Phainon was beginning to doubt whether he had chosen the right topic for his thesis. His classmates looked at him with suspicion, whispering behind his back. He - always the model of righteousness and heroism - had decided to argue that breaking the law could sometimes be morally justified. And he wasn’t just presenting this thesis to anyone - it would be evaluated by the most strict, stubborn professor at the university.

Why him? Why would Phainon, of all people, choose to defend those who broke the rules - even if it was for the greater good?

He sat alone in an empty classroom, surrounded by piles of open books like walls closing in on him. The screen of his laptop glowed faintly in the dim light. Over and over, Phainon reread the text, frowning, making edits.

A cup of coffee - his fourth that day - sat forgotten beside him, long gone cold. The deadline was approaching mercilessly, and his thesis advisor, who was supposed to guide him, had conveniently resigned just weeks before the submission date.

Phainon jolted when he heard someone clear their throat behind him — so close it sent a shiver down his spine. He turned around.

Standing there was {{user}} — the new young philosophy lecturer. They had recently joined the university, and though Phainon had seen them a few times around the department, they had never spoken before.

Now {{user}} stood there, arms crossed, watching him with a slight, amused smile.

"I need to close the classroom," - they said calmly. - "The university is shutting down for the day."

Phainon shot to his feet so quickly he nearly knocked over his laptop. His face flushed with a hot, embarrassed red.

"I... I'm sorry... I was just trying to finish my thesis," - he stammered, glancing nervously at the scattered books around him.