The next morning dawned pale and silent over the Academy. Early mist drifted between the tall white towers, curling through stone courtyards like ghost smoke. Birds cried faintly from distant gardens as the halls filled with quiet footsteps and murmured greetings.
Inside Training Hall Zero, the air was cool and still. The reinforced stone walls were lined with projection panels flickering with combat footage from the day before. Class Zero sat scattered across the polished floor, some cross-legged, others stretching or tinkering with gear. Silas reclined against the wall, arms folded behind his head as he yawned wide enough to crack his jaw. Evelyn sat beside Reia, her knees pulled to her chest as she toyed with a flickering lightning orb between her trembling fingers. Reia didn't speak, her golden circuits dim as she flicked through strategy files on her tablet.
Vyn stood alone near the window, silent as always, grey eyes watching the drifting mist outside without expression.
