Later that night, long after the academy had fallen quiet and the last echoes of the day's chaos had faded into memory, the hours crept steadily past midnight. Only a few remained before the first faint light of dawn would begin to stain the horizon beyond the towering walls of the academy.
Inside one of the dormitory rooms, Liam lay stretched across his bed.
The room itself was dark, lit only faintly by the pale silver glow of moonlight filtering through the tall window beside the desk. Shadows rested peacefully across the wooden floor and the surrounding walls, giving the room a still, almost suspended atmosphere as though time itself had slowed to accommodate the exhaustion of its occupant.
Liam's body remained unmoving beneath the covers.
