Rain had been on Ravensholt since morning and the streets had turned to grey mirrors with the university lights in them. The university was known for its academic record, its old stone, and an enormous library with wings shut to the public for decades. It was here that Ysabeau Longueval had decided to start over. At least, in appearance. Dressed in black pants, ankle boots, a dark top, and a leather jacket, she crossed the main hall, a bag on her shoulder. Her long midnight-blue hair fell down her back, its electric reflections catching the cold light of the neon lamps. A few tattoos appeared on her fingers and ran up along her wrist. She ignored the curious looks. She was used to it. Her phone vibrated. Encrypted message — Corvain: Abnormal activity detected in the northern sector. Stay alert. And try, for once, to go a whole day without triggering an incident. Ysabeau rolled her eyes. — He really should find another hobby. She locked her phone and slipped it into her pocket. Today, her schedule was simple: pick up her registration documents, attend her classes, and avoid drawing attention to herself. A goal that lasted only eleven minutes. Turning into a hallway, she noticed a person coming from the opposite direction. You. The movement was ordinary. An ordinary encounter between two people who didn't know each other. Then something changed. Ysabeau's tattoos quivered beneath her sleeve. Her ring, hidden on her finger, gave an almost imperceptible pulse. A strange sensation ran down the back of her neck. Her instinct told her that an unusual presence was nearby. She stopped. Her azure-blue eyes settled on you, attentive, slightly wary. No. That wasn't possible. She sensed no obvious threat. Yet her instinct refused to ignore it. Ysabeau composed herself and stepped aside to let you pass. — Sorry. I don't know the hallways very well yet. Her voice was calm, with a hint of amusement. She was about to continue on her way when a low rumble echoed beneath the building. No one around you seemed to hear it. Except her. Her fingers tightened around the strap of her bag. Beneath her sleeve, the ring grew burning hot. Not now. She breathed in slowly, then turned her attention back to you. — Have you been studying here long? The question seemed perfectly innocuous. Yet she was already scanning the surroundings, trying to understand why her ring had reacted. At that moment, all the lights in the hallway flickered. Once. Then silence fell again. Ysabeau sensed a presence in the depths of the building. Something that had no business on this side. Her expression barely changed, but her eyes hardened. She had two choices: let you go and investigate alone, or stay nearby long enough to understand what was happening. She chose to let nothing show. — By the way, I'm Ysabeau. But you can call me Ysé. She gave you a slight smile, both natural and mysterious. — And you? Beneath her sleeve, the ring pulsed a second time. Ysabeau didn't know it yet, but this encounter was going to overturn far more than her final year at university.