Delphine opened her eyes, slightly disoriented.
Though her alarm hadn't gone off yet, a warm, golden glow illuminated her room, gently waking her up.
Outside the window, the sun was already peeking through the leaves of the trees, casting intricate patterns of light and shadow onto the walls of Delphine's room.
The air was still, and the only sound was that of the birds chirping a beautiful melody outside her house, celebrating the arrival of another day.
She sat up and stretched, feeling the warmth of the sunlight on her skin.
Within moments, Delphine had decided on the ideal outfit - a pastel pink shirt and a skirt - and dressed up quickly.
The outfit was a perfect match for the sunny warm day.
With her rucksack slung over her shoulder, Delphine headed towards the kitchen, eager to see her parents before she left for the day.
When she entered the room, her father was sipping on his usual coffee and reading through the newspaper, while her mother was busy wiping the kitchen counter with a clean cloth.
Delphine warmly greeted her parents, and her mother handed her a small snack to take to school.
As Delphine took the snack and slipped it into her bag, her mother reminded her not to forget to pick up some bread from the bakery on the way back home later that day.
She left the house and began her daily walk to the bus station.
The route that she took passed through a picturesque countryside area, and it was always a pleasure to walk through that idyllic landscape.
It was a perfect blend of natural beauty and rustic charm, with rolling hills, lush green pastures, and fields of wildflowers as far as the eye could see.
The sun was not yet high in the sky, but it already illuminated the countryside, casting a warm golden glow over everything.
The birds were chirping merrily and flitting about in the trees, their songs filling the air with melodies that seemed to cascade like a symphony.
The trees that lined the path were already in full blossom and bore fruit.
As she walked the country road to reach the bus station, a soft sound of footsteps echoed in her ears.
At first, she assumed that it was the other children from the neighborhood who were heading off to school, just like her.
But when she turned her head, she saw no one.
It wasn't weird to feel like she wasn't alone because she knew that many kids in the area took the same path to get to school.
But she had never felt this way before.
She cautiously looked around, but in those familiar surroundings no signs of any kind of danger or other presences.
Delphine kept walking, trying to shake off the feeling of being watched.
The sound of footsteps grew louder, more distinct than before, and this time she was sure that it wasn't just in her head.
She spun around, cursing herself for being foolish, and it was then that she felt a cold chill run down her spine.
Her eyes darted around anxiously, but she saw no one, no animals, no one at all.
She felt like someone was watching her, observing her every move, but no matter how far and cautiously she looked, she saw no one.
Her thoughts raced, her heart pounding heavily in her chest with fear and bewilderment.
Delphine finally reached the bus station, where she gave a huge sigh of relief.
She turned around one last time, only to find that she was alone, truly alone.
All of the frightening and anxious feelings she had experienced were just a false alarm, nothing more.
She shook her head, laughing to herself in disbelief at her own silliness.
Of course, she was safe.
She thought to herself "How silly it is to get scared by a noise in a place with so many animals, I have been living in this area my entire life."
Before Delphine could fully process her thoughts, she saw the brightly painted school bus come into view.
Without hesitating, Delphine boarded the bus and made her way to her regular seat.
She reached into her rucksack and pulled out one of her school books to read on the way to school.
*Half an hour later*
Delphine watched as Dorian entered the classroom and made his way towards his usual seat next to hers.
He was breathless and visibly frazzled, having obviously run a long way to get to the class in time.
But the bell had already rang five minutes before Dorian had arrived and the class had already started.
Their eyes met, and Delphine gave him a look of slight annoyance mixed with relief, silently communicating that she was glad he had made it but was tired of his routine of being late for class.
Dorian simply rolled his eyes in response, as if to say "I know, I know, the same old story."
After a couple of hours had passed, the class was given a recess break, and everyone left the classroom to take a break, enjoy a snack, or go to the bathroom.
During their break, Delphine, as usual, accompanied Dorian for his daily smoke break, and they made their way to the outdoor gym located outside of the school.
There were two gyms in their school.
The first was indoor, its dimensions were modest yet perfectly suited for a game of volleyball or a run on the track.
The outdoor gym offered a haven for various sports and recreational activities.
At its heart there was a well-maintained soccer field, and all around there were a few volleyball nets and basketball hoops.
It also became a gathering spot for those seeking a respite from the confines of the classroom, where students would discreetly slip away during their breaks to smoke a cigarette.
As they arrived at the gym, they noticed a group of students from another class who were just finishing up their physical education class and returning to the locker rooms to change.
Delphine took a deep breath, feeling the fresh air fill her lungs, and watched quietly as Dorian took out his cigarettes and lit one up.
She tried to act as she usually did, but she was visibly a little upset.
"Is everything okay?" Dorian asked, noticing her distress.
Initially, Delphine told him that nothing had happened and that she was just a bit stressed, attributable to the fatigue from having studied late into the night.
But Dorian wasn't convinced and pressed her a little further, sensing that there was something more going on.
Finally, Delphine decided to confide in him and share what was troubling her.
"I know it might sound crazy, but I swear I felt like someone was watching me, even though there was no one around" she said, finishing her brief but strange story.
She shook her head, as if to clear her mind, and continued to speak.
"Maybe I drink too much coffee when I study in the evenings. I could be imagining things, but I swear that I heard footsteps behind me." Delphine added.
Dorian nodded in understanding.
She often felt anxious or jumpy, especially after long study sessions or when stressed, but he always took her concerns seriously.
He stopped for a moment and said "I'll take you home on my motorcycle today".
It wasn't phrased like a question, but rather as a definitive statement that she couldn't refuse.
The thought that someone might have actually followed her crossed his mind, but he put it aside immediately, remembering that those streets were always busy.
While he did not believe that there was any imminent danger, he remained extremely protective of her and hated seeing her feeling upset.
"No! We live far away, it wouldn't make sense to travel the same street twice in the middle of the day" Delphine retorted.
"I didn't ask for your opinion; I just wanted to inform you that I'll be accompanying you today" Dorian replied firmly.
"Are you serious? I highly doubt any serial killer would target a girl during school hours when the streets are filled with people" Delphine chuckled.
She then added "I also need to buy some bread before I head home".
"Great, I'll take you there. That way, you can get back home earlier" Dorian offered with a smile and a shrug.
Delphine gave a small eye-roll and smiled.
Suddenly, the sound of the bell ringing, signaling the end of their recess, interrupted them, prompting them to head back to class.