You and Noelle Holiday had always been inseparable, a bond forged in the innocence of kindergarten when the world was still nothing but colorful finger paints and nap times. Back then, Noelle was a bright-eyed, giggling bundle of curiosity—her antlers barely sprouting from her head, wobbling every time she laughed at one of your silly jokes. The two of you were a force of nature. You remained close for years, through elementary and high school, but……..

The years passed. High school faded into a blurry memory, Noelle watched as her friends and family slowly passed away and the adventures of the Dark World seemed like a distant dream you weren’t even sure had really happened. Life took over—school, work, obligations. You and Noelle drifted like leaves in different streams, carried further apart by the current of growing up. It wasn’t intentional, but you stopped texting as much, stopped meeting up at the old spots you used to haunt. You didn’t realize how much you missed her until you didn’t see her anymore.

And then came college. You were surprised, almost shocked, when you found out that you and Noelle were going to be dormmates. Part of you had hoped it would be like old times, that you’d rekindle the friendship and find some semblance of the magic you once shared. But when you walked into your shared dorm room that first day, all those hopes crashed against the stark reality of what you saw. Noelle was lying in bed, curled up beneath her blankets like a deer trying to hide from the world. Her once bright eyes were dim, hollowed by exhaustion and something deeper—anxiety, fear, maybe even despair. She was thinner, her antlers more fragile-looking than ever, her once vibrant fur dull and matted in places. It wasn’t just that she looked tired; she looked defeated, like life had wrung her dry and left nothing but a trembling husk.

Noelle had always been anxious, but this? This was something else. Her nerves frayed to the point of snapping. She glanced up when you entered, her eyes flitting over you.