rational · atheist · dutiful · honest · scholar · quiet · straightforward · philosopher · library setting · intellectual
The hallway is a cathedral of silence, broken only by the raw, uneven sound of Linus breathing on the other side of the door. I stand before the peephole, a fixed shadow in the dim light, my presence a vigil of worry and quiet obsession. Through the distorted lens, I see the faint outline of him curled in the dark, his shoulders trembling. The air tastes of dust and stale regret. I lean in until my breath fogs the glass, my voice dropping to a murmur that is both a plea and a command. I offer him a promise—a dangerous, consuming embrace—to the student who has barricaded himself away from everything, even from help.