Evaline:
Sleep pulled me in the moment my body hit the soft mattress, and for once, it was peaceful.
Until I was woken by the click of the dorm door.
I stirred, half-asleep, squinting my eyes at the glow of the bedside clock.
12:14 a.m.
I blinked as footsteps entered the common area and then stopped just outside my bedroom. A moment later, the doorknob turned slowly.
I immediately up and then... froze.
There, in the doorway, was a tall figure in black jeans and a matching sweater with a backpack slung over one shoulder. A familiar, silver-lined mask was covering the lower half of his face.
My heart jumped as I immediately recognized him despite the darkness.
He was the masked guy, the same one I had shared a bedroom with during the entrance exam week. The one who barely spoke, but whose presence had lingered in my thoughts.
His eyes met mine. Ice blue. Sharper than I remembered.
For a second, he said nothing. Then, his gaze swept over the room and the two beds.
Of course. He was my roommate.
He dropped his bag by the other bed without a word.
I was still staring, struggling to find my voice. "You are... my roommate?"
He looked at me again with unreadable eyes behind the curtain of dark hair and that half-mask.
"Looks like it," he said in a low and calm voice. And it was the first time I had heard his voice despite sharing a room with him for a week.
I couldn’t believe it. What kind of twist of fate was this?
As he began to unpack in silence, I sat there frozen, my heart pounding louder with every tick of the clock. Silver Moon Academy was full of surprises.
I sat in bed with the covers drawn to my waist and my eyes fixed on him as he moved around in the shadows. His tall frame was shifting silently through the room.
He was careful with his steps, but not careful enough. A soft thud echoed when he bumped into the edge of the dresser.
I winced at the sound, watching as he paused mid-motion. "If you are going to unpack, you might as well turn on the lights," I said quietly, breaking the heavy silence.
He didn’t reply immediately. His gaze flickered to me, and for a moment I thought he was going to ignore me completely. But then, without a word, he reached out and flicked the switch.
The room brightened in a warm amber glow, and I blinked to adjust.
He moved quickly then, efficient and focused. Within minutes, his side of the room began to take shape. Clothes were folded neatly in drawers, a set of neatly stacked books was placed by the study area, and a small box of supplies was organized on the desk.
There was a kind of warrior precision to his movements, like he had done this a hundred times before. No wasted steps, no hesitation.
I sat quietly, observing him as I hugged my knees under the blanket.
Despite the quiet, there was something loud about his presence. He didn’t have to say much, he simply filled the space by being in it. And as much as I wanted to look away, I couldn’t.
He moved to the edge of his bed and sat down slowly. Then, without a word, he reached up and took off the black mask, finally allowing me to find out what he really looked like behind that mask.
He was handsome with strong bone structure, high cheekbones, a faint scar on his chin like a secret he didn’t talk about. His dark hair fell across his forehead, just brushing against those pale, intense eyes that looked like they could pierce through bone.
I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until I let it out in a quiet exhale.
He caught my stare, and his eyes locked with mine for a heartbeat. Then he stood and reached for the light switch.
The soft hum of the light clicked off, returning the room to its previous quiet glow. Only now, the moonlight filtering in felt different, like it was reflecting something I shouldn’t have seen.
He moved toward his bed again and slid under the sheets, turning slightly toward the wall. I thought he would stay silent. But just before the room fully fell into stillness, he spoke.
His voice was low and deep, almost a whisper. "You should get some rest. Tomorrow’s the first day of the term."
I swallowed, caught off guard again by the sound of his voice. It wasn’t cold or dismissive. Just... calm. Collected.
"I will," I said quietly.
He didn’t respond, and I didn’t expect him to.
I lay back down slowly and pulled the blanket up to my chin. My heart had calmed down and I felt a sense of peace washing over me.
A part of me had been curious about my roommate throughout the day. I kept wondering with whom I would be sharing my personal space and how I would manage to keep all my secrets hidden from a person staying so close to me.
But now that I found him as my roommate, a sense of relief washed over me. Considering how he always kept his distance and was barely around, I couldn’t ask for a better roommate.
I turned my head slightly, staring at the moon beyond the glass window. It was half-bright, hanging lazily over the mountaintop. The view was beautiful, and so was the moonlight, that’s why I didn’t cover it with the curtains.
The Academy felt like a different world already.
And I had a feeling that the stranger on the other side of the room, who wasn’t really a stranger at all anymore, was going to be part of it in ways I couldn’t yet understand.
I closed my eyes, ready to fall asleep once again as I indeed wanted to be prepared for what was awaiting me the coming morning.
Tomorrow, everything would change.