She did not cry…
Not immediately.
When he left…
She remained in her place.
The same window.
The same light.
But…
Everything had changed.
His voice was still echoing.
Cold.
Decisive.
"I will end it…"
She closed her eyes slowly.
She tried…
To hold onto something.
Anything.
An idea.
A memory.
Faith.
But…
For the first time…
Doubt crept in.
"What if… he was right?"
She opened her eyes quickly.
As if she were afraid of the thought itself.
"No…"
She whispered.
But her voice…
Was not steady.
She raised her hand to her chest.
Her heart was beating fast.
Not out of fear of him…
But…
Out of fear of herself.
The next day…
She did not go to her usual place.
Nor the day after.
She vanished.
As for him…
He did not look for her.
Or…
So he convinced himself.
He was walking through the corridors as usual.
The words above the heads returned.
Clear.
Understandable.
Everything…
Returned to how it was.
But…
There was a mistake.
Small.
Invisible.
One day…
He passed by the spot where she used to sit.
He looked…
Unintentionally.
Then…
He stopped.
For a second.
Only…
Then he continued on his way.
"Unimportant."
He said it internally.
But…
He didn't believe it.
The System appeared.
> **[Status: Stable]**
> **[No Threats]**
>
Everything…
Perfect.
Just as he wanted.
And elsewhere…
She was sitting alone.
A quiet room.
Closed curtains.
Faint light.
Staring into the void.
But this time…
It was not a peaceful void.
Rather…
Heavy.
Suffocating.
"Everything… has an ugly reason."
His voice.
Inside her head.
Once…
Then once more.
She shook her head violently.
"Stop…"
But the voice…
Did not stop.
"Goodness… is an illusion."
Her breath trembled.
"No…"
But this time…
She wasn't sure.
She raised her eyes slowly.
Toward the mirror.
She looked at herself.
For a long time.
Then…
She whispered:
"Am I… lying?"
Silence.
And above her head…
For the first time…
A word appeared.
**"Doubt"**
At the university…
The news arrived.
Slowly.
"She hasn't come for a long time…"
"Is she sick…?"
"Did someone bother her?"
He…
Heard.
But…
He did not interfere.
"It's none of my concern."
But…
His feet…
Stopped.
For no reason.
The System:
> **[Alert]**
> **[Recurrence of unjustified behavior]**
>
He clenched his fist.
"Just a habit."
Then…
He turned.
And went.
But not far.
Rather…
To her.
He stood before the door of her room.
Silent.
He did not knock.
He did not move.
"Why am I here?"
A question.
Without an answer.
Then…
From inside…
A voice.
Faint.
Broken.
"…Does goodness really exist?"
He froze.
That…
Was not her.
Or…
It was not the her he knew.
Something inside him…
Shook.
Slowly…
He raised his hand.
Then…
He stopped.
The System:
> **[Warning]**
> **[Possibility of returning emotional activity]**
>
He lowered his hand.
"This is not my business."
He turned.
A step.
Then…
He stopped.
The voice again.
"…I… I used to believe…"
Stillness.
"…Why did I feel that I was wrong?"
Something inside him…
Broke.
Not a feeling.
But…
Something deeper.
A long silence.
Then…
Very slowly…
He raised his hand again.
And placed it on the door.
Without knocking.
Only…
A touch.
As if…
He was making sure she was real.
And on his face…
For the first time in a long while…
There was no complete void.
But…
Something small.
Incomprehensible.
Resembling…
**Regret.**