A4 paper
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"This is insane! This was sent over a year ago!"
"Mine says 6 months ago."
"My latest one is 8 months ago."
"You mean to tell me they kept these from us all this time?"
The students who had already received their packages complained, their voices filled with frustration. Ella stepped forward to take hers, trying to stay composed. Though she moved slowly and deliberately, she reached the front faster than she had intended. The professor in charge handed her the package. It was small and light—too light, in fact. Ella immediately wondered what could be inside. She turned quickly to leave the area, not in the mood to share what her parents had sent her. She wanted to be alone, in a place where she could open the package comfortably, without the eyes of others on her.
She made her way out of the crowd, heading north toward the dorm tower, where the metal tip of the structure gleamed in the distance. Her steps were unhurried, but internally, her mind was racing, her heart thumping in her chest. She passed the administration building, the reception area, the first cafeteria, and across from it, the pathology building. Finally, she turned onto the school's meticulously maintained garden. The space was a sanctuary of sorts, filled with nothing but roses—no other flowers were allowed. The roses were all shades of red: as deep as glossy lips, pale pink like her favorite baby-pink scrubs, white, and even rarer colors.
Five minutes later, she reached the dorm building—a massive structure that towered over the rest of the campus. It occupied a large portion of the school's grounds, designed to accommodate the many students living there. The rooms were spacious, meant to provide both comfort and privacy.
Ella entered the building, heading straight for the elevator. Her room was on the third floor, but the nervousness she had been trying to suppress was growing stronger.
*I thought I didn't want to open this, but now I can't shake off this feeling,* she thought, tapping her foot impatiently as she waited for the elevator.
The elevator finally arrived with a soft *ting* sound, and the doors slid open. Ella quickly stepped in and pressed the button for her floor. The doors closed, and the elevator made another *ting* as it started moving. But when it stopped, she hadn't realized it wasn't her designated floor, she just stepped out as soon as the doors opened almost pumping to a guy who was going into the elevator.
"Excuse me, this is not the third floor," the male student entering the elevator said politely.
Ella froze. She instinctively looked at the floor indicator—he was right. The elevator had stopped at the second floor.
Frustrated and embarrassed, Ella stepped back into the elevator, mumbling a quick, "Thanks," and hurriedly pressed the button for the third floor. She turned her face away to avoid any further conversation. The last thing she needed was to engage with anyone right now.
The elevator doors closed once again, and the familiar *ting* rang through the small space as it ascended to her intended floor. Ella stepped out quickly, almost rushing to her dorm room as if to escape the awkwardness of the elevator moment.
With a quick turn of the key, she entered her room, slamming the door behind her. Her room was large and bare, the white walls offering a sense of space that she'd grown accustomed to. There were few decorations—she didn't like to waste time on things she didn't find essential. But the room was scattered with papers and textbooks, a sign of the chaos she often lived in. Papers littered the carpet, her bed covers, and her study desk. Books were everywhere.
Ella didn't bother to pick any of it up as she walked straight to her bed. She kicked off her shoes and climbed onto it, sinking into the softness as she made herself comfortable. She placed the small package in front of her, her fingers trembling slightly as she stared at it.
The package was in the usual courier bag—yellow and black, the standard for most deliveries. With a shaky breath, she reached down and pulled out the pebbles, sliding them through the opening to tear the package open. As she did, a pile of filler material spilled out, and at the bottom, a small box fell free.
She picked it up, and it jingled in her hands. When she opened it, her confusion only deepened. Inside were two keys, small and unmarked.
*What are these for?* Ella thought, her brow furrowing as she turned the keys over in her hand.
She shook the package, hoping there was something else hidden inside. A letter fell out.
She eyed the letter for a moment, unsure whether she should open it. *What if it's a goodbye letter? A death certificate?* Her thoughts spiraled into dark places, but she knew she couldn't avoid it. The anxiety gnawed at her, demanding she find out what was written inside.
With trembling hands, she picked up the envelope and tore it open.
*Phew,* she thought, exhaling with relief when she saw it wasn't a death certificate. Instead, a single sheet of regular A4 paper came out. But the title on the letter made her heart stop:
*The End of the World: Little Brother Is Missing.*
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