[indent][i][color=#808080]The room was a disaster zone, a disorderly mess of clothes haphazardly strewn across the floor and books scattered like fallen leaves in a storm. Moving with a quiet urgency, breaths came in shallow, rapid bursts while bending to right a fallen chair, hands trembling from the adrenaline still coursing through veins after that evening’s unexpected incident. It had been hours already, yet the memory of it clung like a shadow, leaving one shaken and on edge.[/color][/i]

[color=#808080][i]Out of all the things expected, this encounter had definitely not been one of them.[/i][/color]

[i][color=#808080]The only desk in the room was a chaotic jumble, with papers and notebooks haphazardly scattered across it in a frenzy. A lamp lay on its side on the floor beside it, its bulb flickering weakly, casting wavering shadows across the room. It was righted, the light now illuminating the mess with a harsh clarity. Gaze fell on a framed photo, discarded and cracked, and heart clenched painfully. Caring nothing for the people depicted, it was picked up anyway, the glass cool and sharp against fingers, and placed back on the desk with a tenderness that hadn’t been thought possible in a long time. [/color][/i]

[color=#808080][i]The bed was a confusing tangle, the sheets damp with sweat and twisted like the troubled thoughts inside the mind. The edges of the blanket were smoothed with quick, efficient movements, fingers hesitating slightly on the figure cocooned there before hands came to rest on the shoulders, tracing the scar they knew to be there. The one given by those very same hands. [/i][/color]

[i][color=#808080]Removing them, eyes darted around the room, absorbing the rest of the disorder she’d left behind in her panic.  Pens and pencils were scattered everywhere like tiny soldiers fallen in disarray. The closet door hung ajar, clothes spilling out in a colourful flood, some hastily shoved into a small, open black suitcase. Feet moved on their own, navigating the mess, while hands reached down to grasp the clothing. Some pieces were hung in the closet, while others were neatly folded and placed in the nearby dresser. [/color][/i]

[color=#808080][i]Feet paused by the window on their way back to the bed, eyes drawn to the darkened campus outside. The world beyond seemed so calm, so indifferent, much like it had been that day years ago. Except, unlike the young woman—the brown-haired girl sleeping under the sheets, muttering frantic words to herself, caught in the throes of a bad dream—[/i][/color][i][b][color=#808080]she [/color][/b][/i][color=#808080][i]knew how to move on.  To accept that sometimes life, instead of lemons, throws grenades at your feet, forcing you to be quick enough to dodge them or risk losing everything. [/i][/color]

[i][color=#808080]Sierra had believed Harper knew this as well, had learned this lesson at some point during the years she’d hidden what she was from her. She had thought Harper understood the necessity of moving on, of adapting to whatever life threw at you. But she’d been wrong. Or, better yet, it was like her sister was prone to throwing herself on those grenades, and for what? For those she refused to even open up to? Why was she here, alone, dealing with something that not even the faux redhead could understand? [/color][/i]

[color=#808080][i]Was it pride? Or, resentfully she thought, a way for her to keep them chained to each other in this way?[/i][/color]

[i][color=#808080]It just didn’t make any damn sense. [/color][/i]

[color=#808080][i]The room was silent, save for the soft sound of Harper’s breathing. Sierra looked down at her now, a deep, frustrated sigh escaping her lips.[/i][/color]

[i][color=#fb0207]“Just slay your own dragons already.” [/color][/i][/indent] 

[COLOR=GRAY][CENTER][COLOR=8A9A5B][sup]_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________[/sup][/COLOR][url=https://open.spotify.com/track/3qhlB30KknSejmIvZZLjOD?si=d594939ee5eb47cd][img]https://i.imgur.com/YWrjMkU.jpeg[/img][/url][/CENTER][indent][sub][COLOR=8A9A5B][B]Location:[/B][/COLOR][I] Strigidae Dorms[/I] - [I]Pacific Royal Campus[/I][/sub][sup][right][COLOR=8A9A5B][b]Dance Monkey #4.010:[/b][/COLOR][I] Crossroads[/I][/right][/sup][/indent][COLOR=8A9A5B][SUP][sub]___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________[/sub][/SUP][/COLOR][indent][sub][color=8A9A5B][B]Interaction(s):[/B][/COLOR][I] Sierra (Supporting Cast), Aurora-[@Melissa][/I][/sub][SUP][RIGHT][COLOR=8A9A5B][b]Previously:[/b][/COLOR][COLOR=GRAY][I] Crash [/I][/color][/right][/SUP][/indent][/color]

