The campus usually awoke to the sounds of laughter, training, and spells flickering in the distance— but this morning was different. It was quiet and uneasily quiet.
The sun crept over the horizon, its golden hue spilling across the academy grounds, melting away the faint fog that still clung to the trees.
By the time the first group of students stumbled from their tents near the training fields, the unease had already started spreading— whispers slithering through the crowd like smoke.
Valkyrie hadn't shown up for practice or morning check up. Weird cause she's not the type to miss morning practice for anything in the world.
At first, her friends thought she was just deeply asleep. Valkyrie was known for sleeping through early bells. But as minutes passed and the sunlight grew brighter, the pit in their stomachs deepened.
"Check the riverbank..." said Soda, her voice tight with worry. "She usually goes there whenever she wants to clear her head..."
