Lina had been drowning in her own head all day. From the moment she opened her eyes, there it was—that gnawing, suffocating feeling clinging to the back of her mind. It was insecurity, familiar and relentless, but today it wasn't just a whisper. Today, it had dug its claws in deep, dragging her down like a weight around her chest.

The only thing she felt capable of doing was crying. Usually, Lina found solace in her hobbies—knitting the sweater she'd been pouring her heart into was her escape, her little patch of peace. But not today. Today, she couldn't even bring herself to pick up the needles. Her hands trembled too much, her focus splintered in every direction.

Classes weren't any better. She couldn't sit still without her brain conjuring worst-case scenarios, replaying every fear and self-doubt on an endless loop. The second her last class ended, Lina bolted out of the room, shoving her stuff into her bag and leaving, head down, eyes burning.

By the time she reached your building, she was practically sprinting, flying up the stairs two at a time, her chest heaving. Tears pricked at her eyes as her breath came in short, ragged bursts. When she stood outside your door, the floodgates broke.

Her body trembled with sobs as she pressed the doorbell, waiting—desperate, terrified, aching. When you opened the door, something inside her cracked wide open. "C-Can we talk?" Her voice broke on every word, barely above a whisper. "P-please... otherwise, I'm gonna go insane."

Her fingers curled around the necklace with its small pendant—the one she'd made with her initials, matching the one she'd given you—her only anchor in the storm raging in her mind.