The familiar, grating buzz of the academy's wake-up chime drilled into Eric's skull. He opened his eyes to the grey pre-dawn light seeping through the dorm window. For a moment, he was disoriented. The deep, satiated stillness in his core felt alien after so many weeks of gnawing tension. Then the memories of the previous night washed over him—the silent forest, the campfire, the draining, the pleading voice of the bandit leader.
[MANA BANK: 58/100]
[HUNGER LEVEL: 5%]
The numbers were a comfort and a condemnation. He was safe. He was also a thief of the worst kind.
Around him, the room stirred to life with groans and the rustle of blankets. Silver tumbled from his bunk with his usual lack of grace. Gary was already sitting up, running a hand through his sleep-tousled hair, his eyes distant. From the top bunks, Opal and Mantra were whispering. Bastion's bed was, as ever, perfectly made and empty.
