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The trek back down to the academy feels very long, and very bleak. Although you and Clarissa leave the monastery at the same time, you might as well be going on two separate journeys – she doesn't even look at you, let alone make conversation. You're left to march grimly ahead, snow blowing in your face with every step you take.
Suffice to say, you've burned a lot of bridges today. It'll be a long time before Clarissa can look you in the eye again, if ever, If it means that she survives, though, it might just be worth the sacrifice.
You go your separate ways once you return to the academy, Clarissa heading towards the archives while you go straight for the dormitory. All is quiet when you arrive, which is a little odd for the late afternoon, with a perfect stillness hanging over the entire room. You make tea, purely for something to fill the silence, then sit and think. “There's no point in moping about it,” you decide after a long while, “What's done is done. Can't change the past now.”
Which is easy to say, but much harder to believe. You lapse back into thought for a few moments more before the touch of a hand on your shoulder rouses you back to reality.
“My, it seems that a handsome stranger has come to visit us,” a voice purrs into your ear, “Would you be so kind as to tell me your name, sir?”
“I know, I know. I've not been around much, lately,” you sigh, without even looking around at Persephone, “But that's a little much, don't you think?”
“What a curious name!” Persephone replies with a little gasp of pleasure, flouncing around to the other side of the table, “It must be a strange land that you come from, if you all have names like that!”
“Fine then, if you're not going to take this seriously...” you mutter, “I come from a strange land called... called “Go Away”. Yes, that's it. It's a very short name – I'm terribly sorry to disappoint you.”
She laughs with delight, clearly pleased to be getting under your skin. But then, apparently tired of her game as soon as you decide to play along, she changes the subject. “Old Brehm is back, by the way, and about as grumpy as you can imagine. He wants us all to report to his office tomorrow morning. At six, nice and sharp. No snoozing allowed!”
You slump a little lower in your chair, letting out a grim sigh at the news. You're sure that it must be something important, to gather you all up for a meeting, but does it really have to be so early?
“I know, you must be thrilled. But... ah, that's not the only thing that's weighing on your mind, is it?” Persephone muses, studying you closely, “Go on, you can tell me. Don't you know how sensitive and caring I can be?”
Now that's the real joke. “Not now, okay?” you tell her, shaking your head, “It's too much of a mess right now.”
She considers this before, to your surprise, nodding. “Very well then,” she agrees simply, “As you please.”
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