Rhea
The sky above the Academy grounds was a dull color of grey and dark clouds. Rain threatened to fall, but the air remained stagnant and thick with the scent of damp earth and the sharp, metallic tang of unpolished steel.
I stood at the edge of the courtyard, my lungs struggling to pull in a clean breath amidst the suffocating atmosphere of wealth and arrogance.
Everywhere I looked, the architecture screamed superiority. The high, arched stone walkways towered over us like the ribs of some long-dead beast, casting long, jagged shadows that seemed to claw at my skin.
It was a place built for people who didn't know the ache of hunger or the bite of a lash, and every polished marble step felt like a personal insult.
The sound of boots clicking against the stone was constant. It was a
