The hallway smelled of instant ramen, damp wool, and the ghosts of broken promises. Nika’s dorm was the last door on the left, the one where the flickering fluorescent light had given up three weeks ago. She liked it that way.
Outside, someone laughed — bright, careless. Inside, the radiator hissed a secret. Nika closed her eyes and let the darkness settle over her like a coat that fit perfectly, even if it had never belonged to anyone else. nika noir dorm
Inside, the world went monochrome.
Her desk wasn’t for studying. It was for staring. A half-empty mug of cold black coffee sat beside a Zippo that hadn’t sparked in months. The window faced a brick wall — no view, just texture. She traced the mortar lines with her eyes at 2 a.m., imagining they were escape routes. The hallway smelled of instant ramen, damp wool,