Outside, it was pitch black. The howling cold wind, mixed with a few snowflakes, constantly battered the windows and eaves, causing even the candlelight a wall's distance away to flicker slightly from the vibration.
Lyra felt the turmoil within her chest. She looked around and saw dark shadows cast on the brown-yellow birch floor.
"And before facing such an outcome, I know everyone has doubts in their hearts..."
"Why would I become a sacrifice in a long war, a corpse forever sleeping in the tundra, the one who lost everything?"
"I came here only for the Duke's reward, to complete the graduation ceremony of the Elizabeth Academy of Magic, to eat fresh beef pies, and for the beautiful life I can enjoy in the future."
"Everything I pursue runs contrary to the word 'death,' and at this very moment, I am so close to it, as if the sharp knife that could cut my throat is already within reach."
