Two days had passed since the battle in the forest. Two days of somber quiet at the Ashveil mansion.
They had held a small, private ceremony for Sebastian.
Celestria had given a eulogy, her voice cold and steady, but her eyes had been a storm of unshed tears.
They did the same for Headmaster Theron, a more public affair at the academy's grand hall, a place now draped in black banners.
As for Marius, Celestria had taken his body, wrapped in a simple white shroud, and left.
She had gone to meet with the other great families, to discuss the demon's invasion and his strange, obsessive focus on her brother.
Azrael knew he couldn't live a quiet life anymore.
He was a piece in a game far larger than he had ever imagined.
He was currently back at the academy, sitting in his usual spot in the lecture hall.
A new professor stood at the front, a stern-looking man with a graying beard who had taken Theron's place.
The academy mourned its loss, but the curriculum had to go on.
