Lucian's Dorm – Night Before Zenith Week
The city outside was quiet. Not dead quiet, just the kind of soft silence that came when the world finally let itself exhale.
Inside his dorm, Lucian sat at the edge of his bed. No shirt, just his sweatpants, hands resting on his knees, eyes fixed on the floor.
The faint hum of the wall lamp painted one side of his face in pale gold. The other half was shadow.
He hadn't said a word since returning.
Everyone else had gone off—some to rest, others to eat or waste time like they weren't about to walk into hell tomorrow. Reia asked if he wanted to hang out in the lounge. He smiled and told her no. Vyn nodded at him on the way out, nothing more. Evelyn had tried to get something out of him too, but he'd shut it down with a quiet "I'm good."
Truth was, he wasn't.
His fingers twitched once.
Then again.
This whole time—weeks now—he'd been pacing himself. Holding back. Not for anyone else's sake. Just because… it was easier.
