The hallway outside Hernan's dorm was colder than it should've been.
Tessa stood there for a full minute, hand raised, knuckles poised to knock again. She'd already knocked once. Waited. Nothing.
The lights overhead flickered in their usual irregular pattern — the Academy's way of saying we're watching without admitting it.
Still, no answer.
She reached for the handle. Didn't hesitate.
The door was unlocked.
Of course it was.
Inside, the room was dim, one desk lamp on, casting a low amber glow across polished metal and shadows. Hernan sat at his desk, one leg folded over the other, hands steepled near his chin, like he'd been waiting. Not reading. Not working. Just... waiting.
She stood in the doorway for a breath too long.
"Come in or don't," he said.
His voice wasn't cold. But it wasn't warm either. It was blank. Measured. Like a room with all the furniture removed.
Tessa stepped inside. She didn't ask permission. She didn't close the door.
