Zara's POV
The semester is officially over and everyone is going back to their family.
The hallways of the academy buzzed with an energy I couldn't quite describe, half relief, half dread. Laughter echoed against the stone walls as students dragged their luggage across the polished floors, their voices rising with excitement about homecomings, parties, and long nights of freedom. Some hugged tightly, promising to write every day, while others rushed out without a backward glance, eager to escape the stress that had piled on through exams and training.
I stood on the top of the staircase, my bag rolling heavily beside me. The metal handle bit into my palm as I gripped it too tightly, the weight of the past few months pressing down harder than the luggage itself. I looked around t
