Tang Wulin did not return to the Dormitory.
Like a shell that had lost its soul, he mechanically moved his legs, walking through Shrek Academy's familiar tree-lined paths. The night was black as ink, stretching his solitary shadow out as though it meant to swallow him whole. He did not want to return to that dormitory full of laughter, face Xie Xie's concerned gaze, or hear anyone's words of comfort.
He only wanted to find somewhere deserted and bury the feeling called "despair."
Thanks to the familiar aura he had acquired from years of living at the academy, neither the soul beasts guarding the Inner Court nor its protective formations barred his way. Following a well-known route, he passed through the Inner Court gates that symbolized honor and strength and reached the quiet lakeside normally accessible only to senior students and teachers. He found a cold boulder and sat down, letting the lake breeze brush his burning cheeks, though it could not disperse the gloom in his heart.
Meanwhile, inside the Dormitory building.
Wu Siduo hurried to Tang Wulin's Dormitory door and raised her hand to knock, only to hesitate with it suspended in midair. Taking a deep breath, she gently pushed the door open.
"Tang Wulin?" she called tentatively.
The Dormitory was empty, the bedding neatly folded on the bed. Clearly, no one had returned. A faint chill of loneliness hung in the air, utterly unlike Tang Wulin's usual lively presence.
Wu Siduo's heart sank. She turned and rushed out of the Dormitory, running straight into Gu Yue and Xie Xie, who had hurried over.
"Well? Is he there?" Xie Xie asked urgently, worry written all over his face.
Wu Siduo shook her head, her expression grave. "No. I searched the entire Dormitory area and didn't see him."
"What?"