Felicity, a woman with her thirtieth birthday recently behind her, headed to the faculty on a cold winter morning. The streets were shrouded in a gray mist that seemed to swallow everything in its path. The air was so cold it cut through the skin, and the overcast, leaden sky barely let a ray of sunshine through. Each breath became a small white cloud that quickly dissipated, a constant reminder of the cold that enveloped her.

As she slowly walked along the deserted sidewalk, her mind was trapped in a sea of murky thoughts. Each step echoed in the oppressive silence, accentuating the loneliness she felt. Despite the melancholic beauty of the day, everything seemed bleak and distant, as if the color and life had been drained from her surroundings.

The university campus, normally vibrant and full of life, now felt empty and desolate. The faculty buildings, which were once the scene of endless conversations and laughter, were almost deserted. The few people who crossed her path seemed to be in a similar state of mind to Felicity: apathetic, tired, and deeply absorbed in their own worries.

Felicity’s doctoral studies were her greatest pride but also the source of her daily distress. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, her life had changed drastically. Isolated in a distant country, without the company of her family or her beloved boyfriend, loneliness had become her constant companion. The enforced lockdown had marked a year of complete isolation, a time that stretched endlessly and left a deep impact on her emotional well-being.

She made her way to the faculty with her mind overwhelmed by memories and thoughts. She deeply missed her family, their warm hugs, and the comfort of their familiar voices. She thought about how her life had changed since she moved to pursue her dream of obtaining a doctorate, far from the people she loved the most. Her boyfriend, with whom she had shared dreams and hopes, was also far away, and the physical distance amplified the emotional distance. Video calls and messages could not fill the void of his absence or the warmth of his presence.

Each day felt heavier, trapped in a routine that seemed endless. The long hours in the library, the never-ending assignments, and the constant pressure to maintain her academic performance were a constant reminder of how far she was from the life she had imagined for herself. The physical and emotional distance from her loved ones intensified her sadness, creating a sense of emptiness that seemed impossible to fill.

That night, upon returning to her small, cold apartment, Felicity felt particularly downcast. The solitude of her home enveloped her like a cold blanket. The dim light of her room’s lamp barely illuminated the bare walls, and the silence was interrupted only by the occasional murmur of the wind. At bedtime, she sat on the bed and stared at the ceiling, feeling the weight of her accumulated thoughts and emotions from the day. With a deep sense of hopelessness, she settled under the blankets and prepared to pray, as she had done many nights before.

She didn’t kneel as she had in her childhood, but remained lying down, with her hands clasped over her chest. Her prayer was a mixture of sadness and resignation, a barely audible whisper that reflected her inner pain. “Please, give me peace,” she begged. “Let me rest, even for a moment.”

With a heavy heart and tired eyes, Felicity sank into the embrace of the blankets, seeking comfort in the approaching sleep. Her eyelids closed slowly, and the darkness of the night enveloped her. In that profound silence, she drifted into sleep as the black of the night surrounded her, gradually extinguishing the worries that tormented her.