I stared glumly at the ceiling of my dormitory, arms stretched out dramatically at my sides, as if by lying perfectly still I could somehow vanish from existence or at least from the day's scheduled classes. Outside my window, the sun was irritatingly cheerful, its rays slicing through the curtains to poke at my closed eyelids like an annoying sibling.
Everything felt harder since Aria's betrayal. Even simple things like breathing or pretending to enjoy oatmeal at breakfast had become exhausting feats. But classes? Classes felt impossibly, unmanageably heavy.
"I don't think I can do it," I muttered mournfully to the empty room. "If I hear one more lecture on magical herbology or how 'friends are the greatest magic of all,' I might explode."
"That'd be impressive," said a bright voice from the doorway, and I lifted my head slightly to see Riven leaning casually against the doorframe, a mischievous smile dancing on his lips. "Messy, but impressive."
