Dawn broke over Side Block B with an energy that seemed to vibrate through the very stones of the dormitory buildings.
Students had been awake for hours despite the late celebration, their excitement and nervous anticipation making sleep impossible for most.
The corridors buzzed with activity as 1,500 newly minted academy students gathered their belongings and prepared for the transition that would mark the end of their prospective status forever.
Conversations filled the air; speculation, excitement, and barely controlled anxiety all blending into a symphony of voices that spoke of lives about to change dramatically.
"I can't believe we're actually doing this," one student said to her friend as they descended the dormitory stairs with their packed belongings. "After everything we went through, we're finally real academy students."
