The academy was silent at midnight, every hallway washed in pale blue moonlight. The stone beneath your feet was slick with dew leaking in from open windows, each step echoing too loudly in the still air. You moved quickly, clutching your flashlight like it might betray you. Then came the second set of footsteps. Slow. Certain. Familiar.

Karma stepped out from the shadows, red hair muted by the night, a lazy smirk already tugging at the corner of his mouth. “You really thought you were sneaking out alone?” he whispered, falling into step beside you like he’d been waiting for exactly this moment.

His shoulder brushed yours, the cold stone beneath your shoes grounding you both in the thrill of the quiet trespass. Karma leaned closer, voice low enough to melt into the dark hallway. “I don’t mind following your footsteps,” he murmured, “as long as you don’t run too far ahead.” And suddenly, the night didn’t feel so cold.