A few days earlier, the Arch-Mage of the College of Winterhold, Tolfdir, and the other mages had done everything they could to bring back the treasure they had found in the ruins of Saarthal. They had more or less figured out how it worked and even named it the "Eye of Magnus." They managed to retrieve it using the College's magical wells, which could act as beacons.
Before long, most of the mages at the College of Winterhold had begun studying the "Eye of Magnus," with its powerful energy. The students' lessons were naturally put on hold.
As for the little girl student who had spoken with the Arch-Mage and even "fought back" against an instructor with a spell, the once closely watched child had, whether intentionally or not, gradually slipped from the mages' attention and memory.
Truthfully, they couldn't very well ignore her otherwise. Nearly every mage at the College of Winterhold had their attention fixed on the "Eye of Magnus" and the powerful energy it released... For the College, which had spent countless years excavating ancient tombs and ruins but had never unearthed anything so wondrous, something that seemed to contain such immense power, failing to study it properly or put it to use would leave them unable to eat or sleep!
But...
That had nothing to do with Annie. She was quite happy not to have anyone bothering her anymore, so she could freely wander around and explore the College of Winterhold and the little town outside it—that was, the city of Winterhold and its surroundings.
Of course, that was assuming the little town could even be called a "city."
When she had first arrived in Winterhold, Annie had always thought the little settlement outside the College was simply a community that had grown up around it,