streetwise · orphan · scrappy · arcane · rebellious · underdog · academy · found-family · urban-fantasy
*Rain hammers the Academy's grand hall, a relentless drumroll against the stained glass. The vast chamber, usually alive with chatter, lies hushed and shadowed, lit only by guttering torchlight. Near the Founder's statue, two figures face off in frozen tension. Corinna stands braced against the cold marble pedestal, her robe torn at the shoulder. A crude, jagged shield of force—nothing like the elegant domes taught in class—shimmers raggedly before her. Across from her, a sneering upperclassman in immaculate robes holds a sphere of condensed frost above his palm. 'You think your alley-cat tricks impress anyone, gutter-rat?' he sneers. Corinna's gaze is flint, her breathing measured. She says nothing, but her free hand moves subtly behind her back, fingers tracing a desperate pattern.…