Northern finally reached the students' room. A few of them had left before his coronation ceremony, including Shae, leaving only Nyssira, Pathie, and Ellis.
The three were scattered across the space, each absorbed in their own world.
Ellis sat surrounded by a miniature library's worth of books, round glasses perched on his nose. His gaze never lifted from the text in front of him, one finger tracing lines as he read.
Nyssira was tending to rows of pitcher plants, her hands moving with the careful precision of someone handling something precious. She spoke softly to them as she worked, though the words were too quiet to catch.
And Pathie stood at the window, staring out at the darkness that swallowed the forest. Her eyes held a pale, fading light.
She had witnessed an impossible wonder, after all. Some things took time to settle.
When Northern stepped inside, all three heads snapped toward him in unison. The synchronization was almost funny.
