It was night, and the academy grounds were cloaked in darkness, save for the occasional flicker of a lantern. I carefully left my room, moving silently through the corridors to avoid detection. My mission was to get out of the academy and into the void for some training with Smokeball.
As I approached the gate, my heart sank. There, sitting on a chair right beside the gate, was Headmaster Stormborne. His presence was imposing even in the dim light, and it was clear he was waiting for something—or someone.
He looked up as I approached, his sharp eyes narrowing with a hint of disdain. "Boy," he greeted, his voice dripping with bitterness. "Out for a midnight stroll, are we?"
I hesitated, trying to come up with a plausible excuse. "I... I couldn't sleep, so I thought a walk might help clear my head."
Stormborne raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "A walk? At this hour? And you thought you'd leave the academy grounds to do it? How convenient."