He'd seen her fight. He'd seen her calculate, speak, step forward when no one else would. But not this.
Not her just… sitting.
'She probably thinks I'm a mess.'
He rubbed his thumb lightly along the seam of his glove. Just a small motion. Something to do.
He didn't feel like sleeping. Not yet.
His mana had settled. His body had too. But his mind was a different beast.
Too many thoughts. Not enough space to line them up.
He cleared his throat once.
"You're not sleeping either?"
Lira didn't look over.
"No."
A short answer. Not cold. Not disinterested. Just… simple.
He waited a second. Then added, "Are you always like this?"
She raised an eyebrow. Finally looked at him.
"Like what?"
"Awake. Watching everything. I don't think I've seen you sleep."
"I do," she said. "When I need to."
That wasn't really an answer.
He didn't press it.
"I used to stay up a lot too," he said. "At the Academy. Mostly at night. I guess I just liked the quiet."
