The academy returned to its rhythm.
But not for everyone.
Sunlight slipped through tall windows.
The dining hall was loud as usual.
Plates clattered.
Students argued over trivial things—
"…I'm telling you, that technique was wrong—"
"…You just can't execute it properly—"
"…Say that again—"
Normal.
Completely normal.
Takemi sat with Rauk and Lira.
A tray in front of him.
Food untouched.
"…You're not eating," Rauk said, halfway through his third serving.
"…I am."
"You've been staring at it for five minutes."
"…I'm thinking."
"…About food?"
"…About everything."
Rauk shrugged.
"…Food helps with that."
Lira took a sip of water.
"…You're thinking about her."
Takemi didn't deny it.
"…Yeah."
Far from them—
Near the edge of the dining hall—
Elira sat alone.
Same as always.
A simple meal.
Minimal.
No conversation.
No distractions.
But today—
Her eyes shifted.
Just once.
Toward their table.
She looked away immediately.
"…This is pointless."
She muttered it under her breath.
More to herself than anyone else.
Days passed.
Nothing dramatic.
No missions.
No alarms.
Just—
Routine.
Training.
Classes.
Lectures about mana flow and combat theory.
But something had changed.
Elira found herself noticing things.
Without meaning to.
At the training grounds—
She saw them.
Rauk holding the front line.
Solid.
Unmoving.
Even when pushed back, he didn't break stance easily.
"…He's improving," she murmured.
Lira casting.
Precise.
Controlled.
No wasted motion.
Every spell had purpose.
"…Efficient…"
And Takemi—
She narrowed her eyes slightly.
"…Strange."
He wasn't the strongest.
Not the fastest.
Not the most skilled.
But—
He adapted.
Every mistake—
He corrected.
Every failure—
He remembered.
And that weapon—
It didn't always respond the same way.
Sometimes it flickered.
Sometimes it formed late.
Sometimes it didn't form at all.
"…Unstable…"
But—
He didn't get frustrated.
"…Why?"
One afternoon—
During a sparring session—
Takemi got knocked down.
Hard.
"Again!" the instructor shouted.
Takemi groaned.
"…Give me a second—"
"No."
"…Alright, no second then."
He stood up again.
Wiped his face.
Repositioned.
Rauk laughed from the side.
"…You're getting slower."
"…You try getting hit like that."
"…I do."
"…Yeah, and you enjoy it."
"…That's different."
Even Lira smiled slightly.
"…Barely."
Elira watched from a distance.
"…They're not afraid."
That stood out.
That night—
Elira sat alone near the chapel.
Same place.
Same silence.
"…They're not afraid…"
She repeated it softly.
"…Or they're just stupid."
But even she didn't fully believe that.
Because she had seen fear before.
Real fear.
The kind that freezes you.
The kind that makes your hands shake when someone calls your name—
Because you know you might not reach them in time.
Her grip tightened around her staff.
"…I won't do that again."
Still—
She kept watching.
Not openly.
Not closely.
Just enough to notice.
They trained together.
Argued.
Failed.
Tried again.
They didn't pretend to be perfect.
"…That's why…"
She stopped herself.
"…No."
An Unexpected Encounter
One afternoon—
As she passed through the corridor—
"Yo."
She froze.
Just slightly.
Takemi stood there.
Leaning casually against the wall.
"…You again."
"…Yeah."
Rauk waved from behind.
"…We're not stalking you, by the way."
Lira immediately added—
"…We are absolutely not stalking you."
Elira stared at them.
"…That sounds like something people say when they're stalking someone."
"…Fair point," Takemi admitted.
"…Relax," Takemi said.
"…We're not here to recruit you."
Elira narrowed her eyes.
"…Then why are you here?"
Takemi shrugged.
"…Same path."
Rauk nodded.
"…Yeah, we go here sometimes."
Lira crossed her arms.
"…It's a public corridor."
A pause.
"…You're bad at this," Elira said.
"…At what?"
"…Pretending this isn't intentional."
Takemi laughed slightly.
"…Alright, maybe a little intentional."
But this time—
There was no pressure.
No "join us."
No argument.
Just…
Conversation.
"…You train every day?" Takemi asked.
"…Yes."
"…Alone?"
"…Yes."
Rauk tilted his head.
"…Doesn't that get boring?"
"…No."
Lira studied her.
"…Or maybe you're just used to it."
Elira didn't respond.
"…We're training later," Takemi said.
"…If you're around… you can watch."
Not an invitation.
Not a request.
Just a statement.
Elira blinked slightly.
"…Why would I do that?"
Takemi shrugged.
"…No reason."
"…Just thought you might want to."
Silence.
"…You're strange."
"…Yeah, I get that a lot."
They walked past her.
Just like that.
No pressure.
No expectations.
And for the first time—
Elira didn't feel like she was being pulled.
But somehow—
She still ended up stopping.
Turning slightly.
Looking back.
"…Watch…?"
It was a small word.
Barely spoken.
But it stayed with her.