I barely had a second to process before a blur of silver crashed into me. Cold yet familiar arms wrapped around my neck, pressing against me with surprising force.
"Seraphina?" I muttered, momentarily stunned.
She looked up, ice-blue eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine. Her long silver hair framed her face, cascading like moonlight over my shoulder.
"Arthur," she said, her voice quiet but firm.
There was no hesitation, no unnecessary words. Just a statement of fact. As if saying my name was enough.
I held her back, feeling the way she clung to me—not desperately, not frantically, but completely. Seraphina didn't do things halfway. When she committed to something—or someone—it was absolute.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, still slightly breathless. The Academy dormitories were restricted. "How did you even get in?"
