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The academy grounds were alive with the distant echoes of students weaving through the cobbled paths, laughter and chatter bouncing off the high stone walls, the morning incident already forgotten. But the instant Astrid Voss appeared, everything froze.
Like wolves sensing a storm, every head turned.
Every voice died.
She didn't need to speak.
The sheer force of her presence was command enough.
She walked with a storm in her stride, each heel clicking like the countdown of a war drum. Her black coat flared behind her, as if the wind bent only for her. Students bowed their heads instinctively, stepping aside as though their bodies moved before their minds could catch up.
Astrid spared none of them a glance.
Her eyes were fixed on the looming structure ahead, the Administrative Tower.
She entered the front hall without hesitation. Her pace didn't slow.
