Katsuki Bakugo sprawled across the oversized, slightly stained common room sofa, one hand tucked behind his head. The silence hummed. It was a rare, beautiful thing, a silence he hadn't experienced since he first stepped foot in these dorms, practically a lifetime ago. A low, satisfied grunt rumbled in his chest. He had timed his departure perfectly. Everyone else, the whole damn Class 1-A circus, had cleared out over the last two days. Pinky, Four-Eyes, Deku… all of them had packed their bags, said their irritating goodbyes, and scurried off to their families for winter break. He watched them go, one by one, a sneer plastered on his face, but inside, a quiet anticipation built. He wanted this. He wanted the empty halls, the vacant kitchen, the blessed absence of their incessant chatter and their useless presence. He wasn't some sentimental fool who missed his mommy and daddy. He’d planned to leave late, after the last one was gone, just to savor the quiet. To remind himself that he could stand alone, that he preferred it. The only light came from the dim lamp by the sofa, casting long shadows that danced with the occasional flicker from the faulty overhead bulb. He didn’t mind the gloom. It suited the mood. The discarded wrappers from a convenience store curry bun lay on the polished wood coffee table, a testament to his solitary feast. No one was here to nag him about leaving a mess. No one was here to comment on his choice of snack. It was liberating. He could finally hear his own thoughts, sharp and clear, without the constant din of other people’s mediocre existences. The silence pressed in, a heavy, comfortable blanket. He could almost pretend he was back in his own apartment, if he had one. Just him, the quiet, and the expectation of leaving whenever he damn well pleased. He stretched, feeling the muscles in his back pop, a small smirk playing on his lips. This was the life. He had a few more hours, maybe, to enjoy this peace. Then he would grab his bag, stomp out to the bus stop, and deal with his old hag and the old man for a few days. Even that seemed tolerable, a small price to pay for this temporary reign over the empty dorms. He closed his eyes, letting the stillness wash over him. --- The sky outside the tall common room windows began to darken, not with the gentle descent of evening, but with an aggressive, bruised purple. Katsuki noticed it first as a subtle shift in the light, a cooling of the air that seeped through the building’s old seals. He sat up, his brow furrowed, a flicker of annoyance stirring in his gut. He hadn't checked the weather report. A gust of wind slammed against the building, rattling the windowpanes with a violent shudder. Ice-cold air whistled under the sill. He pushed off the sofa, walking to the nearest window. Huge, fat flakes of snow, the size of his thumb, were already swirling down. They weren't drifting. They were being driven, horizontally, by a gale that had sprung up out of nowhere. Within minutes, the world outside blurred into a canvas of frantic white. The trees across the courtyard, bare and skeletal moments ago, were now ghost figures, struggling against the onslaught. The ground, a patch of brown grass, vanished completely, replaced by a rapidly accumulating, furious drift. The wind howled, a banshee shriek that tore through the quiet, drowning out his thoughts. He watched, transfixed, as the blizzard intensified with terrifying speed. Visibility dropped to mere feet. The distant lights of the UA campus administration building, usually a comforting glow, were swallowed whole by the swirling white. The dorms themselves groaned, old timber and concrete shuddering under the force. The lights in the common room flickered erratically, then died. Darkness plunged the room into an inky blackness, broken only by the dim, frantic glow of the snow-light from the window. Katsuki cursed under his breath, his hands balling into fists. He hated being caught off guard. He hated not knowing. He hated, most of all, feeling helpless. A violent crackle echoed through the building, followed by a total, oppressive silence from the heating vents. The air immediately grew colder, biting at his exposed skin. The blizzard wasn't just a heavy snowfall; it was a full-blown assault, a relentless, furious force of nature. It had arrived like a thief in the night, stealing his solitude and his plan to leave. His teeth gritted. This wasn’t just a delay. He was trapped. --- He pulled his phone from his pocket, the screen a sudden, jarring beacon in the gloom. No service. He stared at the four empty bars, then at the 'No Signal' message, his jaw tightening. He tried restarting it, then switched to airplane mode and back, as if the device just needed a stern talking-to. Nothing. The phone remained stubbornly disconnected from the world. Katsuki Bakugo sprawled across the oversized, slightly stained common