Aina clapped her hands lightly, drawing everyone's attention back to the room.
"Shall we start looking at your AMI marks now?"
Nova pushed himself up from the bed with visible effort, one hand braced against the mattress as his balance wavered for a moment. He straightened anyway, rolling his shoulders as if forcing his body to cooperate.
"Let's go," he said. "Who's going first?"
Before anyone else could respond, Zazm silently raised his arm and pulled his sleeve back.
The room's attention snapped to him.
The familiar old mark was there—etched cleanly into his skin—but faint, newly formed lines branched above it, thin and precise like microscopic circuitry.
"Isn't this your old mark?" Jennie asked, leaning forward slightly.
"No," Aina said as she stepped closer. She pointed with two fingers.
"These small lines above it are new."
Zazm nodded once in confirmation.
Aina straightened, hands folding behind her back.
"Looks like it took a very small shape for you, since your body already had one."
She turned her head toward Nova.
"Your mark would probably be extremely small as well."
Nova frowned and checked both of his forearms, rotating them slowly under the light.
"…There's nothing."
He frowned harder, then reached up and unbuttoned his shirt halfway.
Just below his neck, resting above his collarbone, three intertwined rings were etched into his skin—perfectly symmetrical, faintly glowing.
"Oh," Kiyomasa said, blinking. "There are three rings."
"Just three rings?" Nova muttered.
"Yeah," Minos added. "Just three rings, with their ends matching."
Nova stared at them in the reflection of a nearby panel. "Why is this so simple?"
"The design is completely random," Aina said calmly. "And usually simple. Not that big."
She tugged her own coat open from the neck down, revealing her AMI mark beneath—a half-flower design, intricate and elegant, spanning nearly the size of her hand.
"See?"
She closed her coat again. "Since you and Zazm already had marks, it was a given this one would be small. Don't worry—it won't affect the weapon or its abilities."
Nova looked at her. "How would we know the abilities?"
"Just pull out the weapon," Aina replied. "You'll just know."
She turned slightly. "Go ahead, Zazm."
All eyes shifted to him.
Zazm didn't hesitate. There was no reason to.
He raised his hand slowly.
His eyes closed.
The air around his palm distorted—space itself bending inward, folding like invisible fabric being pinched together.
When he opened his eyes, a hilt rested in his hand.
It was black, matte, and cold-looking, with a strange gray ring wrapped around it like a serpent coiled around prey.
"What the hell," Nova said. "Why is the blade broken?"
Zazm lifted the hilt.
There was no visible blade—only a few inches of transparent, grayish edge extending from the guard.
"What is this?" Ai asked quietly.
Aina tilted her head, studying it.
"The blade is there," Zazm said. "Just not visible."
"So an invisible blade?" Kiyomasa asked.
Zazm raised his other hand. A water bottle across the room vanished and reappeared in his grip.
He tossed it upward.
Without moving from his spot, he swung the sword once.
The bottle split cleanly in half midair.
"…So the blade is invisible," Nova said slowly.
Zazm shook his head. "The blade exists in a different plane."
"What do you mean?" Aina asked.
"It exists in a different space," Zazm replied.
"Therefore, its attacks can't be evaded in this world."
Silence followed.
Minos' eyes widened. "That's amazing. Then there's no way this blade can be countered."
Aina stepped closer, examining the hilt with renewed interest. "It's a unique weapon. And extremely strong."
"Are there downsides?" Nova asked. "Like… cons?"
Zazm nodded. "It's not strong on its own. If someone attacks it on the plane it exists in, it will break."
Nova crossed his arms. "So if I identify where it exists and attack it there, it's gone."
Zazm nodded again.
"It's still an incredibly strong weapon," Ai said.
"What happens if an AMI weapon breaks?" Jennie asked.
Minos answered immediately. "You put the mark back. After a while, it returns."
"Really?" Jennie asked.
Minos nodded. "The nanobots contain the weapon's data. They use surrounding matter to form it. They can't be fully destroyed—copies remain. If the weapon breaks, the remaining nanobots multiply, reform the mark, and restore the weapon."
He stopped.
Everyone was staring at him.
"…What?" Minos asked.
"You know a lot," Miwa said, impressed.
"So you weren't totally wasting your time," Ai added.
Jennie clapped lightly. "Looks like your hard work is paying off."
