The morning sun slipped gently through the academy’s tall glass windows, painting the marble floor in soft gold. Students filled the hall with noise and laughter, but the air shifted the moment Evelyn walked in. Her heels clicked sharply against the floor, and the crowd parted, silence following her like a loyal shadow.

Ivy entered quietly through the side corridor, her hair tied loosely, her face bare of the freckles she used to hide behind. There was something cleaner, softer about her now, ...