Back on academy grounds, the sun hadn't even moved.
But everything else had.
Lyle and Juno emerged from the simulation chamber side by side, their uniforms frayed, their expressions blank.
Waiting outside were three instructors. Not one. Not two.
Three.
> That's not protocol, Lyle noted. That's containment.
Asterion stood at the back.
Silent.
Judging.
But the two in front—Dean Maren and Vice-Tactician Roht—wore faint smiles. Not friendly. Predatory.
Juno muttered under her breath. "We just painted targets on our backs, didn't we?"
"Better than being ignored," Lyle replied.
"Debatable."
---
They were led to a mirrored debrief room—two chairs, two cups of untouched water, and three glowing glyphs in the walls designed to track emotional spikes and mana fluctuations.
Lyle didn't touch the water.
Neither did Juno.
Roht paced in a circle.
"You both handled the fog field with unexpected coordination," he said, tapping his stylus. "No communication glyphs. No combat exchanges. Just instinct and timing."
Dean Maren leaned forward. "Were you briefed in advance?"
"No," Juno snapped before Lyle could answer.
"You sure about that?" Maren asked.
Juno raised her chin. "If you're implying we cheated, say it plainly. I'd rather be expelled for something I actually did."
Roht smirked. "Fiery. A poor match for someone like Greenbottle, don't you think?"
Lyle remained still.
Then calmly folded his hands.
"I adapt well."
Maren's eyes narrowed.
"You influence well."
There it was.
The real concern.
They didn't just suspect him of power—they suspected control.
---
After the questioning, they were escorted to opposite ends of the academy's inner dorms.
Juno didn't fight it.
She just looked back once as the guards pulled her away.
Not sad.
Not afraid.
Just… acknowledging.
Lyle didn't wave.
Didn't nod.
But once the doors closed behind him, he whispered:
"She's the first one I can't afford to lose."
And the Codex responded instantly.
> [Bond Recognized: Juno Ravyn – Stability Node Candidate]
Shared emotional resonance detected. Probability of future synchronization: 83%
[System Advice: Bonded allies increase Core efficiency. Maintain discretion.]
---
Later that night, as he lay in bed, Lyle received a single spark from the Codex—not a vision, not a dream.
Just a warning:
> "They will try to separate what cannot be broken."
And then, a pulse of quiet energy surged through his palm—binding a soft, invisible thread across the air.
He didn't know where it led.
But he knew who it connected to.
Juno.
Somehow, she felt it too.
Across the academy, she sat up in her bunk and whispered one word:
"Lyle."