Unwelcome Guest

The morning air was crisp, the castle halls unusually quiet now that there were no looming classes, no rushed mornings, and no anxious students running late.

It was officially the start of the school holidays, and Liria had every intention of sleeping through as much of it as possible.

Unfortunately, fate disagreed.

She had just settled into the cozy embrace of her pillow when a loud knock echoed through the hall outside her room.

Ignore it, she told herself. Not my problem.

Then the knock came again. Louder. More insistent.

And then—

"LIRIA, WAKE UP!"

Liria let out a long, suffering groan, shoving the pillow over her face.

"Go away!"

"Too late for that," Enara's voice came through the door, sounding far too amused for Liria's liking. "You might want to get up. We have… company."

Liria slowly peeled her face off the pillow, frowning. "Company?"

"Yes," Enara said. "And by company, I mean Seraphis."