Aria Vale
The next morning, I wake to find I'm no longer locked in. The guards are gone from outside my door, and when I test the handle, it opens freely. A note has been slipped under the door during the night.
"Report to Elder Moira's office at nine o'clock. Come alone."
Elder Moira. The kind eyed woman from the council.
I find clothes laid out on the chair, proper academy uniform instead of the ceremonial robe I've been wearing. Someone must have brought them while I slept. The thought of strangers entering my room while I was unconscious makes my skin crawl, but I push the feeling aside and get dressed.
The hallways are mostly empty when I emerge. It's early enough that most students are still at breakfast. The few I pass stop and stare, whispering behind their hands. Some look cu
