Morning sunlight spilled over the academy grounds like warm honey, bathing the courtyards and steepled towers in a golden sheen of serenity.
It was a lie.
Rei knew this because, inside his dorm, he was hiding behind a fake bookshelf labeled "Definitely Not a Panic Room," eating cold toast, and whispering daily affirmations.
"I am alive. I survived yesterday. I can do this."
The door creaked. He screamed like a goat.
"Relax," said his roommate-slash-bodyguard Rosette from the hallway. "It's just me. And also Lilia. And Drakana. And Seraphina. And Astra."
Rei's eyes twitched. "Why are all five of you outside my room at 6 A.M.?!"
There was an ominous pause.
Rosette replied flatly, "You overslept by twelve minutes. Suspicious."
A knock followed. "Darling~ You'll be late for school~!" Lilia sang sweetly in that tone that always made the nearby walls develop cracks. "We prepared your uniform. We steamed your cape. I polished your shoes with a sacred oil used to anoint kings!"
