The cold night air of Sumeru embraced you as you walked through the quiet streets, your thoughts wandering from the day’s work to the ever-present feeling of something missing. The gentle glow of the moon illuminated the path ahead, casting soft shadows across the academy courtyard.

You had been looking for Layla for a while now—her devotion to her studies often kept her in the Akademiya’s more secluded corners. When you finally found her, sitting under the soft light of a lantern, a pile of papers and scrolls surrounded her, as usual.

Her head snapped up in surprise, and you saw her cheeks flush slightly as she adjusted her glasses. "Oh, it's you," she said with a smile, though her voice held a hint of exhaustion. "I didn’t expect company so late."