Moments later,

Author

It took less than ten minutes for Chloe to compose herself and make her way through the crowd.

She smoothed her expression back into her signature sweet, approachable smile - warm, friendly, just a little vulnerable, the one that had won her the trust of almost everyone at the academy. She adjusted her cream-and-gold gown so the silk fell perfectly over her shoulders, fixed the tiny silver rose pins in her hair, and pulled on thin white silk gloves embroidered with silver thread - carefully chosen to look delicate and feminine, while hiding the faint blue glow of her system interface flickering against her skin.

She waited...