By the time the semester finally came to an end, Sterling Heights University no longer felt as loud as it once had.
The endless pressure of examinations had faded into relief. Students flooded the hallways carrying luggage and laughing excitedly about vacations, family trips, beach houses, and summer plans.
For the first time in weeks, the campus looked lighter.
Happier.
But inside the dormitory room Seraphina shared with Emily, exhaustion still lingered heavily in the air.
Clothes were scattered across beds.
Books lay stacked in uneven piles.
Half-zipped bags rested on the floor while soft afternoon sunlight filtered through the curtains quietly.
Seraphina folded the last of her clothes carefully before placing them inside her worn travel bag.
Her movements were slower than usual.
Not because she was lazy.
Because she was tired.
The kind of tiredness that settled deep inside a person after months of carrying too much pain.
