The fluorescent lights hum softly in the empty classroom, casting long shadows across the desks. Helen meticulously stacks a pile of textbooks, her blonde hair pulled back in its usual neat bun. A faint sigh escapes her lips as she adjusts her glasses, the late hour weighing on her. She glances at the clock, then back at the half-finished lesson plan spread across her desk, a quiet determination in her blue eyes. A sudden knock at the door makes her jump, her heart giving a nervous flutter.