Early Morning

At 4:30 a.m., the sky above Evanderhill Academy is in the deepest velvet black, and the kind of darkness that feels thick.

The moon hangs low and full, suspended just above the line of shadowy trees while the moonlight spilled pale and cold, etching every surface in ghostly silver and edges sharp as knives.

As the light continued to spill through, the tall arched windows of the main corridors formed slanted askew rectangles across the polished tiled floors.

The hallways stretched empty and endless.

Rows of closed classroom doors with brass nameplates glinting faintly, lockers arranged in perfect alignment.

No sound of footsteps just the sound of leaking faucets dripping and the creaking of the old wooden floorboards.

The central stairwell in the main lobby cast in a cavernous shadow before the moonlight pours down the wide steps in a single unbroken beam, catching motes of dust that drift like slow snow. The banister gleams wetly, as though it has been lacquered with frost.

Below, the high ceilings loomed over the sculpture of the fountain in the middle of the room, silently echoing the droplets of water from the vase over its arms.

The vending machines in the corner stand dark and dormant as the glass panels reflected the moon in distortion.

Out beyond the glass doors of the east wing, the courtyard appears like a monochrome dreamscape. The lawns look almost blue under the moonlight while every blade of grass silently rustled by the low gust of wind.

Afterwards, stillness enveloped around the area as the time seemed to stop from any sort of motion.

The silence is absolute, almost reverent.

The academy feels less like a school at this hour and more like abandoned, eerie, empty space. While the moonlight just compliments its features, twisting the image into something vastly different than during the day.

An alarm rang by at 4:45 am followed by constant vibrations from the phone.

"Hnngh." a tone of distress and annoyance in form a groan.

A hand reached behind the curtain drapes to grab the device from the side table to  press the button. He pulled the phone closer to his head, revealing Raphael's just-woke up face from the light gleam of the device.

"Right... time to do some morning routine." he muttered to himself as he got out of the bed, dipping the mattress with more weight, and stretched his arms up.

He rubbed his eyes with the back of his palm and yawned. His attention darted towards the top bunk to check over his roommate.

Harian is still asleep, buried deep into the pile of pillows.

Raphael quietly smiled.

Afterwards, he fixed himself, changing into a jacket and shorts with running shoes. In less than a few minutes,  he was ready.

Just as he opened the door.

The stillness of the halls greeted him.

As he was about to enjoy the silence, he noticed footsteps echoing down the hall. He didn't think much. Maybe there are some early birds who like the early morning charm like him.

As he stepped out of his room, the footsteps stopped by in front of the door next to his. Keys made dangling noises as the guy in thick hoodie fully hiding his face and frame, fumbled around in his pocket, finding the right key.

Raphael was slightly curious as he ended up staring at him for sometime.

He just got back to his dorm room? Damn. That's some dedication to get up earlier than usual in my terms. He thought quietly.

The figure noticed Raphael's presence and took a quick glance at him.

Raphael couldn't make anything of his features, but he is quite small and short than usual men of his age. He didn't flinch but clearly there was unease in his actions as he opened the door swiftly and shut it immediately.

Weird.

He shrugged off, thinking that it's possible one of the weird things that happen in dorm rooms especially in odd hours. After all, everything new is odd to him.

He concluded.

Few minutes after, he found himself in the courtyard of the Academy's grounds, seemingly too silent and dim-lit in contrast to the hours where the place was filled with students. However, the stillness and emptiness was a welcoming invitation in his mind. 

It was a perfect spot to unwind.

Raphael took a quick jog from the courtyard and  around the mini garden in front of the school's dorms, following the pathways in a pattern for about fifteen minutes.

For the first time since arriving, the academy didn't feel so overwhelming.

The calmness in the morning gave him a breathtaking look of the Academy's halls and corridors in silence.

While he was watching the scenery around him, he looked over the three storey building in front of him, seeing some lights by the window, indicating someone being awake for their own reasons or just someone forgetting to turn off their lights.

He enjoyed this calmness.

The wonderful breeze blew past through the trees, the bushes and to him which made it even better. While the moonlight loomed above, mirroring perfect stillness in the fountain's basin.

Seemingly a fresh start for his second day of school.