Chapter 45: Into the Borderlands
The dawn was gray and brittle when we set out — just six of us, cloaked in silence, bearing the weight of a mission that felt far larger than any we’d faced before.
There were no faculty escorts this time. No safety nets. Headmistress Aragona had entrusted us with this mission completely, sending us beyond the academy’s reach to gather information no one else could. That trust — and the danger that came with it — pressed against my chest like a second heartbeat.
The world outside the academy walls seemed colder than usual. Even the wind felt wary, as if it knew where we were heading. The road ahead twisted into the horizon, a thin line that led straight toward the borderlands — a place spoken of in hushed tones even among seasoned acnologians.
—shadows
