Maya lay sprawled on the black couch with golden linings.
Her body slightly curled, enveloped by the quiet stillness of Professor Jacob's office.
The wide-open window cast the moonlight over her, illuminating her body in soft silver.
She wore a crisp white shirt tucked into a black skirt that barely reached her knees, her legs covered by black leggings.
Her delicate features, usually calm, were now marred by beads of sweat trickling down her forehead and cheeks, betraying the turmoil within her mind.
Her fingers twitched, her breath quickened, and her body jerked in involuntary movements.
She was trapped in a nightmare.
Maya stood in a room eerily similar to one of the faculty offices in Ravenwood Academy.
Except this room was ruined.
Shelves that once held pristine books were splintered and shattered.
Glass lay broken on the floor, reflecting the distorted chaos around her.
Torn papers fluttered in the air like desperate, dying things, while the walls, which should have stood solid, now felt like they were bending inward, closing in on her.
An ominous energy permeated the space, swirling in the air like an oppressive storm.
It was dark, black with streaks of purple, the kind of energy that twisted reality into something terrifying and wrong.
Maya's breath hitched as she realized the energy was giving birth to something.
Creatures—monsters—formed out of the smoky, viscous darkness.
They had grotesque limbs, their bodies twisted as though they had been torn from nightmares and pulled into the real world.
Their eyes glowed red, burning with hunger, and their snarls reverberated through the room.
She wanted to scream, but her voice wouldn't come.
Her feet felt as if they were rooted to the ground, her body paralyzed with fear.
Outside, through the broken window, the sky churned.
Clouds, dark and menacing, circled the academy like vultures waiting for something to die.
The air smelled of rain and decay.
A storm was brewing, but the rain was not water; it was like the very sky itself was weeping blood, purple and black, a reflection of the horrors inside the building.
Worse still, creatures—winged, demonic things—hovered around the academy, their forms barely visible against the dark storm clouds.
But the nightmare still clung to her, making the room feel suffocating.
She sighed and stood, her legs weak from the terror she had just experienced.
She walked to the window and drew the curtains, blocking out the moonlight that had once felt comforting but now only served as a reminder of the eerie glow in her dream.
Maya glanced at the desk where a stack of papers awaited her.
She had been working tirelessly ever since she started assisting Professor Jacob.
Of course, her main duty was being Noah's assistant, but she needed the extra money that came with working for the academy faculty.
The paycheck was good, but the workload was heavier than she had anticipated.
She always saw herself as strong, capable of handling anything, but this was pushing her limits.
Compared to the other assistants, she looked more worn out.
They at least had time to socialize, to enjoy their evenings.
But Maya? She barely had any time for herself.
She picked up the papers she had left on the desk and began stacking them neatly, preparing to leave for the night.
Her hands still shook slightly, the memory of that dream gnawing at her.
She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the lingering fear.
'Maybe if I hurry, I'll catch Noah before he goes to sleep,' she thought to herself.
She hadn't seen him in days, not really.
Whenever she got to his dorm late at night, he was already asleep, probably exhausted from training and studying.
In the mornings, he was always gone before she even had a chance to speak to him, heading to the library or somewhere else.
She missed him.
She missed talking to him, spending time with him.
And tonight, after that nightmare, she wanted nothing more than to see him.
Being around Noah always made her feel safe, like everything was okay, no matter how chaotic her life got.
She glanced at the clock on the wall.
It wasn't too late, and she didn't have any pressing tasks left for the evening.
She grabbed her bag, slung it over her shoulder, and headed toward the door.