Dorm Building 1 looked less intimidating at night.
The harsh daylight glare off the alloy exterior was gone, replaced by softer perimeter lighting that reflected faintly against the glass panels. Inside, the halls carried the low hum of climate systems and the occasional burst of laughter from rooms already forming social clusters.
David dropped his bag onto his bed and sat for a moment, staring at the ceiling.
"So," Castiel said from across the room, kicking his boots off, "Level 1."
David grabbed a pillow and tossed it at him.
Castiel caught it easily. "Sensitive."
"Shut up, Cas."
Castiel raised an eyebrow. "Still using that?"
"Yes."
Castiel leaned back against the wall, folding his arms. "Fine. D it is."
David rolled his eyes. "You are not calling me D."
"I already am."
A knock hit the door before David could respond.
Castiel looked at him. "You invite someone?"
"No."
Castiel crossed the room and opened it.
Nyra stood there, arms folded, expression neutral but slightly amused.
"I was told this is where the Level 1 lives," she said.
Castiel stepped aside. "You're looking at him."
David groaned. "You too?"
Nyra walked in, scanning the room. "Relax. If you were actually a Level 1, Vance wouldn't have replayed your fight."
David froze slightly. "You saw that?"
"She doesn't replay clean fights," Nyra said, leaning against the desk. "She replays anomalies."
Castiel studied David carefully at that.
"You didn't mention that part," he said.
"There was nothing to mention."
Nyra tilted her head. "You sure?"
David looked between them. "You two always this suspicious?"
"Yes," they both answered at the same time.
That made Nyra laugh.
The tension in the room eased.
Outside in the hall, voices grew louder. A group of cadets passed by, talking fast.
"Did you see Solaryn's read?"
"Three. Obviously."
"Stormrath hit two."
Nyra glanced toward the hallway. "They're already ranking each other."
"They'll be ranking us for two years," Castiel said. "Might as well get used to it."
David leaned back on his bed. "Does it bother you?"
Castiel shrugged. "Only if I let it."
"That's not an answer."
Castiel looked at him for a moment, then spoke more honestly.
"My family name means expectations. It doesn't mean guarantees."
Nyra studied him with mild surprise. "That's the most normal thing you've said all day."
"Don't tell anyone," Castiel replied. "It ruins the mystique."
A light knock sounded again, this time more hesitant.
Castiel opened the door to find two more cadets from Home Room 1 standing there — Alder Sylvryn and Rylen Torq.
"We're doing introductions," Alder said. "Figured we should at least know who we're sharing deployment risk with."
"That's one way to phrase it," Nyra said.
They filtered into the room.
Within minutes, the small dorm space felt crowded but not uncomfortable. Names were exchanged again. Backgrounds shared in short pieces.
Alder grew up on a mid-tier settlement world. Rylen's older sister was already deployed off-world. Nyra's father had been military. Castiel didn't offer much beyond "family business."
David mostly listened.
He noticed who bragged.
Who deflected.
Who observed more than they spoke.
At some point, the conversation turned back to the crystal glitch.
"So, what actually happened?" Rylen asked. "That thing almost cracked."
"It stabilized," David replied.
"That's not what it looked like," Alder said.
Castiel leaned forward slightly. "It looked like calibration stress."
Nyra's eyes flicked toward him.
"You're covering for him," she said.
Castiel didn't deny it.
David sat up. "There's nothing to cover."
The room fell quiet for a second.
Not accusing.
Just aware.
Then Nyra clapped her hands lightly once.
"Alright. If he wants to be mysterious, let him. We've got 0600 training tomorrow."
"Already?" Rylen groaned.
"Welcome to survival," Castiel said.
Alder stood. "We should probably sleep."
The group slowly filtered out, leaving only Nyra lingering in the doorway.
She looked at David.
"You're not what that board says," she said quietly.
David held her gaze. "Neither are you."
A small smile touched her lips.
"Good."
She stepped into the hallway.
Castiel closed the door and leaned against it.
"You're building a reputation," he said.
"That's exactly what I'm trying not to do."
Castiel crossed the room and sat on his bed.
"Well," he said, stretching out and folding his hands behind his head, "try not to break anything tomorrow, D."
David threw another pillow at him.
Castiel laughed this time — actually laughed.
And for the first time since his parents left, David felt something close to normal.
Not safe.
Not certain.
But not alone.