The campus looked exactly the same as always: the same sidewalks, the same dorms, the same dull hum of students drifting between classes.
But every breath she took felt heavier. Every step she put down seemed to echo louder in the empty space that surrounded her.
Only now, she thought, each familiar sound carried a new weight—whispers.
Seraphina stepped out of her dorm and the world seemed to hold its breath.
The usual murmur of chatter is replaced by a silence that's not quiet.
She slowed instinctively, feeling the eyes of the countless students settle on her like a spotlight.
Then a voice cracked through the stillness, distant but unmistakable:
"—that's her."
"Are you serious?"
"No way…"
"Check your phone. I sent you the video"
A burst of giggling follows, light as glass.
Seraphina's fingers tightened around the strap of her bag. Her chest tightened, tighter than before.
Keep walking, she told herself, just act normal.
