Aliona’s POV
The academy halls always had a kind of noise to them, a clatter of footsteps, laughter, the hum of whispers that moved faster than the morning breeze. But that day… it was different. The air felt heavier, taut like a string pulled too tightly, ready to snap.
I was walking back from Aby’s office with a stack of notes she’d given me, trying to focus on the details of the upcoming medical conference she insisted I attend. My boots clicked against the tiled floor, echoing softly. Mystic stirred in the back of my mind, restless, her presence brushing against mine like static against skin.
Something’s off, she murmured.
I agreed. And then I saw why.
Sophia.
She stood at the end of the hallway like she’d been waiting for me, her perfect posture framed by her ever-loyal minions.
