Her desk wasn’t for studying. It was for staring. A half-empty mug of cold black coffee sat beside a Zippo that hadn’t sparked in months. The window faced a brick wall — no view, just texture. She traced the mortar lines with her eyes at 2 a.m., imagining they were escape routes.
Outside, someone laughed — bright, careless. Inside, the radiator hissed a secret. Nika closed her eyes and let the darkness settle over her like a coat that fit perfectly, even if it had never belonged to anyone else. nika noir dorm
“You live like a suspect,” her roommate once said. Her desk wasn’t for studying