The days blurred into a series after that first brutal session with Redstar.
Training, more training, three days of rest that weren't really rest, and visits to the Deadly Damsels to make sure the vision he'd set in motion didn't fall apart the moment he looked away.
What surprised him most wasn't the workload—he could handle pain.
It was that he still somehow kept in contact with his friends.
Campus mornings, quick chats before training, the occasional lunch when schedules aligned.
Everyone serious had already locked into their chosen path—hero work, UPSDF recruitment, and other programs. That meant the regular training cells were always booked, and those lower on the priority list got left behind.
Late June brought the clouds.
A grey Friday afternoon washed SHU in muted light as the campus moved like a living hive.
Students streamed across walkways, ducking under umbrellas or shrugging off the light drizzle.
