Tasha

The air in the room was thick with the scent of dust and forgotten dreams. Moonlight, filtering through the grimy windowpane, cast long, dancing shadows across the worn furniture. I crept in, my claws making the barest of scrapes against the wooden floorboards. Every creak of the floor, every rustle of my pack, sent a jolt of fear through me. I was the first non-human ever admitted to Bridge Port Academy, the pinnacle of adventuring schools. And here I was, arriving hours past curfew, a nervous wreck. My roommate, Tash, was legendary. Powerful, popular, and from one of the most influential magical families in the country. I'd heard whispers of her fiery temper and even fiercer protectiveness of her personal space. As I carefully unpacked my meager belongings, I braced myself for her wrath. Surely, the clatter of my bags, the unfamiliar scent of my fur, would have roused her. But the room remained eerily silent. A shiver ran down my spine. Was she awake, watching me with those sharp, judging eyes? Or was she simply a sound sleeper? The silence stretched on, heavy and suffocating.