Shades of Family

Shade walked back to the second building, his right hand jammed deep into his pocket, his knuckles white against the dark fabric. His expression was grim, a mask of tightly controlled tension, as if he were bracing himself to face some devastating news he desperately wished to avoid.

Each step was heavy, deliberate, echoing faintly in the quiet academic halls as he moved towards the farthest end of the second building—to the very room where chaos had reigned just hours before.

Shade paused outside the door, inhaling deeply, drawing in a shaky breath that did little to calm the frantic drumbeat against his ribs. The cool air seemed to scrape at the raw edges of his nerves. He pushed the door open, the heavy wood groaning softly on its hinges, revealing the familiar, comfortable chaos of the common room he shared with Eirin.

 "Did you enjoy your little stroll with your girlfriend?"