"Okay, so the nobles are definitely staring at us like we just crawled out of a sewer," Des whispered, nudging my shoulder as they walked through the academy's main courtyard. "Is that normal? Should we be concerned?"
I didn't look up from my shoes. "Probably."
"That's not reassuring."
"Wasn't trying to be."
Arethia University was... a lot. Like, genuinely a lot. A place that made you feel small the second you stepped through the gates, all soaring stone towers and perfectly manicured gardens and students who looked like they'd been born wearing designer robes.
I kept my expression blank. It was easier that way. Less to worry about, less to explain, less chance of someone deciding I was worth talking to. Just keep your head down, blend in, survive the year. Simple.
Evidently, simple was creepy.
"Oh my god, why does she look like that?" some girl with an unnecessarily elaborate hairstyle whispered to her friend, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Like, is she okay? She's giving serial killer energy."
I didn't react. Didn't even blink. Which, based on the way the girl's eyes went wide, apparently made it worse.
"See? Definitely a serial killer," the girl hissed, pulling her friend away.
Pearl appeared on my other side, grinning like she'd just witnessed the funniest thing in the world. "Serial killer energy. That's actually kind of iconic. You should lean into it."
"I'm not leaning into anything," I muttered.
"Too late. Your reputation is already set. You're the mysterious commoner girl who murders people with her mind. Very on-brand." Pearl waved at the retreating nobles with exaggerated friendliness. "Don't worry, she's mostly harmless. Probably."
"Thanks for that," I said dryly.
"Anytime, bestie."
Des snorted. "Can we focus on the fact that we're about to be assigned to dorms? I'm genuinely scared they're going to put me in a room with like fifty other people. I need my space. I need to be able to have a mental breakdown in private."
"That's fair," Pearl said thoughtfully. "I respect that energy."
"What if they put me with someone from the capital? Someone whose family really owns half the kingdom? How am I supposed to sleep knowing I'm sharing a room with nobility?"
"Highly unlikely but you'll figure it out," i said.
"You're not helping."
"Still not trying to be."
The dorm assignments happened in the main hall, which was somehow even more intimidating than the courtyard. High ceilings, marble floors, the works. A stern-looking woman with a clipboard read off names in alphabetical order, and I tried very hard not to think about how many ways this could go wrong.
"Cole, Amara," the woman called ofut. "East Wing, Room 247. Single occupancy."
My head snapped up. Single occupancy? She'd been bracing for a shared room, maybe even a triple. Single occupancy felt like winning the lottery.
"Lucky," Des said, not even bothering to hide the envy in his voice. "I'm probably going to get stuck with like three roommates and one of them will definitely snore."
"Desmond, you're in East Wing, Room 251. Double occupancy with—" the woman paused, checking her list, "—Marcus Thorne."
Des's face went pale. "Marcus Thorne? Like, the Marcus Thorne, from the Eastern Province? The one who's apparently a prodigy at combat magic?"
"Probably," Pearl said cheerfully. "Pearl Mendez, East Wing, Room 249. Single occupancy."
So they were all in the East Wing. Which was good; familiar faces nearby. Which was also bad because I had been really looking forward to being completely alone.
The East Wing turned out to be... nice, actually. Not glamorous like the noble dorms (which they could see from the hallway, all gold accents and stained glass windows and what looked like chandeliers), but genuinely charming. Clean, well-lit, with actually furniture. The hallways were quiet, and there was this weird sense of calm that I appreciated immediately.
Room 247 was perfect. Average enough for one person. A bed, a desk, a wardrobe, a window that looked out onto the academy garden. The walls were bare, waiting for me to do something with them if I wanted to. Which I didn't. But it was nice that the option existed. I was glad to have no roommate to worry about. No one to judge me for the way I preferred silence to conversation.
I set my bag down on the bed and just... stood there for a moment. Taking it in. This was mine. For the next year, this room was mine.
I was so focused on the moment that I didn't hear the knock until it came again, louder.
"Yo, neighbor!" Pearl's head popped through the doorway without waiting for an invitation. "We're doing a dorm tour. Des is having a minor panic attack about Marcus, so I'm distracting him. You coming?"
"No."
"Cool, you're coming." Pearl grabbed my hand and pulled me back into the hallway before I could protest. "Come on, it'll be fun. We can scope out the common areas, figure out where the good snacks are, maybe find out if there's a secret passage or something."
"There's not going to be a secret passage."
"Not with that attitude there won't be."
Des was standing outside Room 251, staring at the door like it might bite him. "What if he's already in there? What if he's like, super intimidating? What if he decides I'm not worthy of being his roommate and requests a transfer on day one?"
"Then you'll survive," I said flatly.
"Not helpful."
"Wasn't trying to be."
Pearl laughed. "Okay, I'm starting to see a pattern here. Anyway, we should probably unpack before dinner. I heard there's a welcome feast or something, and I am not missing free food. Plus, I want to see what the dining hall looks like. I'm betting it's ridiculous. Like, probably has chandeliers and everything."
As we walked out of the wing, I caught sight of myself in one of the hallway mirrors. Blank expression, dead eyes, the kind of face that probably did scream "serial killer energy." I looked away quickly, but not before noticing how out of place I looked compared to the other students they passed. They all seemed so confident, so sure of their place here.
"You okay?" Pearl asked, noticing my expression.
"Fine," I said.
"You're doing that thing where you say you're fine but you're clearly not fine."
"I'm fine."
"Okay, but like, actually though—"
"I'm fine, Pearl."
Pearl held up her hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. But for the record, I'm here if you want to talk about whatever's going on in that mysterious head of yours."