"I'm working on retrieval protocols…"
"You are expelled," Velthris said flatly. "Effective immediately."
The Academy was everything. Her research, her equipment, her life's work… all of it was here. "Please, just give me another chance. I can refine the designs, add more safety protocols…"
"Your reckless experimentation endangers lives," another Archmage said. "Magic should follow tradition. Your so-called innovations are dangerous novelties that undermine centuries of established practice."
"My innovations are the future!" Mira's voice rose despite herself. "You're all so stuck in your thousand-year-old spellbooks that you can't see the potential right in front of you! Magic can be so much more than dusty rituals and…"
"OUT!" Velthris's shout made the torches flicker. He pointed one bony finger at the ornate doors. "Security will escort you from the premises. If you return, you will be imprisoned. Am I understood?"
