Ash’s POV
The academy felt like a tomb after nightfall, every corridor silent except for the distant creak of guards shifting weight, every window dark like eyes closed in suspicion. The usual hum of student chatter was gone, swallowed by curfew and fear, leaving only the hollow echo of stone holding secrets it refused to release. Even the torches seemed dimmer, their flames guttering low as if afraid to burn too brightly in a place stained by blood.
I waited until the last patrol passed, counting their footsteps until they faded around the corner, then I slipped out the side window, dropping soft to the grass below, my heart already racing before I even took my first step. The cold night air slapped against my face, sharp and sobering, but it did nothing to slow the frantic rhythm in my
