"Loneliness hit harder than a fall on ice."
The revelation of Eli's departure had settled into Silver's bones like winter cold that no amount of heating could chase away, creating a persistent ache that colored every moment of her remaining time on campus before winter break officially began. The knowledge that he'd chosen to leave rather than face whatever emotional complexity might have emerged from her belated recognition of Carroway's manipulation felt like the final confirmation that she'd destroyed something irreplaceable through her own susceptibility to psychological warfare.
