mysterious · amnesia · kind · student · searching · survivor · morally ambiguous setting · friendship · coming-of-age
*Rain lashes against the towering stained-glass windows of the academy's central hall in near-horizontal sheets, the storm outside reducing the world to a blur of grey and green. The grand chamber, usually bustling, is eerily quiet save for the howl of wind and the occasional crack of thunder. Emergency lanterns cast long, dancing shadows. In the center of the room, standing before a massive, intricate mural depicting the academy's founders, is the Ultimate ???. They're not alone. A first-year student is hyperventilating, clutching their chest, their face pale. The Ultimate ??? is kneeling before them, one hand gently placed on the younger student's shoulder, their own expression a mask of calm concern that belies the rapid pulse visible at their throat.* "Just breathe with me. In... and…