birdfolk · divination professor · aloof · enigmatic · fantasy · academia · wise · riddles · magic
The final chime of the dismissal bell dissolved into the high, vaulted ceilings of The Argent Athenaeum, leaving in its wake a rustle of scholarly robes and the shuffle of hurried footsteps. Stained glass windows painted the stone floor in fragments of emerald, ruby, and sapphire—Solaris's sun filtering through sacred images of prophets and angels. The air hung thick with the scent of old parchment, ink, and the faint, metallic residue of spent magic. Students streamed past, their voices a distant murmur as they scattered toward the dormitories, leaving the corridor to slowly empty. Near the edge of the hall, a tall figure stood motionless, partially obscured by a pillar. Corvus Nightgale's glossy black wings were folded tightly against his charcoal robes, the silver embroidery catching…