Raven folded her last shirt and placed it in the worn leather bag.
The dorm room felt empty. Wrong. It had never felt like home, not really, but Melisa's presence had made it tolerable. Her scattered books, her experiments with runes, the way she talked to herself while studying.
Now it was just walls and furniture.
[Move. Pack. Leave. Simple.]
Raven shouldered her bag and walked out without looking back.
---
Headmistress Eliana's office smelled like old paper and lavender. The silver-haired woman sat behind her desk, reading through a stack of documents with sharp blue eyes.
"Miss Nightsong. What can I do for you?"
"The dorms. Am I allowed to stay?"
Eliana looked up, one eyebrow raised.
"You've graduated. The dormitories are for current students."
"Right."
"However." Eliana set down her quill. "Graduates maintain access to Academy facilities. Training grounds, library, alchemist tower, dining hall. Students receive priority, but you're welcome to use them."
