The morning air outside the Aetherium was crisp, cool enough to sting just a little against my skin. Belle and I walked side by side through the main courtyard, our footsteps echoing faintly off the marble tiles as the massive black gates loomed ahead, tall, engraved with the symbol of the Silver Lantern, their metal gleaming faintly with mana.
The gates were wide open as we approached, silent but imposing, revealing the academy wing sprawled before us.
White and gray buildings stretched endlessly across the horizon, their surfaces glimmering faintly with enchantments.
Tall spires rose into the misty sky, lined with floating mana conduits that hummed like a heartbeat. The place looked pristine, perfect, like someone had designed it to intimidate you just by existing.
And judging by the way the first-year students scattered the moment they noticed us, it was working.
