Evaline:
It was half past six when Mr. Wood pulled the sleek black car to a stop in front of the Academy's main gates. The familiar stone archway loomed ahead, its edges dusted with fresh snow, and a warmth I hadn't expected bloomed in my chest.
Two weeks. Just two weeks away, and yet stepping out into the crisp winter air felt like returning home.
I tugged my scarf a little higher, offering Mr. Wood a quick wave of thanks before I turned toward the gate. My boots crunched over the snow-covered path as I passed through, and for the second time since I joined Silver Moon, I allowed myself to slow down and take it all in.
The sprawling lawns lay buried under soft blankets of white, the glass windows of the main building glowing faintly against the dusky sky. As I took the familiar path wounding its way toward the first-years dormitory, I realized just how much I had missed this place - the steady rhythm of Academy life, the banter in the dining hall, and, most of all, my friends.
