Classes had officially begun at Mythos Academy, though the atmosphere felt markedly different from previous semesters. The administration had clearly learned from the disasters of recent years—particularly the Exchange Program that had cost several student lives—and the missions assigned to us now were considerably more conservative. Gone were the high-risk expeditions and politically charged assignments that had defined our earlier academy experience.
'Not that I'm complaining,' I thought as I made my way through the academy's corridors. After everything that had happened during winter break—creating Valeria, the confrontation with the Savage Communion, receiving forbidden spells from Meilyn—I was looking forward to a semester focused more on personal growth and enjoying life rather than constantly worrying about the next life-threatening crisis.
