Without another word, Alistair turned and left, his footsteps echoing down the corridor.
Selene remained standing, watching his retreating back.
For a brief moment, she wondered—had he truly returned only because he forgot the pins? Or was it something else?
The morning sun filtered through tall stained-glass windows, but it was artificial—crafted magic rather than true daylight.
The academy existed under an enchanted sky that never fully burned the creatures of the night.
The Coven of Midnight still obeyed the ancient laws of day and night, yet here, night lingered longer than anywhere else.
Darkness stretched lazily across the hours, a mercy to vampires and nocturnal beings alike. Humans also lived within these walls—mages, scholars, arcane wielders who bent light and shadow alike.
This place was neither fully day nor fully night.
It existed in between.
Selene slipped the pin onto her dress, admiring how it gleamed.
"Looks expensive," she muttered.
