"I… should get some rest."
The night had grown quieter.
Most of the students had already retreated to their dorms, the courtyards bathed in the silvery wash of mana lanterns. The soft hum of the wards filled the silence—the kind of stillness that made every footstep sound louder than it should.
Elara and Cedric walked side by side, neither of them speaking. The earlier conversation still hung between them—thick, unsaid things that neither could quite smooth over. Cedric's stride was steady, controlled as ever, while hers was slower, more deliberate.
The dormitories came into view at the far end of the courtyard, their windows glowing faintly like rows of quiet stars.
Then she saw him.
Lucavion.
