The hall was filled with green uniforms.
The music began.
Riven stood among the performers, expression calm, movements precise.
Seraphine saw him from across the hall.
For a moment, her breath caught.
He looked different here.
Not like a student.
Not like support.
Like someone who understood the structure of the room itself.
Midway through the dance—
General Cassian Ardent suddenly collapsed.
Gasps echoed.
Riven reacted first.
He caught him before he hit the floor.
Checked his pulse.
"Blood sugar," he said calmly.
From inside his coat, he produced a small vial and made the general drink.
Within moments, Cassian stabilized.
Too smooth.
Too prepared.
An officer stepped forward.
Darius Valtor.
Arrogant. Sharp-eyed.
"Academy students playing hero in a military hall," he said mockingly.
For a brief second—
Riven's eyes changed.
Cold.
Empty.
Darius stiffened without understanding why.
Before the tension could explode, an urgent call came through command.
Emergency deployment.
Darius was summoned immediately.
Later, his colleague Lucien Marek quietly reported the incident to higher command.
The air in the brigade shifted.
Unspoken suspicion had begun.