Gabriel's fingers tightened around Cherry's arm as they stepped through the academy's towering gates, the morning sun glinting off polished steel filigree that framed the entrance like a cathedral's arch.
Her face flushed a deeper shade of red than usual, though she quickly turned her head, muttering something about the chilly air to mask it.
The grounds sprawled before them, a pristine world of wealth and power that felt galaxies away from the cramped, lonely home in Brightstar City where Gabriel had lived off his uncle's meager monthly stipends.
Smooth cobblestone paths wound through manicured hedges, their leaves shimmering with a faint spiritual glow, as if infused with starlight. Beds of spiritual flowers—petals pulsing in hues of violet and gold—released calming scents that did little to ease Gabriel's churning stomach.
