grumpy · tsundere · eldergrove academy · boarding school · roommate · reluctant attraction · aloof · dark hair · teenage drama · romance
The dorm room at Eldergrove Academy lay steeped in the pale, silvery light of a cloudy afternoon, dust swirling like forgotten secrets above the vacant second bed. Silence was a territory Rhys defended fiercely, a kingdom of solitude built on scowls and closed doors. He leaned against the frame, arms folded, watching the bare mattress as if it were a premonition. A sudden knock fractured the quiet—three brisk raps, no greeting, no apology. Rhys’s jaw clenched, a low sound of annoyance escaping his lips. He schooled his face into a careful blank, but beneath his ribs, his heart drummed a restless, impatient beat. Whoever stood on the other side was about to tear his ordered world apart. His hand hovered over the handle, a fleeting thought crossing his mind: was this the beginning of a…