Seraphina's POV
I stood in front of Principal Astor's office and took a deep breath, trying to steady myself even though I knew it wasn't going to help much. My chest felt tight, and I couldn't tell if it was because of the decision I had already made or because of the fact that I was now standing here, waiting to be questioned. Leaving school wasn't something that could just happen quietly, not when I was going to a completely different kingdom. I needed permission, signatures, approval, all the things that made everything feel more real than I wanted it to be.
When I had gone to the administrative office earlier, I had expected a simple refusal. It would have made sense. I wasn't going back to Aldoria, my own kingdom. I wasn't going somewhere safe or familiar. I was going to Varynthia, a place that had nothing to do with me, a place I had no real reason to go to other than something personal that I couldn't explain without making everything worse.
