The scent of rain clung to the air as I crossed the courtyard, my satchel bouncing against my hip, the last exam still humming in my veins. Freedom. For the first time in months, I can finally sleep, eat and breathe without the exam haunting me. The thought of cocooning myself in my apartment for days on end, after answering all that grueling questions sounded really enticing. I can already feel my bed, calling for me.
I was halfway down the steps of the university building when a guard intercepted me.
"Miss Everen," he said, voice too careful. "The President requests your presence. Immediately."
My mother.
I frowned, adjusting the strap on my shoulder. "Now?"
He only nodded. No explanation. No smile. Just the faintest flicker of pity in his eyes before he turned towards the convoy waiting by the gate.
