Chapter 36
Vanya
When I woke up the next morning, the first thing I noticed was the silence.
No shuffling.
No grumbling.
No Kross.
I sat up slowly, letting my eyes adjust to the morning light filtering in through the narrow dorm window. His bed—untouched. His boots—still placed neatly by the trunk. His scent—faint, like it was beginning to fade from the room.
He hadn’t come back.
I should’ve felt relieved. And I did. Kind of. Last night had been hell, and falling asleep had only been possible because he wasn’t there. If he had been… I wasn’t sure I would’ve survived sharing a room with him. Not after everything that had happened.
But still… where was he?
I shook the thoughts off, pushed out of bed, and forced myself into the routine. Shower. Clothes. Face on. By the time I steppe
