After my conversation with Byen, I headed to the cafeteria to eat. By the time we finished talking, lunch break had already passed, leaving the vast space eerily quiet. Long wooden tables stretched across the room, their surfaces spotless and untouched, while sunlight streamed in through the tall windows, illuminating floating dust particles in the air. Every student had already returned to their respective classes.
I was the only one left.
The silence felt heavier than expected. Usually, the cafeteria was filled with overlapping conversations, clattering plates, and the occasional laughter echoing off the stone walls. Now, all I could hear was the faint crackling of the hearth and the sound of my own footsteps as I approached the counter.
