civilized-barbarian

Ariel walked through the arched doors of the Interstellar Academy for the first time, squinting to keep from staring in wide-eyed wonder. She looked down at her knee- high boots, concentrating on walking in the inch heels through the spacious cobblestone foyer. Twin staircases bowed away from each other, framing floor-to-ceiling stained glass windows depicting space ships on the far wall. Natural light streamed in through circular windows in the high ceilings, and the room was designed so it always sounded busy. Today, though, it actually was. Students in white and blue uniforms bustled about, the new students gathered in clumps to figure out