Chapter 17: You’re Crazy!
The door clicked softly behind Ren as he entered his dorm room, his thoughts already drifting into silent analysis.
His fingers loosened from the handle with automatic precision, but his mind was two steps ahead, already visualizing the steps required for his mental sea evolution tonight.
Then he saw Lia. She was sitting cross-legged on her bed, the fabric of her uniform slightly rumpled, her palms facing upward in the classic lotus meditation posture.
Her eyes had been closed—calm, serene—but at the sound of his entrance, they fluttered open.
A flicker of embarrassment passed through her irises before a sudden jolt of awkwardness spread across her face like spilled ink.
She looked away instantly, cheeks coloring, gaze bouncing between the floor and the window like she was suddenly unsure where her body was meant to exist.
Ren blinked.
"Hi," he said simply.
That was it. No judgment. No surprise. If anything, a quiet acceptance settled across his features.
He had work to do.
He moved past her, silent as a shadow, and pulled open the closet. Neatly folded clothes lined the shelves like data files in a well-organized server.