Chapter 43: The Lock Code
{Elira}
~**^**~
Cambria led me through the dormitory building’s quiet corridor, her shoes making soft clicks against the marble floor. We took the stairs to the second floor, then stopped at the elevator.
As we stepped in, I felt the faint hum of its movement beneath my feet, my stomach tightening slightly with nerves.
Only then did I remember my luggage. Zenon had told me someone would bring it ahead of me. I wondered who, and whether they would know which room to drop it in—after all, even I didn’t know yet.
The elevator chimed, the doors sliding open to reveal a nearly empty hallway. Apart from one or two students passing by, it felt oddly still.
"It’s school hours," Cambria explained, glancing at me over her shoulder, "so the dorm usually stays quiet and locked. But because it’s the first day for you, supplementary students, the Dorm Mistress made an exception."
We stopped before a wooden door with a brass plaque: 312.
Cambria pulled out her key ring, selected a silver key, and turned the lock. The door swung open, and she stepped aside with a small flourish.
"And this," she said, her voice lifting into a bright note, "is your room. And mine."
Surprise fluttered through me. Cambria — my student guide — was also my roommate. Relief slipped through my chest.