room sofa, one hand tucked behind his head. The silence hummed. It was a rare, beautiful thing, a silence he hadn't experienced since he first stepped foot in these dorms, practically a lifetime ago. A low, satisfied grunt rumbled in his chest.He had timed his departure perfectly. Everyone else, the whole damn Class 1-A circus, had cleared out over the last two days. Pinky, Four-Eyes, Deku… all of them had packed their bags, said their irritating goodbyes, and scurried off to their families for winter break. He watched them go, one by one, a sneer plastered on his face, but inside, a quiet anticipation built.He wanted this. He wanted the empty halls, the vacant kitchen, the blessed absence of their incessant chatter and their useless presence. He wasn't some sentimental fool who missed his mommy and daddy. He’d planned to leave late, after the last one was gone, just to savor the quiet. To remind himself that he could stand alone, that he preferred it.The only light came from the dim lamp by the sofa, casting long shadows that danced with the occasional flicker from the faulty overhead bulb. He didn’t mind the gloom. It suited the mood. The discarded wrappers from a convenience store curry bun lay on the polished wood coffee table, a testament to his solitary feast.No one was here to nag him about leaving a mess. No one was here to comment on his choice of snack. It was liberating. He could finally hear his own thoughts, sharp and clear, without the constant din of other people’s mediocre existences.The silence pressed in, a heavy, comfortable blanket. He could almost pretend he was back in his own apartment, if he had one. Just him, the quiet, and the expectation of leaving whenever he damn well pleased. He stretched, feeling the muscles in his back pop, a small smirk playing on his lips. This was the life.He had a few more hours, maybe, to enjoy this peace. Then he would grab his bag, stomp out to the bus stop, and deal with his old hag and the old man for a few days. Even that seemed tolerable, a small price to pay for this temporary reign over the empty dorms. He closed his eyes, letting the stillness wash over him.--- The sky outside the tall common room windows began to darken, not with the gentle descent of evening, but with an aggressive, bruised purple. Katsuki noticed it first as a subtle shift in the light, a cooling of the air that seeped through the building’s old seals. He sat up, his brow furrowed, a flicker of annoyance stirring in his gut. He hadn't checked the weather report.A gust of wind slammed against the building, rattling the windowpanes with a violent shudder. Ice-cold air whistled under the sill. He pushed off the sofa, walking to the nearest window. Huge, fat flakes of snow, the size of his thumb, were already swirling down. They weren't drifting. They were being driven, horizontally, by a gale that had sprung up out of nowhere.Within minutes, the world outside blurred into a canvas of frantic white. The trees across the courtyard, bare and skeletal moments ago, were now ghost figures, struggling against the onslaught. The ground, a patch of brown grass, vanished completely, replaced by a rapidly accumulating, furious drift. The wind howled, a banshee shriek that tore through the quiet, drowning out his thoughts.He watched, transfixed, as the blizzard intensified with terrifying speed. Visibility dropped to mere feet. The distant lights of the UA campus administration building, usually a comforting glow, were swallowed whole by the swirling white. The dorms themselves groaned, old timber and concrete shuddering under the force.The lights in the common room flickered erratically, then died. Darkness plunged the room into an inky blackness, broken only by the dim, frantic glow of the snow-light from the window. Katsuki cursed under his breath, his hands balling into fists. He hated being caught off guard. He hated not knowing. He hated, most of all, feeling helpless.A violent crackle echoed through the building, followed by a total, oppressive silence from the heating vents. The air immediately grew colder, biting at his exposed skin. The blizzard wasn't just a heavy snowfall; it was a full-blown assault, a relentless, furious force of nature. It had arrived like a thief in the night, stealing his solitude and his plan to leave. His teeth gritted. This wasn’t just a delay. He was trapped.