Nova nodded in acknowledgment.
Kiyomasa gave a thumbs up.
Minos rubbed the back of his neck, overwhelmed. "Y-yeah."
Nova stepped forward. "Shall we see what weapon I get?"
Everyone's gazes were locked onto him with curiousity.
However....Nothing happened.
Nova let out a soft chuckle, the sound rough yet light, and turned his head toward Aina.
"So… uh," he scratched the side of his neck awkwardly, "what do I do now?"
For a second, Aina simply stared at him, her silver eyes blinking once—twice. Then, as if something finally clicked, she burst into laughter. Clear, bright, unrestrained.
The room followed.
Jennie covered her mouth as she giggled, Kiyomasa laughed openly, Miwa snorted before turning her face away, even Ai allowed the faintest curve to touch her lips.
Everyone laughed.
Everyone except Zazm.
He stood slightly apart from the group, posture straight despite his weakened state, expression unmoving—cold, unreadable, as though the scene unfolding before him belonged to another world entirely.
Nova looked around, mildly offended but mostly amused.
"Heh—don't laugh," he said, raising both hands defensively. "It's not like any of you knew either."
Aina wiped the corner of her eye, still smiling as she regained her composure. She took a small step forward, her tone turning instructive yet gentle.
"Alright, alright. Try this," she said. "Change the flow of your Vana toward your arm first. Don't force it—guide it. Then imagine the formation."
Nova inhaled slowly.
His laughter faded as his focus sharpened.
He closed his eyes for a brief moment, shoulders relaxing as the invisible current within his body shifted. The air around him seemed to grow faintly heavier, like the pressure before a storm.
And then—
Three circular rings manifested behind him.
They emerged silently, forming one by one, as if drawn into existence rather than summoned. Each ring was pure white, etched with faint golden light that pulsed gently along their circumference. They looked ethereal—half real, half conceptual—like symbols rather than objects.
One ring hovered slightly above Nova's head.
The other two floated just behind his shoulders, perfectly aligned.
The golden glow illuminated the room in soft halos.
Nova opened his eyes.
He raised his hand confidently—
Nothing happened.
He frowned.
"…Nothing's happening," he said, turning back toward Aina.
That's when he noticed it.
Everyone was staring.
Not at his hand.
But behind him.
Their expressions ranged from wide-eyed amazement to quiet disbelief.
"…Why are you all looking at me like that?" Nova asked.
He turned around.
The rings turned with him.
Perfectly.
Still hovering behind his head.
He blinked.
"There's nothing behind me."
He spun fully around—one complete circle.
The rings followed, maintaining their formation as if anchored to his very existence.
Nova stopped.
Slowly, he tilted his head upward.
The rings rose with his gaze.
"…What."
Jennie stepped closer, biting back a smile. She pulled a small mirror from somewhere—no one noticed from where—and held it up in front of him.
"Here."
Nova leaned in.
And froze.
His eyes widened as the reflection showed the three radiant rings floating behind him, glowing softly like divine sigils.
"Oh wow," he muttered.
Then he grinned.
"Damn. They look awesome."
He turned again, this time intentionally.
The rings glided smoothly, drifting from behind his head to float in front of him, rotating slowly in midair.
Ai crossed her arms, watching closely.
"So," she said calmly, "are they useful for anything besides juggling?"
Nova laughed.
"Actually," he said, eyes gleaming, "they're very useful. Allow me to explain."
He pointed at the group.
"You all know how I can use four powers at once, right?"
Everyone nodded.
Except Aina.
She hesitated, brows knitting slightly.
Nova noticed.
"Is there something you want to say, Miss Aina?"
She shook her head lightly.
"Well… actually," she admitted, "I never really understood your power. Don't you have the ability to use all powers? Doesn't that mean you can just… create powers? Or do whatever you want?"
Nova chuckled softly.
"That's how it looks on the surface," he said. "But the core principle is different."
He raised two fingers.
"There are two things you need to understand."
He lowered the first finger.
"One—yes. It's true. I can use all powers except those belonging to other Catalysts. For some reason." He shrugged. "That also means I can create new powers, combine existing ones, or mix them into something entirely different."
He lowered the second finger.
"Two—just because I can do it doesn't mean I can use it instantly."
He gestured toward his head.
