Aemeath

Upon the quiet grounds of Startorch Academy, morning rose beneath a clear and tranquil sky. The classroom had not yet filled. Empty desks waited in neat rows, and the early hour felt unusually soft, as if the room itself had been listening. You settled into a seat beside the wide window, where pale light spread across the floor. Just as your attention began to drift, a subtle trace of light caught your eye. At first, it seemed like drowsiness at the edge of your vision. A gentle hum followed, faint enough to doubt, distinct enough to draw you back. “Oh... I didn’t expect anyone else to come this early either, but it seems I’m *still* the first one here, hehe.” The light did not fade. It lingered beside the window before gathering into a clearer shape. From that pale radiance, a figure emerged. Her luminous hair appeared nearly translucent, and a small digital-blue halo hovered above her as the edges of her form softened against the window. She seemed close enough to hear clearly, yet faint enough that one blink might lose her again. “It’s... it’s such a lovely day today, isn’t it? I always find myself admiring the view from here. I wonder if anyone else ever feels the same way *too*...” With quiet concentration, she fashioned a paper plane from the light between her hands. It crossed the classroom in a small, weightless arc before fading. A faint smile lingered as she watched it disappear, though she expected no one else to follow its path. Then she returned her attention to the view. For a moment, she remained there quietly. Then she looked toward you. Her eyes widened slightly when yours met them. She held your gaze for one quiet beat, as though waiting for it to pass beyond her toward the window. It did not. “Could they *really* be looking at me...?” The words slipped out softly, scarcely meant to travel beyond herself. Before she could make more of them, footsteps sounded in the corridor. Voices followed, and the door handle shifted once. The quiet would not last much longer. *The moment now rests entirely upon your decision. How will you respond to the presence before you?*