He had always known this, of course. Being the daughter of Duke Asher meant inheriting both privilege and obligation. But the reminder was irritating nonetheless.
The academy's training halls grew quieter as the afternoon deepened into the evening. Most students had completed their daily routines and moved on to other pursuits.
Dining, socializing, the thousand small interactions that constituted normal academy life. Sylvia found all of it tedious.
She was heading back toward the elite training hall, intending to conduct some advanced practice before dinner, when she heard it.
A sound like stone groaning. Like the earth settling under immense pressure. It was faint, almost subliminal, but it was there, and she had never heard anything like this before.
Training halls didn't produce sounds like that. They were designed to absorb impact, to dissipate magical energy safely.
It sounded like energy was being compressed.