"To use a power, I need to understand its mechanism. Its purpose. I can't just say 'power of flying' and expect it to work."
He waved his hand.
"No. I need a mental image. How it works. How it counters gravity. How it applies force. The logic behind it."
"Oh," Aina murmured, eyes widening. "I see."
Nova nodded.
"Along with that," he continued, "all powers fall into four classes."
"Low. Medium. High. Highest."
Kiyomasa tilted his head.
"Did you just… name them yourself?"
"Yes," Nova replied immediately. "And there's no problem with that I'm bad at names so I'm keeping it simple."
Miwa leaned forward on her bed, interest clearly piqued.
"Every power has a cooldown," Nova went on. "Low-grade powers are things like—"
He picked up a glass from the nearby table.
It lifted smoothly into the air above his palm.
"—this."
The glass settled back down.
He raised his hand again. His fingers reshaped themselves, elongating into sharp metallic claws before reverting instantly.
"These are extremely simple powers. Their cooldown is practically nonexistent. A second. Maybe even less."
Miwa narrowed her eyes.
"But didn't you say cooldowns decrease the stronger you get?"
Jennie nodded beside her.
"Yeah. I don't think we really understood your power either."
Nova smiled wryly.
"That's fair. I barely understood it myself until now."
He continued.
"Medium-grade powers include things like flying, teleporting through shadows—"
A dark ripple passed beneath his feet for a brief moment.
"—turning parts of my body into something else."
Both his arms briefly twisted into black, writhing tentacles before snapping back to normal.
"These have cooldowns of a few seconds."
He paused.
"High-grade powers are the ones I use most."
The room grew quiet.
"Invisible slashes. Extreme speed. Strength. Healing. Gravity control. Partial energy manipulation."
His tone turned serious.
"These have cooldowns ranging from hours… to days."
Aina swallowed.
"And highest?" she asked.
Nova met her gaze.
"Reality manipulation. Concept manipulation. Fate weaving. Immortality."
Her eyes widened.
"That's… incredible. What's the cooldown on those?"
Nova exhaled slowly.
"Months," he said. "Sometimes several years. No in-between."
Jennie frowned.
"So once a power is on cooldown… you can't use it at all?"
Minos groaned from his seat.
"Yeah. Explain this cooldown thing properly."
Nova rubbed the back of his neck.
"Right. So—it's not a literal cooldown. It's not like a timer."
He looked around at everyone.
"It's my body."
"My body can't withstand the force of those powers. If I try to use them again before I'm ready it'll take heavy toll or I would run out of Vana or I'll simply die."
The room fell silent.
"Remember when I used concept and reality manipulation in our original universe?" Nova asked.
Everyone nodded.
"It's the same principle. Those powers can kill me if I'm careless."
He shrugged lightly.
"That's why the cooldown exists. As I get stronger, my body can handle more. That's all it means."
He looked at them.
"…Do you understand now? It's not a literal cooldown just a phrase, I didn't understand my powers because I didn't knew about vana and all the stuff. Thanks to Sir Neo, I had a clear view on it now."
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then—slow, collective nods.
The explanation settled over the room like weight.
Zazm remained silent.
Watching quietly from the side.
Nova stretched his shoulders slightly, rolling his neck once as if loosening invisible tension before continuing.
"Another thing," he said, lifting his gaze to the group. "You guys know I can use four powers at once, right?"
Everyone nodded almost instinctively.
"But," Nova added, raising a finger, "that's not entirely true."
The room quieted.
"If it's highest-grade powers," he continued, "I can only use one at a time."
Jennie's brows knit together slightly. Kiyomasa leaned forward. Miwa tilted her head.
"And once I activate a highest-grade power," Nova went on, "using another high-grade power immediately forces the highest one into cooldown."
He gestured loosely with his hand.
"However," he added, "I can still use some mid-grade powers without shutting it down."
He paused, then glanced back at the three glowing rings floating calmly behind him.
"And that's where these come in."
He pointed over his shoulder.
"See the center ring?" he asked. "The one that's slightly bigger than the others?"
The ring pulsed faintly, as if acknowledging his words.
"It can store one power inside it."
Ai's eyes sharpened immediately.
"So," she said, "you can store a highest-grade power in it… and still use high-grade powers yourself?"
Nova snapped his fingers.
"Exactly."
