The corridors of the Magic Tower University stretched out like endless tunnels, their towering walls adorned with shimmering arcane inscriptions that pulsed faintly in the dim light. Normally, Amberine Polime would have found comfort in their familiarity, but today, the intricate designs only seemed to close in around her. Her footsteps echoed too loudly, each step reverberating in her ears like the tolling of a distant bell. She kept her gaze forward, her shoulders hunched slightly, as though shielding herself from the unseen eyes that followed her.
She could hear them, the whispers and half-spoken conversations that danced just out of reach. Words carried by soft voices that were somehow louder than the hum of magical conduits lining the walls. Her chest tightened as she passed a group of students clustered near a glowing noticeboard.
