Before the Storm

The Academy grounds were the most active by far this last week. I was never a terribly social person, but I had to admit it was nice to get out and at the very least experience other people's interactions. It was a nice change of pace from the silent, bloodstained nights Ronan and I had spent tearing through the cult's operations. Students laughed and chattered about their plans for the break, debating whose hometown had the best springtime festivals. Professors walked with a rare sense of ease, relieved to have survived yet another semester of managing students who at any moment were likely to blow up the classroom. The air felt lighter, full of hope, it was refreshing.