Amberine slumped against her desk, her head resting on a pile of books she barely had the energy to move. Her room was a chaotic mess of scattered notes, empty plates, and half-drunk cups of tea that had gone cold hours ago. The heavy atmosphere reflected the state of her mind—cluttered, foggy, and on the verge of shutting down. Days of relentless study had drained her, and while her body screamed for rest, her mind refused to listen. She couldn't rest, not yet. Not until she finished Draven's final challenge.
"Curse you, Draven," Amberine muttered under her breath. "You and your impossible exams."
