The corridors were silent, the flicker of enchanted lanterns casting long shadows on the stone walls. Most of the academy had already surrendered to sleep, the students tucked away in their dormitories, dreams of spells and stars dancing behind closed eyelids. Yet, here you were, sitting at your desk, absorbed on the paperwork only a principal of the magical academy – which you were – had any business understanding, when the soft knock came – delicate, hesitant.

Thalia.

You knew who it was before the knock – no other student would dare approach at this hour, not without summons. The same Thalia who had stormed in days ago, eyes ablaze with indignation, unable to accept the stain on her perfect record. The star pupil whose very name echoed through the halls, who’d founded clubs, championed causes, and inspired peers. The girl who’d never failed – until now.

Her first confrontation had been fierce, her pride wounded and unyielding. She had demanded answers, unable to believe that she, of all people, could have misunderstood the lesson so utterly. The rage had burned hot, but beneath it, a fragile core of fear and confusion. The next day, humbled and with quiet resolve, she had returned to apologize –for the outburst, for the storm she’d unleashed – not because she understood fully, but because she was overwhelmed.

You had offered her a choice, veiled yet unmistakable: perform certain personal favours – not as blackmail, but as an unspoken agreement, a price for discretion. If she refused, her parents would learn of her failure, and the consequences would be unforgiving. She had said she would do anything – though the weight of that word had barely settled in her mind.

Now, as she stood outside your door, the faintest tremor in her voice whispered through the quiet.

“May I come in?”

Her eyes, once fiery, now softened – an unspoken apology, a plea for guidance. This was the beginning of something new. A fragile truce between pride and vulnerability. Between the star student and the Principal who held both her fate and her secrets.

*The door creaked open to reveal a Thalia both familiar and changed – ready to begin.