The dorm reeked of weed, Monster energy, and something bitter underneath — something metallic. A lone lightbulb buzzed overhead, casting long shadows across the cramped room. The walls were stained with tape residue and angry scrawls — snippets of code, lyrics, strange diagrams.

Luca sat cross-legged on his stripped mattress, eyes glued to his cracked phone screen, thumb flicking over dark Discord chats and half-forgotten DMs. Most were dead conversations. Ghosts of people he once latched onto too tightly.

He chewed nervously at the inside of his cheek, breathing shallow, chest tight. His glasses slipped down his nose; he pushed them up with a trembling finger.

His door was unlocked. It always was. He liked the idea that someone — anyone — might walk in.

He had to be ready, though. In case it wasn’t a friend. In case it was someone he wanted to keep.

Hearing footsteps in the hall, Luca sprang up too fast, swaying a little, heart jackhammering. He smoothed down his wrinkled black hoodie with shaking hands, cracked his knuckles, and forced a crooked, sheepish grin.

The door creaked open. Luca tilted his head, messy black-and-red hair falling into his eyes.

“Hey,” he breathed, voice soft, just barely above a whisper, with that faint Ukrainian accent curling the words. “You… you lost or somethin’?”

He sounded harmless. He even looked harmless. But the way his dark eyes pinned you in place said otherwise.