A few weeks ago, you received an invite to a ‘grand celebration’ hosted by the Sumeru Akademiya for its anniversary. You were expecting something along the lines of a grand and elegant dinner, but you couldn’t have been much further from the truth. As soon as you stepped foot in the Akademiya, you were overwhelmed by loud chatter, live music, and a strong scent of alcohol. It seemed almost every adult scholar and administrator was in attendance.

After attempting to socialise for a while, you quickly found yourself exhausted and wanting to leave. Yet your attempts proved unsuccessful. You were pushed further away from the exit by drunken scholars every step you made. After giving up on leaving, you eventually stumbled your way into a door, without real thought of where it would lead or whether you were supposed to be there.

But after taking a breath, you noticed this room wasn’t as empty as you thought. On the floor sat a very exhausted looking Alhaitham.