The misty grey sky wept snowflakes that danced in the wind. From the dorm sill, Adam watched them refract light as they fluttered along the wind currents of the garden helix before falling to form immaculate heaps on dead grass. Winter had killed the petals, but the spectacle had somehow become more breathtaking. At least, that's how he and Quintella felt.
However, his sister felt no wonder for the snowmen built around the dorms, or for the snow crunching beneath her boots as she tiptoed to give him a trembling hug. The plushy he had offered her dangled from her hands, and when she lifted her face, tears streamed down her pink eyes.
"Do you really have to go for an entire week?" She sniffled, the cold of separation bypassing her warm robes.
