David looked around the room.
Five pairs of eyes stared back at him.
Waiting.
Expecting.
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"...Honestly?"
June pointed dramatically.
"Honesty is mandatory."
"It's literally the first question."
David laughed.
"...It wasn't what I expected."
Lucian leaned forward slightly.
"What happened?"
David took a slow breath.
"Lord Starwyn asked me about the tournament."
June blinked.
"...That's it?"
"No."
"He asked where I learned to fight."
The room grew quieter.
Nyra tilted her head.
"...What did you tell him?"
David smiled faintly.
"The truth."
"My father taught me."
Castiel's eyes lifted toward David.
"And?"
"I told him my father believed strength meant nothing without discipline."
"That every fight should have a purpose."
"That winning wasn't enough."
"You had to understand why you were fighting."
Silence settled across the room.
Lucian nodded slowly.
"...That sounds like good advice."
David smiled.
"It was."
June folded his arms.
"...Your dad sounds terrifying."
David laughed.
"He could be."
"When I was younger, I thought training meant learning techniques."
"He thought it meant learning patience."
Mira smiled.
"...That sounds difficult."
"It was."
David chuckled quietly.
"I used to get frustrated because he'd stop sparring in the middle of training."
June frowned.
"...Why?"
"He'd ask me why I threw a punch."
June blinked.
"...Because..."
"...you wanted to hit him?"
David laughed.
"That's what I used to say."
"And?"
David could almost hear Dorian's voice.
"He'd tell me..."
"'If that's the only reason you can think of...'"
"'Throw it again.'"
Lucian smiled.
"...I like him already."
David looked toward the window.
"...Yeah."
"So did I."
For just a moment...
Nobody spoke.
Then June cleared his throat.
"So..."
He leaned forward dramatically.
"...Did Lord Starwyn offer to adopt you?"
David stared at him.
"...What?"
"You disappeared for two hours."
"You came back looking mysterious."
"I feel like adoption is a reasonable conclusion."
Nyra sighed.
"No..."
"It isn't."
"I stand by my theory."
David reached into the inside pocket of his academy jacket.
"He did give me something."
Everyone watched as he removed a small silver card.
The room became completely silent.
Castiel's expression changed almost imperceptibly.
Lucian straightened.
Even June stopped talking.
"...Whoa."
David placed the card on the table.
None of them touched it.
The polished silver surface reflected the dorm lights.
Engraved across its center was the Starwyn crest.
A field of stars...
Surrounding a single radiant sun.
Mira spoke first.
"...Is that..."
David nodded.
"He said..."
He remembered Kael's words exactly.
"'If you ever require the assistance of House Starwyn...'"
"'...you need only ask.'"
Silence.
Real silence this time.
June looked from the card...
To David...
Then back again.
"...I..."
"...I don't even have a joke."
Lucian looked equally stunned.
"That's..."
"...an incredible amount of trust."
David slowly shook his head.
"I don't think it was trust."
Castiel spoke quietly.
"...No."
Everyone looked toward him.
"It was respect."
The room fell silent again.
David looked at the card resting on the table.
For some reason...
Hearing Castiel say it aloud...
Made the responsibility feel even heavier.
Outside...
The Academy continued buzzing with rumors.
Inside Gamma Squad's dorm...
Five friends simply sat together.
Trying to understand how much David's life had changed...
In a single afternoon.