The door closed behind him with a quiet click.
For a moment, Noel just stood there in the hallway, his hand resting against the wood, listening to the faint crackle of the fire on the other side. He could still picture Nicolas sitting there — half-shadowed by the light, eyes fixed on the academy that gleamed faintly beyond the glass.
Noel exhaled through his nose, the warmth of the room giving way to the cooler air of the corridor. 'He's still looking at it,' he thought. 'That place was his whole life.'
He turned slowly, footsteps echoing against the polished marble as he began walking down the hall. Through the high windows, the sun was dipping toward the horizon — a molten orange glow spilling across the castle gardens.
At the far end, a familiar figure waited. Charlotte leaned against the wall, her hands clasped loosely in front of her, pink hair catching the evening light. When she saw him, her smile was small but steady.
"How is he?" she asked.
