Imperial Capital, Imperial Capital Academy.
In December, the campus lay blanketed in snow, a sweep of pure white.
Snowflakes swirled across the campus like countless white butterflies dancing through the air. Students in colorful down jackets and coats dotted the snow like flowers in bloom, bringing a touch of warmth to the cold world.
Heavy snow bent the branches into a scene from an ink painting. Now and then, a student walked past, footsteps crunching through the snow—a melody that belonged to winter alone.
As mages grew stronger, their bodies grew tougher too. Unless the weather was extreme, ordinary cold meant little to mages above the Intermediate Level, especially those of the Fire and Ice Elements.
As for why they still dressed according to the season, perhaps it was habit. Habits like that were hard to break.
At Imperial Capital Academy, couples occasionally strolled hand in hand through the snow, leaving trails of footprints behind them.
A young man gently held his girlfriend by the shoulders while she nestled against him. Their smiles looked especially bright in the cold wind.
But then his gaze shifted away from her. Wonder flashed in his eyes, and his cheeks reddened.
A silver-haired woman was walking along the snowy path. Her cool, breathtaking beauty was striking enough, but what truly caught his eye was how lightly she was dressed in the winter cold.
She wore a crisp white shirt that followed the curves of her figure, with a red Silk Satin bow at her chest. Over it was a waist-length white uniform jacket.
The words "Imperial Capital" were embroidered on the jacket's chest—the emblem of Imperial Capital Academy and a point of pride for its students!
Below it, a white pleated skirt reached the middle of her rounded thighs. Sheer black stockings accentuated her