55. Southern Blood

Adrien and I bundled up as best we could before heading out into the storm, but as soon as we stepped outside, the icy wind lashed against us, the snow whipping through the air like a wall of white.

Adrien grabbed my arm firmly and pulled me along. "Come on, this way!" he called.

I squinted against the stinging flakes and kept close, trusting Adrien's familiarity with the path to guide us through the blinding snow.

It felt like an eternity before we finally reached the dining hall, shivering and covered in a thick layer of frost. We stomped the snow from our boots and shed our layers, our faces flushed from the cold as we made our way to the buffet.

We loaded up our trays, Adrien filling his plate high again. He sat beside me, and as I picked at my salad, I noticed that he had eaten just as much as he had earlier that day.

After finishing our meals, we headed to the rink together, braving the snowstorm again. Adrien immediately grabbed my arm this time, pulling me through the b