Ezra looked at Vera quietly after hearing everything she explained, then his gaze slowly shifted toward the snow gathered on the ground beneath their feet.
Cold wind moved through the training grounds, brushing against the hood covering his head while his mind processed each of her words carefully.
"It obviously won't be easy getting into the Royal Academy, right?"
He finally asked.
"Yes."
Vera answered immediately.
The amused smile she carried earlier disappeared, turning into a calmer and more serious expression.
"It isn't easy at all."
She adjusted her sitting posture slightly, crossing one leg over the other again while resting her gloved hands against the bench.
"The Royal Academy only accepts children from the Royal Family, Duke families, Counts, Viscounts, High-Embers, and Low-Embers families that are officially permitted to apply."
Snow drifted down quietly between them.
"What normally happens…"
Vera continued.
