Attending the academy felt like a damn drag these days. It wasn't that it was exhausting or anything—it just didn't have the same spark anymore. The lessons that once felt interesting now just blended into white noise. Every hallway felt the same, every lecture dragged on like it was testing my patience. The excitement I used to have for learning had fizzled out completely, replaced by boredom that crept into me like a slow fog.
Rose and Irene still looked as radiant as ever. No one except me knew about their pregnancies. Their bellies hadn't started to show yet, so nobody had even a clue about what was going on. They still moved around like normal—talked, smiled, laughed—but there was a quiet, hidden glow about them that only I could notice. It was like they carried a secret warmth inside them that only I could see.
