Hanna had a dream.

A dream of repaying even a little of the favor she had received.

Hanna wanted to repay the favor of untangling the tangled thread that she alone could never have unraveled. She was so grateful for the helping hand that had been extended to her, plain and unremarkable as she was, without any expectation of reward.

What could she give?

How could she repay him?

Hanna thought long and hard, but she couldn’t find an answer. There was nothing she could give, having left her family.

“The academy building won’t do, will it?”

“I’m sorry.”

“No. …