Chapter 44

• In an attempt to regain focus, I positioned myself more comfortably in my seat, my fingers fiddling with the edges of my notebook. I glanced around, observing the disinterest painted on my classmates' faces as they struggled to stay engaged with the lecture. Their minds were clearly elsewhere. Some were talking in muted whispers, while others stared blankly at their desks.
• And yet, I couldn't shake the nagging feeling that today there was something subtly shifting beneath the surface. As I looked at each face, I wondered if anyone else felt it too—a shared awareness—an unspoken understanding circulating through our group. It was an unsettling thought that accompanied the growing anxiety in my chest.
• The teacher's voice faded into a blur of unintelligible words, giving way to my spiraling thoughts. Each sound of pen scratching against paper, the shuffle of books, the soft thud of backpacks being unzipped; they all formed an intricate symphony that resonated in my mind, overwhelming me. Most students were wrapped up in their own worlds, with little regard for the lesson at hand. Some doodled mindlessly, while others scrolled away on their phones, firmly ensconced in their screens as if the world beyond didn't exist.