Bibxy stood at the airport window, her fingers tracing invisible lines on the cold glass. Planes came and went, but all she could hear was the echo of her parents' last argument—the one that shattered everything.
It had started with silence. That suffocating kind that seeps into dinner tables and settles into walls. Then came the shouting. Her father's bags by the door. And then… nothing. Just a void.
Her mother never cried. Not once. She packed up their lives with quiet precision, booked two one-way tickets, and didn't look back. Pain, comfort, familiarity—left behind like an old photograph.
Now here she was, in a country where the air smelled different and the voices carried strange rhythms. Her mother had called it a fresh start. Bibxy wasn't sure if she believed in those anymore.
University was meant to be her reset button. But as the taxi wound through tree-lined streets toward campus, the "new beginning" felt like both a promise and a threat.
Maple Hall was her new home. The dorm room was plain—pale walls, lemon-scented air, a window overlooking the courtyard where students laughed over pizza. She claimed the bed by the window, placing one precious thing on the desk: a framed beach photo of her and her mother from better days.
That night, the silence was too loud. No creaking fan. No familiar hum of night insects. Just her thoughts—sharp and restless. Her parents' voices played in her mind, a loop she couldn't turn off. At 3:17 AM she found herself standing at the window, watching the empty courtyard under silver moonlight. The world looked peaceful, but peace wasn't visiting her tonight.
By sunrise, she had barely slept. She dressed slowly—cream top, dark jeans, silver necklace from her sixteenth birthday. It was the only gift from her father she still kept close.
Outside, campus buzzed with first-day energy. Laughter. Hugs. Timetables clutched like treasure maps. Bibxy pretended to check her phone, avoiding the sting of not knowing anyone.
Then—impact. She bumped into someone hard.
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry," she blurted, clutching her phone.
The girl's smile was instant, warm. "You're fine! First day jitters?"
"Total chaos in my head," Bibxy admitted.
"I'm Soya."
"Bibxy."
"Pretty name. You look new here."
"I am. Moved in yesterday."
"Where from?"
"It's… complicated. Let's just say far."
Soya grinned knowingly. "Family drama?"
Bibxy froze, then laughed softly. "You could say that."
They shared a pause that wasn't awkward—just… understanding.
"Want to find our lecture hall together?" Soya asked.
Bibxy's relief was almost physical. "Yes, please."
As they walked side by side into the unknown, something loosened in Bibxy's chest. Maybe this place wouldn't be so lonely after all. And maybe, just maybe, the air here really was hiding a secret—one meant for her.