The sun hadn't even risen properly, its first, faint fingers of light barely touching the highest spires of the Academy, but I was already awake. Not because of nightmares, not because of a blaring system alert, but because of a small, quiet presence that had fundamentally altered the landscape of my life.
Yumi.
Dressed by Masha in a simple but elegant powder-blue dress that made her snow-white hair seem even brighter, she looked less like a child and more like a porcelain doll come to life. Her rose-pink eyes, usually so wide with a quiet, cautious curiosity, were now sparkling with a nervous excitement. Today was her first day at The Little Sprouts Sanctuary.
I lifted her into my arms, her small frame surprisingly light, and placed her gently on the front of my bike. She gripped the handlebars tightly, her small knuckles white.
"Are you scared?" I asked, my voice a low murmur as I started the engine.
