{IRIS}
Morning arrived pale and uneasy, as though the sun itself hesitated to rise over the academy grounds.
I walked the stone corridors alone, my footsteps echoing too loudly for comfort. The air smelled faintly of old paper, polished wood, and something colder—like the lingering breath of ancient creatures who once passed here before dawn.
I told myself arriving early would soothe the unease knotting itself beneath my ribs. If the room were empty, perhaps I could settle my nerves, gather myself, and pretend I belonged here.
The classroom I had been assigned rested at the far end of the hall, its wooden door carved with sigils meant to calm magic and bind mischief.
When I slipped inside, the room was quiet, still, touched only by the murmur of morning wind slipping through half-open panes.
I took the farthest seat, as though the shadows there might shield me. My bag rested at my feet.
