Evaline:
I stepped out of the dining hall and into the gentle hush of snowfall. The entire Academy was glowing softly under a thick blanket of crystalline white.
The night air bit at my cheeks, but I pulled my fur-lined coat tighter and set off toward the administrative building. Despite spending more than three months here, I still got taken aback this place's sheer beauty. Every step felt like stepping into a storybook - the corridors, the lamp-lit paths, the warriors patrolling around the place.
But my own breath felt taut, mixed with the anticipation of the evening ahead.
Halfway through the West Wing, I passed Professor Aldric and another second-year instructor. I offered a polite nod and "Good evening," and received friendly smiles in return as we headed our respective ways.
