Tropical Fish Swimming in School Staircase Hallway

Cool morning light streams through a north-facing window, striking polished wooden handrails and white tiled steps inside an art classroom in Daule. The air is still, yet a school of vibrant tropical fish glides horizontally at head height, their scales reflecting sharp highlights against the neutral walls. Students stand frozen on the landing, their forms rendered in crisp detail, watching the aquatic procession pass before them. The water surrounding the fish is invisible, yet the creatures move with fluid precision, fins fluttering in a silent current that defies gravity. Dust motes hang suspended in the light beams, untouched by the movement below. At the base of the stairs, a single red sneaker rests on a step, its laces tied tight.