One week after the transfers
The dream came again. The same fragments. A cold corridor. Blood on white tiles. A familiar scream swallowed by metal walls.
"Ellee," a voice called gently within the dream — warm, protective, broken. Three silhouettes stood at the end of the hallway, their faces blurred by time, their hands reaching out.
She opened her mouth to respond, but her body wouldn't move.
A soft breath escaped her lips as her eyes fluttered open to the real world. Sunlight bled through the curtains. The rhythmic hum of the ventilation system in their apartment-dorm sounded like an echo of the lab's machines.
She sat up slowly, her black curls falling over her shoulder. The cool air stung her skin. Another dream. Another morning.
It had been a week since the four transfer students arrived. And though she never asked their names, she couldn't shake the gnawing familiarity that curled inside her chest every time one of them looked at her.
They didn't act strange. They didn't mention the past. But sometimes, when they thought she wasn't watching, they stared—like they were waiting.
The apartment was quiet for exactly six seconds.
Then—
CRASH!
"Ow! Who left their boots in the hallway again?!" someone shouted.
"Zion, that's literally your own gear," a calmer voice replied.
"Is it?" he muttered sheepishly.
From her room, Ellee rubbed her temples, half-amused, half-exhausted. The apartment was too lively. Too warm. She wasn't used to it. Yet, somehow... it didn't bother her as much as it should have.
She stood and stretched. The cold floor grounded her.
Outside her room, voices collided in the open-concept common area. The kitchen, living space, and hallway were flooded with noise and movement.
"Good morning, Ellee!" Xion beamed when he saw her, already halfway through brewing something that smelled suspiciously sweet and not at all edible.
She gave him a small nod. "Good morning."
Maya leaned over the counter with a smirk. "She speaks. That's a good sign."
Ellee narrowed her light blue eyes. "You want me to stop again?"
Maya raised her hands in surrender, grinning. "No, no. Please. Your words are precious."
Viola chuckled from the couch. "You all act like she's an ice queen, but she's literally just quiet. There's a difference."
Zion piped up, "I like both. Cold and quiet. It's mysterious."
"Stop flirting, weirdo," Maya muttered.
Ellee walked past them and sat at the long dining table. Her mind felt… fuzzy. Like it was trying to force puzzle pieces together that didn't quite fit. It wasn't like her to feel this unbalanced.
"Here," Xion said, placing a steaming cup in front of her. "Tea. Not sweet. Don't worry."
She blinked and glanced up at him. "Thank you."
They all seemed to know her rhythm already. Like they had spent years learning it. Like they once—
No. She shook her head slightly.
"You okay?" Zion asked from the other side of the table.
"A headache," she murmured. "It'll pass."
Maya gave a knowing look. "Stress?"
She hesitated. "Maybe."
Breakfast was surprisingly normal. Scrambled eggs. Toast. A hint of burnt jam. Zion kept trying to prank Xion with salt instead of sugar. Viola was reading a thick combat theory book while chewing on toast, and Maya kept glancing at Ellee like she wanted to say something but held back.
Ellee only picked at her food. Her appetite had been like this ever since… ever since middle school, if she was being honest.
"I'm going to ask something," she said suddenly, interrupting the morning chatter.
All eyes turned to her.
"What are your names?"
There was a beat of silence.
Then—
"You've lived with us for a week and you're just now asking?" Zion teased, leaning forward.
"I didn't need to," she replied flatly.
Viola laughed. "Touché."
Xion raised a hand. "Well, I'm Xion."
"Maya," said the girl beside him, brushing her hair back.
"Viola," the one with the book said, not looking up.
"Zion," the loud one added, flashing a grin.
Ellee nodded once. "I'm Ellee."
They all exchanged amused glances.
"We know," Xion said softly. "Hard not to."
Maya leaned on the table. "You're kind of famous, y'know."
Viola added, "Protector of the Guild Academy. Youngest to hold a sword mastery rank. Rumors say you don't need backup during raids."
Zion looked impressed. "And also kind of scary when someone messes up the training schedule."
"I heard that," she said dryly, sipping her tea.
The warmth of their laughter filled the room. And just for a second—just one fragile, fleeting second—Ellee smiled.
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