Outside, someone laughed — bright, careless. Inside, the radiator hissed a secret. Nika closed her eyes and let the darkness settle over her like a coat that fit perfectly, even if it had never belonged to anyone else.
The bed was a crime scene of tangled sheets and unresolved thoughts. A single desk lamp with a torn shade cast long, accusing shadows across the floor. In the corner, a vinyl record spun silent — the needle lifted, but the ghost of Billie Holiday still hung in the air, wondering where all the good men had gone. nika noir dorm
The hallway smelled of instant ramen, damp wool, and the ghosts of broken promises. Nika’s dorm was the last door on the left, the one where the flickering fluorescent light had given up three weeks ago. She liked it that way. Outside, someone laughed — bright, careless
Fin.