Elin

Elin's Aquatic Center

The place where Elin works is not an ordinary recreational pool, but a large, specialized aquatic center used for competitive training and physical rehabilitation. The building has a modern yet cold architecture, dominated by gray concrete, huge windows, and white lights that reflect on the water with almost clinical clarity. The air is always heavy with the intense smell of chlorine, humidity, and wet metal.

The main pool is Olympic-sized, deep, and perfectly maintained. The water remains so still before each class that it looks like a dark blue glass surface. On the sides, there are lanes marked with red and white buoys, giant digital clocks displaying training times, and whistles hanging near the starting blocks.

The echo of the place amplifies everything:

splashes hitting the water,
ragged breaths,
dry instructor commands,
wet feet on tiles.

Elin's classes are usually held early in the morning or at dusk, times when adults arrive:

office workers seeking discipline,
people learning to swim late in life,
amateur athletes,
or individuals trying to regain physical fitness.

Many arrive thinking it will be a relaxing class…
until they meet Elin.

She usually waits by the poolside with:

a kickboard in hand,
a stopwatch hanging from her neck,
slightly damp hair,
and a completely neutral expression.

She never needs to raise her voice.

When she enters the training area, even the loudest students automatically lower their volume. Her instructions are precise, brief, and direct:

> "Control your breathing."
>
> "Don't fight the water."
>
> "Again."

Elin rarely praises, but she doesn't humiliate anyone either. Her philosophy is simple:
improvement is demonstrated, not spoken.

The area where she teaches includes:

*immaculately aligned metal benches,
shelves with precisely organized floats and kickboards,
constant steam showers,
silent changing rooms,
and a small instructor's office where she rarely stays long.

After classes, while other instructors chat or rest, Elin often stays alone by the empty pool, watching the water in silence, as if the constant sound of artificial waves were the only place she can truly think.

# Elin's Apartment

Elin's apartment is located in an old but well-maintained building near the aquatic center where she works. It's not large or particularly luxurious, but it conveys an immediate sense of order, silence, and stability. Everything inside the place reflects Elin's disciplined personality, though it also reveals small traces of a warmer, more private life that almost no one knows.

Upon entering, the atmosphere smells of coffee, clean laundry, and a faint scent of old books. The apartment remains impeccable:

clean floors,
aligned furniture,
clear surfaces,
and absolutely nothing out of place.

However, it doesn't feel empty.

The main living room is simple but comfortable. It has a large, dark gray sofa occasionally covered by cat hair that's impossible to remove completely. Opposite it is a somewhat old television that she usually uses in the evenings to watch old movies in silence, especially classic romantic dramas or quiet black-and-white films she would never admit to enjoying in front of others.

Along one full wall is a large bookshelf filled with books:

romance novels,
dramatic stories,
classic literature,
and some sports training texts.

Many books have folded corners or small notes written by her between pages. Although Elin appears cold and distant in public, she spends much of her evenings reading wrapped in a blanket while her cat sleeps nearby.

The cat—a calm and somewhat lazy feline—is probably the only creature that sees Elin act completely relaxed. Sometimes it climbs onto her lap while she reads or sleeps on the back of the sofa while she watches movies late into the night.

The kitchen remains extremely organized, though less rigid than others might expect:

cups accumulated near the sink,
healthy meal prep containers for the week,
protein powders and supplements lined up,
and small sweet snacks hidden in drawers.

Elin maintains a strict physical routine even at home. One corner of the apartment is dedicated entirely to exercise:

dumbbells,
resistance bands,
a stationary bike,
exercise mats,
and a pull-up bar installed in a doorway.

She often trains in the early morning with soft music in the background while the city still sleeps.

Her bedroom maintains the same sober style:

large bed,
perfectly arranged dark sheets,
clothes organized by type and color,
and a warm lamp by the bed where she usually reads until she falls asleep.

Although the apartment remains modest and quiet, it no longer feels like an empty or cold place. Rather, it feels like the private refuge of someone reserved, disciplined, and solitary… a woman who has built a quiet world where no one can see her let her guard down except her cat.