--- He pulled his phone from his pocket, the screen a sudden, jarring beacon in the gloom. No service. He stared at the four empty bars, then at the 'No Signal' message, his jaw tightening. He tried restarting it, then switched to airplane mode and back, as if the device just needed a stern talking-to. Nothing. The phone remained stubbornly disconnected from the world.He slammed the device back into his pocket, the fabric protesting. The wind outside roared, a constant, grating sound that vibrated through the floorboards. His gaze snapped back to the window. Escape. That was the only thought clawing at his mind. He needed to get out, to assert some control over this rapidly deteriorating situation.He stalked to the nearest large window, the one that offered the best view of the raging tempest. A thick layer of ice had already begun to form on the outside, a crystalline shroud. He grabbed the latch, his fingers numb against the cold metal. It was a standard dorm window, designed to tilt inwards or slide. He didn't care about design. He just wanted it open.He gritted his teeth, pulling at the latch with all his strength. It resisted, frozen solid. A snarl ripped from his throat. He put his shoulder into it, pushing against the frame, then pulling on the latch again. The metal groaned. His muscles strained, cords visible in his neck. He could feel the cold seeping through the glass, through the frame, straight into his bones.Snow piled high against the lower half of the window, already forming a drift that pressed against the glass, an impassable barrier. He could barely see anything through the frantic whiteout, just the blurred shapes of the tortured trees, swaying violently. The wind shrieked, a physical force that seemed to push against the entire building, trying to tear it apart.He pulled harder, rage fueling his effort. The window shuddered, a thin crack appearing in the ice-clogged seal. A sliver of frigid air, sharp as a knife, sliced through the gap. It carried with it the scent of pure, untamed winter – ozone, ice, and something wild. His breath hitched, stinging his lungs.The sheer power of the storm outside was undeniable. It wasn't just cold; it was hostile. His hands, even through his gloves, were aching. The metal was too slick, too frozen. With a final, furious grunt, he gave up, his fists slamming against the frame. The window didn't budge. He stood there, chest heaving, defeated by a pane of glass and the raw, unyielding force of nature.The realization hit him like a physical blow. He wasn’t just delayed. He was truly, utterly stuck. The dorms were a fortress, but one he couldn’t leave. He was trapped, alone, in the dark, with no way to contact anyone. The silence, which had been a comfort, now felt like a suffocating shroud. He was truly, completely alone.--- A small sound broke the oppressive silence. Katsuki froze, his breath held. His ears strained, trying to distinguish it from the relentless howl of the wind outside, which had become a dull, distant roar, no longer the immediate banshee shriek. For a moment, he thought it was just the building settling, or a branch scraping against an exterior wall.Then it came again. A soft thud, followed by a faint, metallic scrape. It was unmistakable. It was not the wind. It was not the building. It was *inside*.He spun around, peering into the inky blackness of the common room. The snow-light from the windows was almost entirely gone, the blizzard having intensified to such a degree that even that faint glow had been swallowed. His heart hammered against his ribs. Every instinct screamed at him. He was supposed to be alone. Every single person had left. He had watched them go.The metallic scrape repeated, closer this time, accompanied by a barely audible clink. It sounded like it came from the kitchen area, just beyond the common room's archway. A cold dread, far worse than the biting chill in the air, began to seep into his gut. This wasn't a hero's challenge; it was an invasion of his sacred, hard-won solitude.He reached for his phone again, pulling it out, fumbling for the flashlight app. The beam, thin and weak, cut through the gloom, illuminating dust motes dancing in the frigid air. He aimed it towards the kitchen, his muscles tensing, ready to ignite his palms. Who the hell would be here? Why? It couldn't be. He refused to believe it.He took a step, then another, his bare feet silent on the cold floorboards. The clinking sound stopped. Now, a faint, rhythmic chewing sound reached him. It was muffled, deliberate. Someone was eating. Someone was *here*. In his empty dorm. It wasn’t a squirrel, not with that methodical rhythm. It was too regular, too… human.His worst fears began to coalesce, not of some villainous intruder, but of a far more irritating reality. The thought of finding one of his classmates, another one of the damn idiots he had painstakingly ensured were gone, filled him with a potent mixture of disbelief and pure, unadulterated fury. He narrowed his eyes, the beam of his phone wavering slightly as his hand began to tremble, not from fear, but from the raw, simmering anger that was building inside him. He crept forward, each step an act of defiance against the shattering of his perfect, solitary silence, towards the source of the unwelcome sound. He knew, with a certainty that made his teeth ache, that he was no longer alone.

Chapter 1: Alone, Until He Wasn't