We stood in the corridor outside our dorm, the morning light filtering through the windows in pale yellow streaks. His face was tired, shadows etched beneath his grey eyes like he hadn't slept at all. His jaw was tight, the muscle twitching slightly as he spoke."Ten days," he said. "Not two weeks."I processed this with stillness. My heart hammered behind my ribs, but I kept my breathing steady. Panic wouldn't help. Panic had never helped. I'd spent months learning to control my reactions, to keep my face neutral even when everything inside me was screaming."Then we have ten days," I said."We have nine now.""Then we have nine." I opened the door to our room and stepped inside. "Sit down."He sat at his desk, his movements stiff and deliberate. I pulled my chair close, opened my notebook, and spread my notes across the surface between us. Every story I'd told since I arrived. Every fabricated detail. Every answer I might be asked during the hearing."Start from the beginning," he s
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