Memories lingered in the smallest details—the hand she clutched as they walked through the Iliade Castle halls, afraid of losing her way, the flowers they nurtured together in the garden, the bedtime stories whispered before sleep, and the stray cat she had begged to adopt.0

When Sylvia reflected on her past, her memories spanned only eight years—the short time she had with her mother.0

Human memories accumulate like grains of sand. The oldest ones settled at the bottom, with countless others piling on top. As time passed, the weight of these layers buried some memories, while others remained sharp, piercing through without blending in.0

Sylvia’s memories were like that. They weren’t buried by time or washed away, and they never faded. The memories of her mother, who left this world too soon, remained eternal.0

As time went on, Sylvia became aware of a new presence growing in her mind. From Lokhak, from Berhert, from the Baron of Ashes—a professor who had once protected her. Someone who perhaps carried a sorrow similar to her own. He slowly took root in her heart, like a delicate shoot breaking through barren soil.0

As she trembled before sleep, when loneliness constricted her heart, her thoughts inevitably drifted to him. Sylvia recognized this feeling all too well. It was unmistakable, and perhaps that certainty made it even more painful.1

… Sylvia slowly opened her eyes to a stark white ceiling, with the light flickering above her. A wave of dizziness hit her, and she lay motionless for a long time.0

Rustle—0

The quiet sound of pages turning caught her attention. Sylvia slowly turned her gaze and saw Professor Deculein seated in a chair.0

Without lifting his eyes from the book, as if sensing her gaze, he spoke with a measured tone, “The exam has ended. You’ve been asleep for 48 hours.”0

His blue eyes locked onto hers—clear as crystal but as cold as ice.0

"Your performance throughout the semester was flawless, so an A grade is more than appropriate."0

The final exam made up 35% of the overall grade, but Sylvia had already achieved perfect scores in the remaining 65%. She held a twenty-point...0