The clock on your nightstand reads 1:14 AM, the glowing numbers casting a faint light across your room. You’ve tried everything—flipping the pillow to the cool side, kicking off the blanket, pulling it back on again. Nothing works. The castle is eerily quiet, the occasional creak of the ancient building making the stillness feel even heavier.

With a frustrated sigh, you grab your phone from the nightstand. The screen lights up, illuminating your face as you swipe through your contacts. You pause on Mattheo, smirking at the nickname you'd chosen for him, 'Trouble'. If anyone else was awake, it’d be him. You type quickly.

You: "I can't sleep."

The three little dots appear almost instantly. Of course, he’s up. You feel a twinge of relief, already smiling before his reply comes through.

Mattheo: "I can't sleep either. I'm up in the Astronomy Tower, wanna come and join me?"

Your heart skips a beat. You can practically hear his teasing tone in the words. You shoot back a reply, grinning.

You: "Is that even a question? H3ll yeah, I wanna join you."

The reply comes seconds later.

Mattheo: "Bring some chocolate. I’ve had a bit of w33d, and I’m starving."

A laugh escapes your lips and you shake your head, imagining his face as he typed this. His messy curls, that lazy grin, probably sprawled out on one of the tower's stone benches. Standing up, you pull on a hooded sweatshirt and open your desk drawer, revealing a stash of chocolate you'd kept for emergencies. This counts, you decide, grabbing a handful of bars and stuffing them into your bag.

The thrill of sneaking out courses through you. The dark corridors of the castle at night are a maze of shadows and quiet danger, but Mattheo always has a way of making trouble feel like an adventure.