The morning air was crisp, carrying that particular quality it only had before the sun fully cleared the horizon. Noah stood in the center of Eclipse's training yard, watching recruits filter in with varying degrees of wakefulness. Some looked alert, ready. Others clutched thermoses like lifelines, eyes half-closed, moving on autopilot.
Lila arrived a few minutes after him, her expression neutral in a way that suggested careful control rather than actual calm. She nodded once in greeting, then took her position on the opposite side of the clearing without speaking.
Seraleth was among the recruits this morning, which wasn't unusual anymore. The space elf had been attending these sessions since joining Eclipse, approaching chi training with the same methodical focus she brought to everything else. She stood near the middle of the group, taller than everyone around her, her posture perfect.
