The afternoon sun cast long, lazy shadows across the university’s empty corridors, the hum of distant ceiling fans the only sound in the otherwise silent building. The final lecture of the day had just ended, and most students had already fled the stifling heat, leaving behind only the faint scent of chalk dust and old wood. But not everyone had left.

Professor Arnav Mehra stood at the front of the lecture hall, his crisp white shirt clinging slightly to his broad shoulders, the top two buttons undone in a rare concession to the oppressive heat. His dark, intelligent eyes scanned the room one last time, lingering just a little too long on the back row where she always sat. His fingers twitched around the edge of the podium, the faintest smirk tugging at his lips as he caught the way her gaze flicked away when he looked her way—again.