Arien's POV
After dropping that little bomb of a theory, Siara finally retired for the night. Curious mind, that one. She wouldn't let herself rest until her thoughts had at least some coordinates to land on — even if they were halfway across logic and barely stitched together by science fiction.
I watched her retreat with quiet admiration. She was exhausted, we all were but in her own way, she was still fighting to understand. Maybe that was bravery. Or maybe just habit.
The library fell silent again. I stayed for a few moments longer. I replayed Siara's words in my head. She said the electricity changed but that made me wonder. If the power was really different, why were the lights still on? The fans still spinning? Even the streetlights worked. It didn't make sense unless the change wasn't in the electricity itself but in how it interacted with certain devices. Maybe the simpler systems like bulbs and motors weren't affected because they didn't process anything. They just followed a current. She didn't say the electricity vanished. She said the "signature" changed.
According to her, every device is tuned to a specific kind of power signature — like how radios only pick up certain frequencies. Basic appliances, like bulbs or fans, just need raw energy. But phones, laptops, anything digital? They need precision. They need the right rhythm.
And now, whatever had happened when the sky split open — that rhythm was gone. Or changed. Same current, different signature. Like trying to plug a typewriter into a smart home system. The power's still flowing but the brain can't read it anymore.
Maybe.
My mind was in full disarray.
And if you're wondering why we weren't heading back to our hometowns, considering college was definitely not continuing anytime soon, it was because every major means of commute had come to a halt. Without proper transportation, going anywhere far was pointless. Most public transport systems either run on electricity or rely heavily on technology. So if personal devices like phones and laptops aren't even turning on, then I don't even want to imagine what's happening inside a train control room or a traffic signal network.
No trains. No flights. Buses were barely crawling. Everyone was stuck where they were, not because they chose to be, but because the situation left us no other choice. The corridor was quieter now. Most of the restless wanderers had returned to their rooms, and the hallway lights cast a soft, steady glow across the tiled floor. My slippers made barely a sound as I walked. Someone was up ahead, near the far window—arms crossed, head tilted slightly upward, still and silent.
Zia Riverbrook.
She looked over when I got closer. "Hey," she said casually, her tone soft. "Not getting any sleep?"
I gave a small shrug. "Nature call turned into a detour."
She chuckled under her breath. "Same here. Couldn't sleep. Thought maybe a little air would help."
We stood there in a moment of awkward silence. Then I gestured toward the direction of my room. "I'll get going now. No idea how much sleep I'm going to need for tomorrow."
She nodded. "Sleep well, if you can."
I took a step, then paused. "Don't jinx it," I said amused, without turning around. She didn't reply, but I could feel her smile behind me as I walked away. I walked the rest of the corridor in silence, the soft hum of the lights my only company. My room wasn't far. I pushed the door open gently, careful not to wake anyone—though judging by the quiet, they were all already out cold. The room was dim, lit faintly by the hallway light leaking through the crack in the door. I stepped inside, letting my eyes adjust. Blankets rose and fell with slow, even breaths.Siara was curled up near the wall, a book still tucked under her arm. Libra was fully covered with her blanket, sleeping in a straight vertical line.
Wait.
I was halfway through climbing onto my bed when I saw it. A shape... moving.
Tavira.
She rose.
Very slowly.
Straight backed. Shoulders stiff. Hair in every possible direction, sticking out like some confused electrical experiment. I froze mid crawl.
She turned her head, just barely, and looked straight at me through a curtain of wild hair.
"Would the coffee machine be broken?" she croaked, voice barely human.
I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. "Please warn me before you sit up like that. I don't want to feel like I'm seeing a ghost."
She flopped back down like a dropped sack of potatoes. "I make no promises."
"Right," I muttered, rolling my eyes as I sat on the bed. "And about the coffee machine — no idea. I didn't think to check it."
"Then what were you even doing?" she groaned. "Staying awake in the middle of the night without any coffee. Ugh."
"I'm not a coffee addict like you. And why are you even awake?"
"I don't know," she said, dragging a pillow over her face. "Must be because my dear twin is awake, stressing about something."
"How is that even related?"
"Well, he is related to me."
Tavira was already half-asleep again, mumbling something into her pillow. I smiled faintly, pulling the blanket over myself. I closed my eyes anyway. Let tomorrow make sense of it all. Tonight, I would settle for sleep.