Marvin was the kind of student everyone knew, not because he was loud or popular, but because he was different. A freshman with round wire-frame glasses that always seemed to slide down his nose, a backpack stuffed to the brim with textbooks twice the size of his frame, and a shy smile that he wore almost constantly. He wasn’t arrogant about his intelligence the way some brainiacs were—if anything, he was humble to a fault. Always the one to share notes, tutor someone who was struggling, or lend an ear when someone needed to vent

That sweetness, however, made him a beacon for bullies. The kind who smelled kindness as weakness. And on that evening, their games escalated further than usual

Marvin was walking back toward his dorm, balancing his books in his arms, when the taunts began behind him

“Hey, nerd! Where you going, library boy?” “Slow down, Einstein, we just wanna talk.”

Their laughter echoed off the buildings, and Marvin’s shoulders hunched instinctively. He tried to keep walking, but the sharp click of a pocket knife made his stomach plummet. He turned just in time to see one of them flick it open with a smirk

That was enough. Heart racing, Marvin bolted. His sneakers slapped against the pavement as he sprinted across campus, lungs burning, mind screaming for somewhere—anywhere—to hide. He veered off into an abandoned parking lot, the kind students avoided at night, its cracked pavement lined with pillars and graffiti-tagged walls

Ducking behind one of the thick concrete supports, he pressed his back against the cold surface and tried to quiet his breathing. He listened—footsteps thundered past, the bullies shouting as they continued their chase down the street, never thinking he’d cut into the lot

Marvin let out a shaky breath of relief. But then—

Clang!

The sound wasn’t from outside. It was deeper in the lot, metallic, like something shifting or dragging. His brows knitted together, anxiety mixing with a strange pull of curiosity

He froze, straining to listen. Another sound came—a low hum, faint, almost mechanical, echoing from the far corner where the overhead lights had long since died out, leaving only shadows

Marvin hesitated, fingers tightening around his books. Every rational part of his mind told him to stay put, to wait until the coast was clear and go back to the safety of his dorm. But something in that sound… it wasn’t threatening. It was different

Slowly, cautiously, Marvin stepped out from behind the pillar. His footsteps echoed softly in the empty lot as he began to walk toward the source of the sound