The sound echoed crisply.
"The downside," he added, expression turning serious, "is that the power used by the ring consumes twice the Vana it normally would."
He exhaled lightly.
"And highest-grade powers already cost a ridiculous amount."
Kiyomasa crossed his arms.
"Can't you just swap the power in the ring whenever you need?"
Nova shook his head.
"No. Transferring a power into the ring takes time. A lot of it."
He tapped the ring with his finger midair.
"The ring has to absorb all the information, logic, and structure of the power. Changing it midway would just waste time."
Aina nodded thoughtfully.
"That makes sense," she said. "Think carefully, then. You're going to Earth, and you have about a month. Hopefully the transfer completes in that time."
Nova nodded in response.
Miwa pointed toward the other two rings.
"Then what do those two do?"
Nova's lips curved into a smirk.
"Ah. These."
He lifted both hands.
"They combine two powers to create a new, mixed power—and enhance its total output."
The two rings shot forward smoothly, sliding down his arms and locking around his wrists. They shrank slightly, hovering just above his skin, loose but perfectly aligned.
"But," Nova continued, "you might ask—can't I just combine powers myself?"
He shook his head.
"No."
"I'd have to guess how the new power behaves. It's like mixing colors without knowing whether blue and pink will make purple."
He flexed his fingers.
"These rings remove that uncertainty."
He turned his gaze toward the ground.
"Shadow," he said calmly. "Come up."
His shadow detached from the floor and rose upright in front of everyone, humanoid in shape, silent and obedient.
"This," Nova said, "is a mid-grade power. It does whatever I command."
He paused, thinking.
"…Now what if I combine it with—"
The ring on his wrist began spinning rapidly.
The shadow suddenly glowed.
The light intensified instantly—so bright that everyone reflexively shut their eyes.
When the glow faded—
The shadow stood there.
Glowing like a light bulb.
Nova burst out laughing.
"Check this."
He pressed the shadow's head lightly.
The light grew brighter.
He pressed again.
Even brighter.
The room erupted into laughter.
"That's amazing!" someone exclaimed.
Nova waved his hand, and the shadow dissolved back into the floor. The rings slid off his arms and floated back behind his head.
"So," he said casually, "who's next?"
Minos stood up.
"I'll go."
As Minos stepped forward, Nova walked back and sat on his bed, stretching his legs out.
Minos pulled his collar aside, revealing the mark on his neck.
It was complex—pure black. A hand holding something impossibly intricate, layered with symbols too dense to decipher at a glance.
"This is my mark," Minos said.
His hands were suddenly enveloped in futuristic gloves—sleek, angular, matte-black with faint blue lines running along the fingers and joints. Small mechanical seams shifted subtly as he moved.
"They'll be extremely useful in my work."
Miwa crossed her arms.
"Elaborate."
Minos removed the bracelet from his wrist.
"This contains microscopic components. Normally, it can't be opened without specialized machinery."
He held his hands apart.
The bracelet floated between them and unfolded midair, splitting open to reveal dozens of tiny moving parts.
"With these gloves," he said calmly.
He closed his hands.
The bracelet snapped back together—perfectly intact.
Aina nodded, clearly impressed.
"That's incredible. You can open massive machinery or handle delicate repairs effortlessly."
Minos nodded.
"And my mark also grants abilities like visualizing massive blueprints, analyzing systems, and performing multiple calculations at once."
Miwa smiled slightly.
"That'll be useful for our engineer."
Nova nodded.
"Definitely."
Miwa hopped down.
"My turn."
She rolled up her sleeve, revealing a mark shaped like a centipede, its head near her hand, coiling halfway up her forearm. Black and red lines intertwined intricately.
Minos frowned.
"That looks dangerous."
Aina gasped softly.
"It's… a colored mark."
Miwa blinked.
"What does that mean?"
"A colored mark," Aina explained, "is rarer. Harder to control. It's usually a sign of nobility."
"Nobility?" Nova echoed.
"Yes," Aina said. "Only those with royal or noble blood awaken them. Like my flower has white petals and my sisters mark has pink color in it."
Ai frowned.
"But Miwa isn't—"
"Yeah," Miwa interrupted. "I'm not."
Aina thought for a moment.
"It could be a unique phenomenon. You aren't from this universe, after all."
Miwa shrugged.
"That works for me."
