Chapter 17 - 16 The Professors’ Council Meeting
After overcoming doubts and cynical stares, Sylphia finally stepped into the Reception Hall. She registered her name calmly, using the identity "Verin." There was no hesitation in her voice, and although the staff gave her a second glance, they still handed her a small key engraved with a silver sun—a sign that she would be placed in the elite dormitory reserved for nobles brought in through recommendation letters.
That dormitory was located in the eastern wing of the academy. An elegant building of white stone with tall pillars and wide glass windows. The corridors were quiet, accompanied only by the sound of boots and the whispers of the wind.
Night fell.
The room she occupied was moderately sized but cozy. Its walls were coated in soft green marble, and its window opened directly to the Star Garden. The bed was wide, dressed in pristine white sheets. A sturdy oak study table stood on the right, with a full-body mirror and wardrobe beside it, and a plush chair placed just before the window overlooking the starlit sky.
Sylphia sat on that chair, silent for a moment, staring at her reflection in the window. With a gentle motion, she removed the Disguise Mask—the illusionary tool that hid her true identity.
The transformation was slow, but inevitable.
Her pale blonde hair faded into silver-white, like the first snowfall. Her ears shrank, no longer as sharp as those of the elves. And her eyes... shifted from warm brown to icy blue, like a winter sky.
"Ah... I can finally take off this mask," she whispered with relief, stretching her arms and rolling her shoulders. "Having long ears like theirs was so uncomfortable."
A soft voice echoed behind her, carried by the night wind.
"You must be tired, love," said Reyhan, still floating.
"I am..." she replied softly, then smiled faintly. "You know, Father... to get here, I..."