[indent][color=#808080]Harper’s eyelids fluttered open, her senses groggy and disoriented as the world slowly came into focus. The soft, muted light seeping through the curtains felt foreign and disconcerting, like an unexpected visitor in the haze of her confusion. The room, bathed in its gentle glow, seemed both familiar and strange as if she were seeing it for the first time. Her mind struggled to piece together fragments of dreams and reality, the boundary between them blurred. She recalled only a few things at first, like her stumbling inside her room, exhausted from the day’s events. [/color]

[color=#808080]Well no…that wasn’t quite it, was it? There was also the matter of the loss of yet another person in her life. [/color]

[color=#808080]The sudden weight of grief pressed down on her chest at the resurgence of Jim’s news, making each breath a struggle, as if the very air had turned against her. The fragments of her past and present collided in a painful dance in her head, each memory a sharp jab to her heart. Harper’s vision blurred with unshed tears, the room around her spinning in a disorienting whirl. She clutched at her chest, trying to steady herself, the ache of loss almost too much to bear. It was only when she felt something move beside her, a gentle shift in the bed, that she managed to pull herself from the edge of despair.[/color]

[color=#808080]Harper’s hand flew to her chest in shock as she pushed herself up from the bed, her heart pounding wildly. The memories of the previous night began to align themselves, each one falling into place as she turned to investigate the movement beside her. Her vision, still adjusting, gradually sharpened, revealing the figure lying next to her. [/color]

[color=#808080]Sierra was there, her arm draped over Harper’s waist, her vibrant red hair spilling over her face like a fiery cascade that caught the light and shimmered like molten lava. The sight of her sister, so close and comforting, brought a rush of relief, grounding Harper in the present moment. She took a deep breath, the weight of her earlier hysteria slowly lifting, replaced by a warmth that she gratefully welcomed. [/color]

[color=#808080]Sierra was [/color][i][color=#808080]here. [/color][/i][color=#808080]And she could [/color][i][color=#808080]see [/color][/i][color=#808080]her.  [/color]

[color=#808080]She could see. [/color]

[color=#808080]Harper’s eyes lingered on Sierra, taking in every detail with a newfound clarity. The gentle rise and fall of her shoulders as she breathed, the way her hair framed her face in a wild, yet beautiful disarray. The faint scar above Sierra’s eyebrow from a childhood accident, the way her lips parted slightly as she breathed, and the small, almost imperceptible smile that tugged at the corners of her lips—all of it filled Harper with a profound sense of love and protection. She noticed the way Sierra’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, as if she were dreaming, and the soft, rhythmic sound of her breathing that seemed to sync with Harper’s own heartbeat. Every detail, from the warmth radiating from Sierra’s body to the subtle scent of her shampoo, enveloped Harper in a cocoon of safety and affection, making her feel more grounded and cherished than ever before. [/color]

[color=#808080]She reached out, her hand trembling slightly, and gently brushed a strand of hair away from Sierra’s face. The touch was light, almost reverent, as if she feared waking her sister from her well-deserved rest. She’d earned it, after everything Harper had put her through. [/color]
[color=#808080]Harper remembered now the way she had frantically gotten out of bed, almost tripping on the edge of the desk she could no longer see. She had stumbled blindly, her hands outstretched in a desperate attempt to find something—anything—that would anchor her in the darkness. Her fingers had brushed against the cool, smooth surface of the desk, knocking over a lamp that clattered to the floor with a deafening crash. The sound had only heightened her anxiety, her breaths coming in shallow, rapid bursts as she tried to navigate the room. Each step had felt like an eternity, her hand practically slamming on and throwing open the closet door once she had managed to grasp it.[/color]

[color=#808080]The darkness had been all-encompassing, a void that seemed to swallow Harper whole. She had reached inside, feeling for the familiar textures of her clothes, the soft fabric of her shirts and the rougher material of her jeans. Her fingers had brushed against the empty suitcase, a small, black rectangle that she had hastily shoved into the closet once it had been unpacked earlier that semester. She had pulled it out, her movements frantic and uncoordinated, clothes spilling out in a colorful flood as she tried to pack. Her hands had shaken as she stuffed clothes into the suitcase, each item a futile attempt to fill the void inside her.[/color]

[color=#808080]To go where with it, Harper had been unsure. To the home that had never truly come to feel that way, that held no comfort and no sense of belonging? To the one that was no longer hers to apply that label to? All she had known was that she couldn’t stay here. There was no place for her here if she was like this. No reason.[/color]

