Chapter 55: The Prodigious Nim, Part Twenty-Four

Melisa crept through the darkened halls of the academy, her footsteps echoing softly in the empty corridors.

The Alchemist's Tower loomed ahead, its windows dark and lifeless at this late hour.

At this hour, all the other Prestige Class students had long since departed, leaving the tower silent and seemingly abandoned.

But Melisa knew better. 

She smiled to herself. With everyone else either asleep or out in the city, partying or whatever, she and Isabella practically had the tower to themselves. 

[Ah, holy shit. I've never really done anything like this. It feels like I'm walking into a bank to steal something. But, yeah, the situation couldn't be farther from that.] 

She slipped inside, her footsteps echoing softly in the empty hallways.

As she rounded the corner to their usual meeting spot, a blur of motion caught her off guard.

Suddenly, she found herself pinned against the cool stone wall, her breath stolen from her lungs.