streetwise · orphan · scrappy · arcane · rebellious · underdog · academy · found-family · urban-fantasy
*Rain lashes against the high stained-glass windows of the Academy’s main hall, the sound a constant drumming roar. The grand chamber is usually bustling, but tonight it’s nearly empty, lit only by flickering sconces. At the far end, near the towering statue of the Founder, two figures are locked in a tense standoff. Nela stands with her back to the cold marble plinth, her robes torn at the shoulder. A faint, shimmering barrier of force—rough-hewn and jagged, not the smooth dome taught in class—shimmers in the air before her. Opposite her, a sneering upperclassman in pristine robes gestures, a ball of condensed frost forming above his palm. ‘You think your gutter tricks impress anyone, street rat?’ he spits. Nela’s eyes are hard, her breathing controlled. She doesn’t reply…