Anna hurried through the academy grounds, trying to calm the growing anxiety inside her.
Edrick's words kept echoing in her mind:
"Ethan and Leo are looking for you… together."
Why?
That was the question repeating over and over in her head. Leo hadn't been getting along with her lately, and Ethan…
"Oh, no!" Anna thought, recalling Ethan's parting words about meeting again soon. "I need to find them!"
The sun was beginning to set behind the buildings, its warm orange glow bathing the gardens and outer corridors. The academy felt immense at that moment, with every corner and path amplifying her sense of being lost.
But she wasn't alone. Though she hadn't stopped to confirm it, the soft footsteps behind her were impossible to ignore.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught glimpses of familiar figures: Nina, Aria, Elara, Paul, David, and even Edrick—who was clearly making a clumsy effort to stay unnoticed.
