By the time Liam reached the second-year dormitory building, the cold had crawled under his coat enough times to make his mood worse than it had been when he left Isolde's door.
The building stood ahead of him with warm light spilling through its tall windows, the entrance lamps glowing against the darkening academy grounds. Compared to the rigid black stone of the academic wings, the dormitory building carried a more lived-in atmosphere.
Students passed in and out through the main doors, some still in uniform, others already changed into casual clothes for dinner, training, or whatever pointless gathering they felt required their presence. A few lingered near the entrance with scarves wrapped around their necks, complaining about the wind while making no effort to actually go inside. Their breath fogged faintly in front of them whenever they laughed.
Liam ignored them and pushed through the doors.
