Rhian woke early the next day. The room was quiet, except for the soft hum of the campus generators outside.
He stretched, rubbed the back of his neck, and moved to the shower.
The hot water helped ease so tension from his shoulders, but it didn’t clear his mind.
He didn’t have any classes today. Just light sparring in the early afternoon and a few hours free afterward. It should’ve felt like a break, but it didn’t.
Once he was dressed, he sat on his bed and reached for his phone. He opened it and went straight to Nia’s ssages.
Still nothing. No reply or missed calls. Not even a seen checkmark.
He sighed and leaned back against the wall. He had called her more than once yesterday.
Tried texting too. Maybe she was just overwheld. He understood that feeling better than most.
Still, sothing didn’t sit right.
He looked out the window. The storm from last night had passed, but the sky was still gray.
Puddles lined the brick paths outside, and the trees swayed with the leftover wind. The rain hadn’t been normal. It had co out of nowhere, sudden, loud, and rough.
Rainstorms weren’t rare in the region, but that kind of storm, thunder and rain pour was different.
Rhian didn’t believe in ons. But a part of him just told that sothing had changed last night.
He checked Nia’s contact again, thumb hovering over the call button. Then he locked the screen and stood up.
"I’m checking on her today," he said to himself, mostly to shake off the weight in his chest.
He wasn’t sure if he was overreacting.
Or if that gut feeling was right.
Rhian left his room and gently pulled the door shut behind him. As he turned to head down the hallway, another door opened a few steps ahead.
Ash stepped out, rubbing his eyes and yawning like he hadn’t slept properly.
His silver-blonde hair was a ss, and he was still in a loose shirt and sweats. He blinked at Rhian, squinting like the hallway light offended him.
"Yo," Ash mumbled. "We got class today?"
Rhian shook his head. "Nah. Free day. Sparring later if you’re up for it."
Ash groaned and leaned against the wall. "Good. Thought I missed sothing. I had the weirdest dreams. Felt like soone poured lightning down my spine."
Rhian raised an eyebrow. "That doesn’t sound healthy."
Ash smirked. "Neither does school."
Rhian gave a short laugh, but it faded quickly. He glanced down the hall, toward the exit.
His mind was still stuck on Nia. He wasn’t sure if Ash noticed, but the usual rhythm between them was off. He didn’t bring it up.
Ash yawned again and scratched the back of his neck. "You heading sowhere?"
"Yeah," Rhian said. "Just need to check on sothing."
Ash didn’t press. He just nodded and moved back into his room, muttering sothing about needing real food.
Rhian kept walking. His steps were steady, but his thoughts weren’t.
Rhian made his way toward the female dormitory, keeping his pace steady.
The morning air was still a little damp from last night’s storm, and the sky was overcast, casting a soft grey light across the walkways.
As he got closer, he noticed more girls outside, so sitting on benches, others chatting in small groups or heading back in from the communal showers.
Most were in their pajamas or loungewear, still easing into the day.
He tried not to look at anyone directly, but it was obvious when heads turned. A few girls went quiet mid-conversation.
Their eyes trailed over him, so stared at his face, others let their gaze drift to the faint scales on his forearms. A few whispered to each other, trying to act subtle.
Rhian didn’t slow down, but he definitely felt it.
It wasn’t just recognition. It was curiosity. Interest. Maybe even suspicion.
He kept his eyes forward, doing his best to stay calm, but the glances weren’t going away.
His heartbeat picked up slightly, not from fear, just discomfort. This kind of attention wasn’t sothing he enjoyed.
As he passed by the main entrance of the dorm building, one girl standing near the doorway didn’t even try to hide that she was staring.
Rhian gave a small nod and kept moving.
He just hoped Nia was okay and that this didn’t turn into a scene.
Rhian reached the front of the dorm building. He hesitated for a mont, then headed inside. The main hall was warm compared to the outside. The polished floor still reflected bits of the grey morning light.
He walked toward the hallway he rembered Nia’s room was down, but before he could knock, the door cracked open slightly. A girl peeked out, tall, dark-haired, with a smirk that landed just a bit too quickly.
She pushed the door fully open, leaning against the fra in loose shorts and a tied-up sleep shirt.
"Well, well. A rare creature at our doorstep," she said, tilting her head. "Didn’t expect to see one of you here before noon."
Rhian blinked. "One of ?"
She pointed lazily at his eyes, then to the faint shine of his scales. "Y’know... you’re either a prince in disguise or a walking science project. Either way, very unique."
Rhian didn’t bite on the tone. "I’m looking for Nia."
She raised an eyebrow, then turned her body slightly, leaning with one shoulder against the doorfra.
"Of course you are," she said, drawing out the words. "All the mysterious types seem to be."
Rhian gave a half-nod, keeping his voice level. "She hasn’t been answering her ssages. Just checking if she’s alright."
The girl clicked her tongue softly and stepped aside. "Well, she’s in. Sleeping, I think. Or pretending to. She didn’t say a word when I got up this morning."
Rhian hesitated. "Is she okay?"
The smirk dropped just a bit. She shrugged. "You know her better than I do."
He took a breath. "Can you just let her know I ca by?"
She nodded, then gave a small smile—less flirty now. "Sure. I’ll tell her. What na should I use? Or should I just say... the unique one stopped by?"
Rhian gave a small, tired smile. "Rhian."
"Rhian," she repeated, testing it. "Got it. I’ll tell her."
He gave a final nod and turned to go, still uneasy.
Behind him, the door clicked shut.
The door creaked open again just as Rhian reached the end of the hallway. The sa girl stepped out, barefoot now, with a lazy smile like she’d just rembered sothing important.
"Hey, my bad," she said, brushing her hair behind her ear. "Seems she left. Room’s empty."
Rhian stopped and turned slightly.
"She’s not in there?" he asked, frowning.
The girl shook her head. "Nope. Bed’s made too. Guess she slipped out earlier than I thought."
She stepped forward, lowering her voice just enough to sound playful. "But hey... if you’re that worried, you could help look for her. I an... it’s a big building."
Rhian didn’t respond imdiately. He glanced past her toward the room, then back toward the exit.
"I think I’ll look outside," he said.
Her smile twitched, like she expected that answer but wanted to push a little more. "Suit yourself," she said, folding her arms loosely. "If you see her first, tell her she owes for skipping dish duty."
Rhian nodded once and walked away, his pace picking up slightly as he moved toward the doors. Sothing still felt off.
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