Five days passed in a blink, and the morning sun bathed the castle halls with golden light. Inside the changing chamber, the air was filled with the soft rustle of fabric and the faint scent of lavender soap that lingered from freshly laundered clothes.
Dila stood tall before the mirror, her silver-white hair flowing down her back like strands of silk. Her reflection showed not the fragile girl who had once lain weak in bed, but someone wrapped in new resolve. She wore the uniform prepared for her enrollment at the magic academy.... a finely tailored outfit with deep navy trimming, fitted at the waist, and lined with silver embroidery that shimmered when the light touched it. A soft white undershirt peeked through, paired with a capelet that bore the crest of the academy.
