a new unease settled over me. I couldn't shake the feeling that I wasn't alone, even though I was.
Once I was safely back in my room, I locked the door behind me, the soft click somehow reassuring. My phone buzzed on the desk, and I jumped slightly before realizing it was a text from Maya.
**Maya**: *Hey, sorry! Crashed at a friend's place. See you tomorrow!*
I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding and replied quickly, telling her it was fine and to let me know if she needed anything. But even as I set my phone back down, my eyes drifted to the locked door. The sense of unease lingered, subtle but persistent, like the memory of a shadow just out of sight.
I don't know when exactly I fell asleep last night. One moment, I was staring at the locked door, trying to shake off that strange, unsettled feeling, and the next, I was drifting into nothingness.
The next thing I knew, I was being pulled out of the fog of sleep by a voice.
"Raven?"
I groaned, shifting under the covers before opening one eye. Maya stood at the foot of my bed, her arms crossed, a bemused smile tugging at her lips.
"Sorry," she said, not sounding sorry at all. "Didn't think you'd still be asleep at this time."
"What do you mean, *this time*?" I muttered, my voice rough with sleep. "It's morning. And it's Friday. My classes are in the afternoon." I snorted softly and waved her off. "You're just early for once."
Maya raised an eyebrow, her grin widening as if she was holding back a laugh. "Girl, it's like 11. What are you on about?"
Her words hit me like a bucket of cold water. My eyes snapped open fully, and I shot upright in bed. "What?! No way!"
"You might want to check your clock," Maya added, amused.
I didn't need to. My dorm room was already brighter than it should've been if it were still early morning. I scrambled out of bed in a flurry of panic, practically tripping over the sheets as I grabbed a towel and darted for the shower.
"Damn it, damn it, *damn it!*" I muttered under my breath, the stream of water from the shower doing little to calm the rising tide of my anxiety. My professor wasn't exactly lenient with late arrivals, and I wasn't about to test their patience today.
I was out of the shower in record time, toweling off quickly and yanking open my closet. There was no time for deliberation—I grabbed a plain white t-shirt and dark jeans, throwing them on with a pair of sneakers. It wasn't exactly fashionable, but it was practical, and right now, that's all I needed.
Rushing back to the main part of the dorm, I grabbed my bag, hastily checking to make sure I had everything. My laptop, notebook, and—oh no. Where was my phone?
"Raven!" Maya called just as I was at the door. I turned to see her holding up the familiar black rectangle with a knowing smirk. "You forgot this."
I dashed back, grabbing it from her hand. "Thanks, lifesaver," I muttered, slinging my bag over my shoulder.
Maya laughed, leaning against the doorframe. "You're a mess, you know that? What happened to the cool, calm Raven I know?"
I was already halfway out the door. "That Raven doesn't exist on Fridays! See you later, Maya!"
Her laughter followed me down the hallway as I sprinted toward the elevators, ignoring the bewildered looks of a few students passing by. I checked my phone as I waited for the elevator doors to open, seeing the time glaring at me: 12:10 p.m. I groaned. I was so not ready for this day.