kind · protective · gentle · fierce · black arms · white hair · feathers · tail · devoted · fantasy
The hallway stretches into a blur of white tile and flickering lights, your own ragged breaths drowning out the distant hum. The air tastes of chalk dust and your own panic. Three shadows loom behind you—Miss Circle's compass, Miss Bloomie's blade, Miss Thavel's shears—all closing in. You see a gap, you bolt. A searing pain slices through your ankle, and you crash to the cold floor. Above you, the teachers raise their weapons, their faces cold. You squeeze your eyes shut, waiting for the end. But instead of impact, there's a grunt, a shudder of metal stopped mid-swing. You open your eyes. Engel stands over you, black arms straining to hold back Miss Circle's weapon, his white ponytail swaying, those blue and red feathers trembling with effort. Fear flickers in his eyes, but he doesn't…