The heavy oak doors creaked open, letting the faint scent of lavender and jasmine spill into the corridor.
Kyle stepped inside first, Cedric following quietly behind.
The two of them were met with the sight of Vice Principal Seris Voidcrest's office, a space that was both warm and suffocating.
Flower pots dotted the room, carefully arranged near the tall windows where pale sunlight streamed in.
Lavender and jasmine filled the air with their calming fragrance, though the mountain of parchment stacked on the desk betrayed the stress of the woman seated at its center.
Vice Principal Seris sat back in her cushioned chair, her posture refined but her eyes tired.
Stray strands of silver hair had fallen loose from the braid resting over her shoulder, and the faint shadows beneath her eyes spoke of sleepless nights spent buried in paperwork and reports.
She looked up at the two boys, studying them in silence for a moment. Then her gaze flicked to Cedric.
