Things had returned to normal for most of the mainland.
Ruby had resumed managing the Tower and the clan. With her father growing older, she had chosen to shoulder more of the clan's responsibilities, allowing him to spend his remaining years surrounded by family, warmth, and the leisurely life he had long earned.
Annabelle, meanwhile, spent most of her time moving between the academy, the Wastelands, and Umbral's headquarters. Her concerns about an Acolyte assault on the academy had, for the time being, faded.
It seemed the Acolytes had either postponed their plans or abandoned them altogether. They remained scattered, while the cult's leaders had vanished beneath the surface for reasons known only to themselves. Annabelle, however, refused to lower her guard. She remained vigilant, unwilling to let anything threaten the people or the place her darling cherished so deeply.
