before anyone

ons quieted when s

s looked at her a secon

ered in spaces where

ng had

ere beginnin

ough the west residence corridor, folde

gned to residential dutie

ish your work,

emy rewarded

rded status

ked somewhere on campus to ke

Archive sortin

gned to the Vane

ormer

still fe

hallways bett

s creaked beneat

ndows stuck d

ght settled in t

d

belonged to

.Yo

opped

ice wa

tro

stak

rned s

osture elegant as always, academy cr

ence th

rform

e two o

ri asked

her for a momen

with

n't a

itated

nodde

cour

y through the uppe

alked, the quieter

nges faded

disap

r footsteps remained a

sk where the

lread

corridor windows, where pale lig

she t

ion remaine

underneath it

careless,"

her gaze

ve

es

r came im

r grip slightly

mber doing an

smiled

the pr

led briefly

ntinued. "You notice things you shouldn't.

ers curled

lied quietly, "I'm

narrowed almos

overst

ered heavily

ntio

ec

haled

g my assi

t all you'

stepped

ggres

iden

on," she said softly. "

mained

be more careful

rds we

t subm

enti

ted behind Mer

ting something,"

ld her

t would

voice lower

r pl

s landed

heav

it imme

as f

iro

orridor used t

used to be

tself had once wel

n V

ugh hallways where people

d her gaze

surr

tra

of it," s

e y

nded almost

't act l

back at h

xactly sho

dn't answer

e studied h

ng to measure som

erence between what belongs to her," M

hest ti

ment, neither

et out a q

actly are yo

smiled

implying

se she

dn't n

rstood p

no issue," Ari

oo

came to

slightly, restoring th

sure it sta

aid n

hough the conversati

pau

bri

ing things you d

sharpened

ds," she sa

h glanc

wh

her gaze

you understan

ce fo

or

dang

expressio

surp

an

hing

slo

miled

rf

ouc

nd enough,"

't argue

expression made it

ith n

rse sh

said not

turned and

tanding alone

il

ie

osened around the fol

last," she mu

the

he ba

ity Meredith was desper

eredith tried cont

racks bega

d already

ea

dor, Meredith slowed slight

sion faded

tened faintly

ing it on

orrec

to

Ari look

knew so

emembered

's gaze

n't happ

e remain

tro

dernea

ready begun

Ari continu

t notice small inco

start askin

h could not