Zeda awoke on Sunday morning to sunlight streaming through the window. She got off the bed and moved to the window to enjoy the warmth of the sun, a luxury she hadn't experienced since the chaos Lucian orchestrated in the Academy on Wednesday.

A heavy sense of quiet lay over the Academy. It was Day Three of the ten-day reprieve Mr. Percival had announced after the chaos, and the atmosphere felt surreal. The colossal battle had ended over seventy-two hours ago, but the memories were ...