The night wasn't particularly loud. No wind against the windows. No clatter from the kitchen. Just a faint hum of the fridge and the occasional creak of the house settling in.
I stared at my ceiling for a while, one arm tucked behind my head.
I wasn't tired. Not in the way that led to sleep. It was the other kind. The kind that sits behind your eyes and makes your thoughts run in slow motion.
Eventually, I reached for my phone.
Chatterfield opened like it always did—soft glow, faint sounds, no fuss.
I scrolled.
Most of the rooms were already familiar: Rain That Never Stops, Between Bells, Sock Drawer Philosophy.
But tonight, I noticed something new.
A small button near the bottom of the app.
[ + Add Chatroom ]
Had that always been there?
I tapped it.
The UI shifted, inviting me to name the room and write a short description.
For a second, I just stared.
Then my thumbs started typing.
Room Name: Quiet Room
Description: Two people only. No noise. No pressure.
I hit "Create."
A new screen opened. The room was empty. Just a soft background tone and a blinking cursor.
I waited.
Not sure why. I didn't really expect anyone to show up.
But after a few minutes, the user count shifted from [1] to [2].
Someone had joined.
[Midnight Echo] has entered the room.
The icon was simple—a silhouette of a person wearing headphones, looking up at a star.
I didn't say anything right away.
No response came right away.
Then a message appeared:
[ChattyBreeze]: hey
I didn't know what else to say. Just a simple hello. Like tossing a pebble into still water.
[Midnight Echo]: hey
[ChattyBreeze]: quiet is nice sometimes
[Midnight Echo]: that's kind of the point
[Midnight Echo]: thanks for making this place
[ChattyBreeze]: thanks for joining
We didn't say anything for a while.
But the silence didn't feel empty.
I could've left. Said goodnight. Closed the app.
But I stayed.
So did they.
Maybe that was the whole idea.