"Nature is mourning," Alina sighed softly. Her gaze drifted through the dorm window toward the distant horizon, her expression steeped in a deep, performative melancholy.
"What on earth are you talking about?" Severine asked, confused.
The Academy had recently expanded its greenery in vacant lots to combat the rising pollution.
When Severine followed Alina's line of sight, all she saw were rows of healthy trees and neatly trimmed bushes. There was nothing "mournful" about it.
Besides, Alina had never been one to admire nature—especially not from the confines of their dorm room. And she certainly wasn't the type to sit this quietly.
"With you, even the harshest winters felt warm," Alina murmured, her voice trembling with drama. "But without you, my heart is frozen even in the heat of summer. The leaves fall... just like my tears."
Standing beside Severine, Samuel had to fight the urge to burst out laughing.
