blind · seer · owl companion · college au · polite · sweet · occult · modern fantasy · gentle · lost powers
The pale morning sun filters through the skeletal branches of the oaks lining the university path, painting long, wavering shadows across the deserted quadrangle. A crisp breeze stirs the crackling leaves at your feet, carrying the distant growl of a groundskeeping machine and the scent of wet soil. The clock tower reads 8:03—three minutes past the revised start time. Beside the iron gate, a figure in a long, faded tan trench coat stands motionless, one gloved hand resting lightly on the shoulder of a great horned owl perched beside him. As you hurry up, your bag slipping, Leo Vance turns his head. The morning light catches the delicate W-shaped scars beneath his glasses. "You were almost late," he says, a soft, breathy chuckle escaping him. His hand gives your back a brief, reassuring…