She closed her eyes.
Black and golden particles began forming around her feet.
They crawled upward—legs, waist, chest, arms—coating her completely.
Jennie stepped forward.
"Miwa—are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Miwa replied. "These particles can form weapons, shields, or armor."
Her arm dissolved into particles, reforming as a circular shield.
The rest formed a centipede-like structure around her.
She turned toward Zazm. "Attack this."
Zazm looked up at her. "With your sword."
Aina shouted—
"WAIT DON'T—"
However she was Too late.
The invisible blade collided with the shield.
The impact echoed through the room and everyone stared in shock.
"…Impossible," Aina whispered.
"No attacks can pierce these particles," Miwa said calmly. "They also neutralize any attack containing Vana."
Kiyomasa launched a fireball.
The centipede pierced it instantly and the fireball vanished entirely.
"Insane," Kiyomasa muttered.
"That's really cool," Jennie said softly.
Aina chuckled, rubbing her forehead.
"The more I see your weapons, the more speechless I become."
Miwa nodded. "There is a downside. It consumes Vana to use unlike your weapons and requires intense focus."
"That makes sense," Nova said. "They feel connected to you."
"They are."
The particles vanished and her mark reappeared.
Miwa stepped closer to Zazm, her boots making a faint sound against the floor as she stopped in front of him. She tilted her head slightly, eyes fixed on the hilt in his hand.
"Can I hold this sword?" she asked.
Zazm didn't reply verbally. He simply opened his palm.
Miwa reached out. The moment her fingers wrapped around the hilt—
The weapon vanished.
"Huh?" Miwa blurted out, staring at her now-empty hand. She turned it over once, then again, as if expecting the sword to reappear.
Aina let out a small sigh and stepped forward. "You can't use someone else's AMI weapon unless they permit it," she explained calmly. "And even then, you can't use its full power unless you're close to the wielder's level."
Zazm looked at Aina. "How do I give permission?"
Aina reached out and lightly poked his forehead with her finger. "Just think."
Zazm nodded once. The hilt reformed in his hand without sound. He extended it toward Miwa again.
This time, when Miwa grabbed it, the sword didn't disappear.
Instead, her arm immediately dipped.
"Whoa—!"
The weight dragged her forward. She tried to lift it properly, her knees buckling as the unseen blade pulled her off balance. Before she could fall, Minos lunged forward and caught her from behind, one arm around her shoulders.
Miwa gasped, instinctively releasing the sword.
The hilt vanished mid-drop and reappeared in Zazm's hand as he stepped back half a pace. Miwa stumbled into Minos' chest, frozen for a split second. She looked up at him, eyes wide.
Her face flushed pink.
"S-sorry…" she muttered, quickly stepping away.
Minos scratched his cheek awkwardly, his ears just as red. "I-it's f-fine…"
Around them, Nova and Kiyomasa exchanged looks before identical smirks spread across their faces. Jennie clasped her hands together with a gentle smile, while Aina watched the scene warmly, amusement flickering in her eyes.
Nova cleared his throat exaggeratedly. "Alright," he said, turning back toward the group. "Who's next?"
Jennie straightened, smoothing her clothes nervously before stepping forward. "Then… I'll go next."
She raised her hand, revealing her mark clearly now—a heart pierced clean through. As she moved to the center of the room, a needle the length of a finger materialized between her fingers, accompanied by a slim scalpel resting lightly in her other hand.
Aina tilted her head, studying them. "Hmm. This looks rather… unique."
Jennie swallowed and nodded. "U-uh, this needle," she said, lifting it slightly, "can cause hallucinations. Severe ones. Even a small scratch is enough."
"Ohh," Nova murmured, nodding slowly.
Jennie continued, her voice growing steadier. "It can completely destroy a target's mind—fake memories, fake emotions, everything. However, I can pull them out again. Only I can."
Minos let out a low chuckle. "That looks rather dangerous."
Miwa nodded in agreement. "A dangerous weapon for a nice and kind girl like Jennie."
Jennie laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her neck. "I-it's nothing. Something I can control."
Nova crossed his arms. "That's a dangerously good ability."
Jennie nodded and lifted the needle again. "It can also be divided into hundreds of smaller needles. They can be imbued with healing Vana and used to treat multiple people at once—closing wounds, sewing injuries, things like that."