[color=#808080]And then, as if the universe had heard and wanted to remind her it was listening, Sierra had appeared. Her presence had been a beacon in the storm, her voice slicing through the dense fog of Harper’s panic. Harper remembered the way Sierra’s hands had felt, warm and reassuring, as they settled on her shoulders. The touch had been grounding, a tether to reality that she had clung to—perhaps too tightly, given the fresh scratches on Sierra’s arms. A bit of guilt  swirled in Harper’s stomach at the sight now, yet she knew better than to think it would be held against her. [/color]

[color=#808080]Carefully, Harper began to remove Sierra’s arm from around her. She moved with the utmost caution, her heart pounding in her chest as she gently lifted it into the air. Her hand paused mid-motion, however, when Sierra slightly stirred, a faint murmur escaping her lips. The brunette froze, her breath catching in her throat. She held her breath, her eyes now fixed on her sister’s face, waiting to see if she would wake. As the seconds ticked by, her eyes traced the lines of her face, committing every detail to memory as if it were the last time she would see her like this.[/color]

[color=#808080]Finally, Sierra’s breathing remained steady, and Harper let out a silent sigh of relief. Her fingers shook slightly as she carefully placed Sierra’s arm back on the bed, slipping out from under the covers with the utmost care. She stood up, her legs feeling a bit unsteady, as if the weight of the night’s events had settled into her bones. Each step felt tentative, her muscles still remembering the tension from earlier. She made her way to her desk where her phone lay, picking it up and unlocking the screen with her thumb. The time flashed before her eyes, and she realized with a start that she had missed breakfast, and her morning classes, and it was almost lunchtime. She had overslept, her body clearly demanding the rest after the previous night’s ordeal.[/color]

[color=#808080]The next thing she opened were a few unread messages, some insignificant but two managing to catch her attention. The first one was from Cass, its content an unsolvable mystery until she completely opened it. [/color]

[color=#808080]For a moment, all Harper could do was stare at the screen, her mind struggling to process the words in front of her. The room seemed to fade away, the sounds around her muffled as her focus narrowed to the message.[/color]

[color=#808080]Lorcán was going to be okay. [/color]

[color=#808080]The words seemed to pulse on the screen, each letter read and reread sending a powerful wave of relief through her. She felt her eyes filling with tears, a mix of overwhelming emotions threatening to spill over. She stifled the tears for the sake of the sleeping person in the room, not wanting to disturb the fragile peace that had settled thanks to her and now this.  [/color]

[color=#808080][i]Lorcán was not going to die. [/i][/color]

[color=#808080]She could almost hear his voice, see his smile, and it brought a small, genuine smile to her own lips. Harper knew that the road to recovery might still be long, but the fact that he was out of immediate danger was a victory in itself. One that she would gladly take and desperately needed. [/color]

[color=#808080]The second message was from Aurora, which Harper read, a smile still on her face as she typed out a response: [/color]

[quote][color=#8a9a5b]Heyyy!! Just read the good news. Yea, yea I know I’m late shut up.🙄[/color]

[color=#8a9a5b] Just stop by whenever you’re free tonight around 7, maybe?  We have [/color][color=#8a9a5b][i]so [/i][/color][color=#8a9a5b]much to talk about hehehehe [/color]😉[color=#8a9a5b]Luv you[/color] 😘

[color=#8a9a5b]Oh and there…might be someone here that I want you to meet.[/color][/quote] 

[color=#808080]Her finger hovered over the send button, her eyes drifting back to Sierra, still peacefully asleep. The sight of her sister, so serene and undisturbed, brought a bittersweet ache to Harper’s chest. This part of her life, her loss and who still remained, had always been, well…for her. It was a private sanctuary, a place where her mind could hold onto the memories of those she had lost and navigate the complexities of her grief. Sharing it felt like exposing a raw, vulnerable part of herself.[/color]

[color=#808080]It didn’t help that for years Sierra had not been in her life. The distance between them had been a chasm, filled with silence and missed opportunities. Reconnecting had been a slow, delicate process, like mending a fragile piece of glass. Harper feared that introducing Sierra to this part of her life might shatter the fragile peace they had built.[/color]

[color=#808080]Aurora didn’t even know she [/color][color=#808080][i]had [/i][/color][color=#808080]a sister. [/color]

[color=#808080]She looked at the unsent reply, her lip curling in to rest on the tips of her teeth, a nervous habit she had never quite shaken and probably never would. [/color]

[color=#808080]Then, shaking her head, she erased the last sentence and pressed send.[/color][/indent]