The next morning, the AZ Art Studio began like any other day, yet an unspoken tension hung thick in the air. đȘ
Anisa arrived first. As she unlocked the door, her eyes darted around the entrance as if searching for an unseen threat,a reflex born from the night before. The memory of the dark road, the screaming, the hands, still clung to her body. đ§
She stood by her desk, opened a sketchbook, and picked up a pencil. But the line she drew wavered, stopped, and changed course.
"Anisa ma'am⊠is something wrong?" an assistant asked. đ€
She jolted. "Huh? Yes⊠no. I'm fine," she said, forcing a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
Just then, Yugh arrived. The sound of the door opening made Anisa tense up immediately. Her gaze flickered toward him. Yugh paused for a second, his eyes meeting hers. Is she okay? he thought. đ
"Good morning," he said in a normal, level tone.
"Morning," Anisa replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
The conversation ended there. The scream she had unleashed alone last night couldn't find words here. đ
Yugh placed his laptop bag on his desk. Anisa had things she wanted to ask, but her voice failed her.
Eventually, Yugh was the one to break the silence. "You⊠are you alright from yesterday?" đŁ
She nodded slowly. "Yes."
No further words.
Though the studio buzzed with activity, an impenetrable silence settled between their two adjacent offices. Anisa unconsciously tightened her scarf around her neck. Yugh glanced at his right hand, at the faint abrasion invisible to anyone else. â
Was it worth it? he wondered.
The morning moved forward. But at the AZ Art Studio, that day would not be an ordinary one. đ