Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed



"So, let's all try to understand each other a bit better, okay?"

Though Murray's face was still a mask of stiffness, the uproar had ceased. Clearly, he had taken those words to heart.

Grace let out a soft sigh of relief, but...

The whispers and pointed stares from the crowd were making her uncomfortably self-conscious.

After all, her boyfriend had just made a public spectacle over another woman. And not just any woman, but a fellow student from the same college, albeit under a different mentor. The gossip mill would have a field day with this.

Gossip, as it turns out, is a universal pastime. The size of the audience depends on the juiciness of the story.

Sybil watched the commotion over Roseanne with a derisive snort, "Ridiculous!"

All this fuss over... what?

Roseanne was still alive, wasn't she?

Found and safe, was all this drama really necessary?

"Exactly," Slater immediately agreed, rolling his eyes. "She got herself lost and had everyone out searching in the middle of the night like she's some kind of royalty. Like we all owe her something?"

Mamie shot back, "How can you even talk like that? She's one of us. If you're not going to help, fine, but there's no need to stir up trouble in front of everyone."

Scales joined in, "If you don't want to help, you're free to leave. We didn't ask for your help. But since Mr. Slater here is so aggrieved, perhaps he should just go home and get some sleep. We're not insisting you lend a hand, but there's no need to be a drag on everyone else!"

"With pleasure!" Slater snapped, turning on his heel. "You think I want to stand out here in the cold?!"

Sybil rolled her eyes and followed him, "I'm tired. Going back to sleep."

The crowd gradually dispersed.

After all, it wasn't their circus, not their monkeys. Plus, with nothing left to see, sticking around seemed pointless.

In the end, only Murray, Grace, a few staff members, Scales, Mamie, and three of the supervising teachers remained at the scene. Unnoticed, the sky began to drizzle again.noveldrama

The rain fell softly, adding to the chill of the night.

The breeze, now carrying a damp chill, seeped through the cracks of the wooden window frames, frosting them with a misty haze.

Mamie, pulling her wool coat tighter around her, walked to the window and peered out with concern.

The nearby lights offered some brightness, but beyond lay an imprable darkness, with trees swaying in the wind and rain. Roseanne, you have to be okay...

།

At two in the morning, as the rain eased and the temperature dropped sharply Owen Reynolds remarked, "Must be the climate control system adjusting."

This was supposed to be a tropical zone, where temperatures shouldn't dip so low.

Yet, here they were, in an area

velet

simulating a tropical desert climate,

known for its significant

temperature fluctuations between

day and night.

Owen wrapped Roseanne in the coat Corley had given him, his own coat having been offered to Roseanne earlier.

But even that wasn't enough.

Her temperature began to rise, her limbs icy to the touch, her whole body shivering.

The wind made it worse, her shivers growing more violent.

Initially, Roseanne had just wanted to close her eyes for a moment, but as she did, nightmares seemed to engulf her. Logic urged her to wake, but reality was a heavy eyelid she couldn't lift.

So cold...

She instinctively curled up tighter, wishing she could wrap herself into a cocoon. It seemed like the only way to find some relief.