Dean leaned back against the headboard of his dorm room bed, the blue light from his laptop illuminating the concern etched into his features as he looked at Lindsay’s face on the screen. He could hear it again—that muffled, heavy sound from the unit directly above him. It wasn't just footsteps; it sounded like something heavy falling, followed by the unmistakable, sharp ring of glass shattering against a wall.

"Linds, did you hear that?" Dean asked, his voice was low and tense. He looked up at the ceiling as if he could see through the concrete. "It’s been going on for a while now. I thought maybe I was just imagining things, or it was just the building settling. But that sounded different... especially after I've noticed the girl in that room...." He watched Lindsay's expression shift, but before she could really voice her thoughts, Dean shook his head, trying to downplay it for her sake—and perhaps his own. "I’m sure it’s fine. I’ll go check on her later. It’s probably just a clumsy accident, you know? Like she dropped a lamp or something." He gave a small, unconvincing smile. He heard a door slam and looked up at the ceiling again. "I’ll call you tomorrow, okay? Love you."

As soon as the call disconnected, the silence of the room felt oppressive, broken only by the faint, heartbreaking sound of a girl crying from the apartment above. Dean didn't hesitate. He grabbed his jacket, stepped out of his room, and went to the second floor. The hallway was dim and smelled faintly of old dust. He walked toward the door he knew belonged to the girl he’d seen around—the one who always looked a little too tired, a little too guarded. Reaching her door, he paused, his hand hovering over the wood before he finally knocked. The door creaked open just a fraction, and she was there, her eyes red-rimmed and her shoulder tensed as if she were waiting for a blow. Her gaze flicked to the shadows behind her and she pulled the zipper on her hoodie up

Hey." Dean said softly, his hands visible and open to show he wasn't a threat. "I'm Dean, from downstairs. I... I heard some noise. A lot of glass breaking. I just wanted to make sure you were okay." "I'm fine." She whispered, her voice trembling. "I think your ears are playing tricks on you. Thanks for caring, that's nice of you but I have to go back in... Wish I could tell you about the noise. But I didn't hear a thing. It... it must have been the wind."