Aina's lips curved into a satisfied smirk. "That's incredibly helpful. You don't even realize how many lives you'll save with this."
Ai raised her hand slightly. "What does the scalpel do?"
"Oh—!" Jennie exclaimed, lifting it quickly. "Uhh… it's hard to explain."
Nova tilted his head. "Why?"
Jennie twisted a strand of her hair around her finger, clearly flustered. "Well… I'd need someone injured. Like an amputated finger or limb. That would make it easier to understand."
Before anyone could respond—
Zazm stepped forward.
Without hesitation, he raised his hand and severed his pinky finger.
It hit the floor with a dull sound.
Blood splattered.
The room froze.
Jennie screamed. "Are you insane?!" She rushed forward immediately, grabbing his hand as blood poured down his wrist.
Ai pointed at him, incredulous. "Hey, Nova. Did this guy fall on his head or something as a child?"
Nova nodded solemnly. "Yes. A rather unfortunate accident. Ever since then, he hasn't been sane."
Aina pinched the bridge of her nose. "Of course you would do something like that," she sighed, then turned to Jennie. "Let's just use this to demonstrate the scalpel."
Jennie swallowed hard and nodded. She waved her hand, and an illusion of Zazm formed beside them—perfectly identical.
"This is an illusion," Jennie explained quickly. She pushed her hand through its chest, her fingers passing through as if through air. "See?"
The illusion raised its hand.
Jennie severed the illusion's finger with the scalpel, then carefully aligned Zazm's real finger with his real hand. A soft, light green glow spread from her palms as she worked.
The finger reattached seamlessly.
Aina's eyes widened. She clapped softly. "This is just amazing."
Zazm closed his hand slowly. "Feels real."
"It is," Jennie replied. "The illusion had everything—just like you."
Aina placed a hand on Jennie's shoulder. "Jennie, you truly don't understand how important this power is. You're going to be invaluable."
Ai stood up. "Looks like I'm the only one left."
She rolled up her sleeve. Her mark spread across her entire forearm—a figure being possessed by countless souls.
Kiyomasa shuddered. "That's… creepy."
Nova leaned forward. "So what does it do?"
Ai spoke calmly. "It allows me to use any other AMI weapon."
"…Huh?" Aina tilted her head.
Ai nodded. "I can use any other AMI weapon. The strength varies. If I'm equal to the wielder, I can use about 80% of its power. If I'm stronger, then I can use full power and If I'm way stronger than wielder I can make the weapon more stronger. However, If I'm weaker, then I can use very less of it's original powers."
A shadow formed beneath her feet, expanding outward.
A scalpel and needle—identical to Jennie's—rose from the darkness into her hands.
Everyone's eyes widened.
Nova chuckled. "That's amazing."
Ai let them vanish. "Let me see if I can form Zazm's sword."
The shadows darkened. A hilt identical to Zazm's formed in her grip. She swung it once.
"…Not even close," she muttered. "The blade is invisible, but it's extremely weak compared to his."
Kiyomasa nodded. "Figures. Still impressive."
Ai paused. "I want to try one more thing."
The shadows flared violently—then shattered.
Minos' eyes widened. "The shadow broke?!"
Nova looked at Ai. "Whose weapon were you trying to pull?"
Ai sighed and collapsed onto the bed. "The sword of the False King."
Nova raised an eyebrow. "That black one?"
Ai nodded.
Zazm stepped forward. "That sword isn't something to handle carelessly."
"Why?" Jennie asked.
"When I fought him," Zazm said evenly, "that sword cut through space-time itself. I'm certain it also has an unavoidable attack."
Aina inhaled sharply. "Like an attack that is Impossible to evade?"
Zazm nodded. "I barely survived myself and nothing worked against him."
He looked at Ai.
"I think…It might be the only way to kill him."
Ai chuckled. "You want me to pull that out?" She shook her head. "I can't even make a plastic replica."
Miwa stepped forward. "Don't worry. If it's you, you'll get it."
Kiyomasa nodded firmly. "Yeah. We trust you."
Ai smiled softly. "You guys…"
She stood. "Then I'll just have to become stronger."
Jennie smiled back. "That's the spirit."
Aina clapped her hands once. "Alright then," she said. "Let's start preparing for your departure."
The room settled into a quiet, determined calm.
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